Construction Started : 31 March, 1913
Construction Completed : 1924
Inaugurated : 4 December, 1924
Cost of Construction : 2.1 million Rupees in 1913
Maintained By : Archeological Survey of India
Where is it Located : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Why was it Built : To commemorate the 1911 royal visit of King George Vand Queen Mary to Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay)
Dimensions : The central dome is 48 feet in diameter and 83 feet in height.
The Gateway of India, with its regal arches, stands guard facing the Arabian Sea at Apollo Bunder in bustling Colaba area of Mumbai. The most popular tourist attraction, it is the unofficial icon of the city of Mumbai and is a reminder of its rich colonial history as Bombay. The first structure to welcome visitors entering the city by sea, it is popularly called ‘Taj Mahal of Mumbai’. It stands at the end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg at the water’s edge. Visited by tourists and locals alike, the gateway and its promenade affords a great view of the boat-studded sea and is the connecting point for boat rides to and from the famous Elephanta Caves. The ‘Elephanta Festival of music and dance’ which was earlier held at the Elephanta caves, is now held in front of the Gateway in March every year. It is often confused with the India Gate in Delhi built in the memory of the 82,000 soldiers of the undivided Indian Army who died in the period 1914–21 in the First World War.
History
The Gateway of India was built to celebrate and honor the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India for their formal proclamation as Emperor and Empress of India at the Delhi Durbar in December 1911. The foundation stone for the monument was laid by Sir George Sydenham Clarke, the Governor of Bombay on March 31, 1911 at what was a crude jetty used by the fishing community. A cardboard model of the proposed structure was presented to the Royal visitors and the final design of Scottish architect, George Wittet was sanctioned on March 31, 1914. Initial work to reclaim land for building the Gateway and a new sea wall at the Apollo Bunder (English: port) was started in 1915. Following completion of land reclamation in 1919, actual construction started and was completed in 1924. The formal inauguration of the Gateway of India was done by the Viceroy of India, Rufus Isaacs, Earl of Reading, on December 4, 1924. The approach road to the Gateway was never built due to lack of funds.
The Taj Mahal Palace hotel located right next to the Gateway of India was built by Jamshedji Tata and catered to a clientele of British elites, European and Indian Maharajas.
