The Gateway of India
Hiii Everyone,
Here some exclusive information about The Gateway of India.
The Gateway
of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to
Mumbai, prior to the Delhi Durbar, in December 1911. However, they only got to
see a cardboard model of the structure since the construction did not begin
till 1915.The foundation stone was laid on 31 March 1911, by the governor of
Bombay Sir George Sydenham Clarke, with the final design of George Wittet
sanctioned on 31 March 1913. The gateway was built from yellow basalt and concrete.
Between 1915 and 1919, work proceeded at Apollo Bundar (Port) to reclaim the
land on which the gateway and the new sea wall would be built. 
The foundations
were completed in 1920, and construction was finished in 1924. The gateway was
opened on 4 December 1924, by the viceroy, the Earl of Reading. The Gateway of
India is a major tourist destination and a popular gathering spot for locals,
street vendors and photographers. In 2012, Maharashtra Tourism Development
Corporation moved the "Elephanta Festival of music and dance" from
its original location at Elephanta Caves (where it had been celebrated for 23
years) to the Gateway due to the increased capacity offered by the venue. The
Gateway can host 2,000 to 2,500 people, whereas Elephanta Caves could host only
700 to 800 people . It is the place where the viceroys and governors used to
land upon their arrival in India.
Though built as a welcome to King George V
for his visit of 1911, then an event of grand significance for British India
and the British empire, today serves as a "monumental memento" of
British colonial rule over India. Built right next to the Taj Mahal Palace
& Tower hotel, for British arriving for the first time to India, the
gateway was a symbol of the "power and majesty" of the British
empire. The central dome is 48 feet in diameter
and 83 feet above the ground at its
highest point. The whole harbour front was realigned in order to come in line
with a planned esplanade which would sweep down to the centre of the town. On
each side of the arch, there are large halls that can hold 600 people.
The cost
of the construction was ₹2 million, borne mainly by the Imperial Government of
India. Due to a paucity of funds, the approach road was never built, and so the
gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it. After the 2008 Mumbai
attacks, there has been a proposal to close all these jetties and replace them
with two newer ones to be built near the Bombay Presidency Radio Club nearby. The
second and third jetties are the starting point for tours of Elephanta Caves,
which is a 50 minute boat ride away by ferry. Other routes from the Gateway
include ferry rides to Alibaug and Mandwa; these ferries are said to carry
passengers above their certified capacity due to their popularity.
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