About

The Gateway of India is a hybrid structure incorporating Indic designs with British forms and was built to commemorate King George V's visit to India in 1911. It is situated on the seafront in the Colaba area of Mumbai. There are five jetties located at the Gateway, of which two are used for commercial ferry operations. It is a major attraction for both domestic and international tourists. Its plaza has hosted a number of cultural events, and the Gateway has featured in several movies. It still serves part of its original purpose by means of being a launch for ferries, boats and yachts that ply between Mumbai and the famed Elephanta Island as well as Alibaug.

Constructed in:	20th century CE
Local Language(s):	English, Hindi, Marathi

Architecture

The Gateway of India is built in buff coloured trachyte commonly called yellow basalt and reinforced concrete.

It features one central pavilion and two subsidiary pavilions, each with a Pointed arch entrance.

The Gateway has four minarets attached to the four corners of the central arch.

The arches used in the Gateway of India are called French arc brise and comprise of two segments of a round arch, which are butted against each other without using a keystone. These pointed arches not only lend a Gothic look to the structure, but also give it strength and stability, enabling the perfection of ribbed vaults that act as the main support of the roof, instead of all the weight resting on the walls.

The vaulted roof of the main and subsidiary pavilions of tht Gateway is in the form of a ribbed vault, with a series of intersecting arches that provide counter-resistance to the lateral thrust of the domes above.

The Gateway features a number of Corbels or brackets supporting the overhanging eaves.

The Gateway has overhanging eaves on all sides, projecting outward from the roof, protecting the walls from direct flow of water in the heavy Bombay monsoon.

The Gateway features a number of Corbels or brackets supporting the overhanging eaves.

The Gateway has three squat domes, which are invisible from the ground. The central dome soars 26m in height and is the largest with a diameter of 15m.

The arches of the two subsidiary pavilions on the left and right feature lattice work (commonly known as "jali") above the entrance, which is both decorative and serves the purpose of letting in light and air. The jalis have hexagonal, octagonal, honeycomb and other vegetal patterns.

One of the problems affecting the Gateway, is the problem of black crusts, given the high levels of humidity and pollution. Due to its location on the seafront, the trachyte rock of the Gateway is a victim of saline deposits which can be observed in the form of whitish patches on its surface. The entire monument shows signs of deterioration due to salt accumulation/encrustation, especially on the sea facing side.

Additional Reading

Digital reconstruction of Gateway of India, Mumbai, by CyArk team, using LiDAR scanning

Trivia

When King George V and his Queen consort, Mary of Trek visited India in 1911 to attend the Delhi Durbar, a coronation ceremony to declare him Emperor of India, a temporary pavilion was set up at Appollo Bundar to welcome the Royal couple. This was because the Gateway of India had not yet built by the time the Royals arrived. The make-shift structure, made of cardboard, was designed by Scottish Architect George Wittet and had a central square pavilion with an archted entrance capped by a bulbous dome with four finials, one at each corner.

The foundation stone of the Gateway of India was laid by the then Governor of Bombay, Sir George Sydenham Clark in 1913 and the design approved in 1914. The work on the pier and a new sea wall started immediately, but the work on the main structure started only after World War I ended in 1919. The Gateway of India was finally inaugurated in 1924, thirteen years after the royal visit.

The total cost of building the Gateway of India was estimated to be aout two and a half million rupees.

One of the top construction and civil engineering companies at the time – Gammon India Limited were contracted with the work of construction of the monument. The construction work was overseen by Yeshwantrao Harishchandra Desai, the Honorary Assistant Engineer at the Public Works Department.

The last of the British troops stationed in India – the first Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry – left the shores of India in a symbolic exit on the 28th of February 1948 through the Gateway.

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Worli Sea-Link

(12.48 kms)

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