The Gateway of India
The Gateway of India
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The Gateway Of India
Introduction
For centuries, the iconic Gateway of India has been a reminder of the country's rich past
and a symbol of its newfound freedom and perseverance. Indian and Islamic elements combine
with Gothic Revival to create an Indo-Saracenic style that is uniquely its own. This triumphal
arch, built to represent the British Empire's riches and might, today serves as a reminder of
India's freedom from British imperialism. It is still one of Mumbai's most popular attractions.
History
It was still under construction when King George V and Queen Mary reached the
Gateway of India. According to legend, a cardboard building was erected at the end of a short
pier where the inauguration ceremony took place as a temporary measure. It was the work of
Scottish architect George Wittet and served as a model for the final archway design. The last
British soldiers in India withdrew via the Gateway in a ceremonial withdrawal in 1948, 23 years
The monument’s dome is 14 metres in diameter and 26 metres tall. Jali, a carved stone
latticework, was used in the construction of the building, which was created with yellow basalt
British-Scottish architect George Wittet, who designed the Gateway of India, and Gam
India Limited, the only engineering company in India with an ISO 9001: 1994 accreditation in
civil engineering at the time, were responsible for its construction. The foundations of the
building were made of yellow basalt stones encased in reinforced concrete. The stone came from
a nearby quarry. Gwalior was the origin of the perforated screens that were sent to us. At the
point of Apollo Bunder, Apollo Bunder sits the building, which cuts an arc to the road.
architecture, with some Muslim components added to the mix. As a result of British colonialism,
this architectural style was brought to India, where it mixes aspects of Muslim and
Hindu architecture with Gothic curvy arches and domes as well as stained-glass windows
(Phattak, 2019).
Three pieces make up the rectangle shape. Each of the structure's 85-foot-tall central
arches. A 48-foot-diameter by 83-foot-tall dome tops the middle block. Large rooms with an
archway covered with finely carved stone screens that can house 600 people are situated on each
side of the arch. The Gateway of India's central dome is connected by four turrets and
embellished with elaborate latticework, which is the Gateway's most notable feature. In front of
the arches of the Gateway, some steps lead to the Sea. Views of fishing boats and luxury ships
dot the Arabian Sea from the arch's vantage point (Zaidi, Zaidi and Shorey, 2022).
Significance
Although it was constructed to celebrate King George V's coronation, British rulers and
governors used the Gateway of India as their entry point. Even though British troops withdrew
from India on that same day, the First Regiment of the Taunton Light Infantry left a lasting
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emblem behind. On August 25, 2003, twin bombs exploded near the Gateway of India and the
Zaveri Bazar, a popular tourist destination. The accident claimed the lives of 54 individuals and
Construction: 1913 to 1924
Inauguration: 4-12-1924
Location: Mumbai, India
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Reference list
Kaur, G., Makki, M.F., Avasia, R.K., Bhusari, B., Duraiswami, R.A., Pandit, M.K., Fareeduddin,
Baskar, R. and Kad, S. (2019). A Potential Global Heritage Stone Province: The Gateway
of India. Geoheritage, 11(3), pp.973–989. doi:10.1007/s12371-018-00342-1.
Phattak, D. (2019). Gateway Of India: The Taj Mahal Of Mumbai! [online] Culturalindia.net.
Available at: https://www.culturalindia.net/monuments/gateway-of-india.html [Accessed
20 Jul. 2022].
Zaidi, N.F., Zaidi, Z.B. and Shorey, G. (2022). The Gateway of India: The Forgotten Vernacular
of Traditional Indian Architecture. Conservation of Architectural Heritage, pp.3–12.
doi:10.1007/978-3-030-74482-3_1.