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The Gateway of India

The Gateway of India is a historic monument in Mumbai that was completed in 1924. It was built to commemorate King George V's visit to India in 1911. The monument combines elements of Gothic, Islamic, and Hindu architectural styles. It has large arched entrances and a central dome, and is made of yellow basalt stones. The Gateway of India served as the ceremonial entry and exit point for British governors and troops in India. It remains one of Mumbai's most popular tourist attractions today.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
408 views5 pages

The Gateway of India

The Gateway of India is a historic monument in Mumbai that was completed in 1924. It was built to commemorate King George V's visit to India in 1911. The monument combines elements of Gothic, Islamic, and Hindu architectural styles. It has large arched entrances and a central dome, and is made of yellow basalt stones. The Gateway of India served as the ceremonial entry and exit point for British governors and troops in India. It remains one of Mumbai's most popular tourist attractions today.

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waleed Afzaal
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Student’s Surname 1

Name of Student:
Course Title:
Instructor Name:
Date:
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

after the Gateway was completed.

Style in the Indo-Saracenic Tradition

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

stones embedded in a reinforced concrete framework. The Indo-Islamic architectural element

known as "JALI," which means "Net," is a perforated stone embellishment characterised by

geometric or calligraphic patterns (Kaur et al., 2019).


Student’s Surname 2

Architecture, Design and Structure

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.

As a Triumphal Arch, the construction is primarily created in the style of Indo-Saracenic

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
Student’s Surname 3

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

wounded 244 others.


Student’s Surname 4

Construction: 1913 to 1924

Inauguration: 4-12-1924

Cost of Erection: 2.1 million Indian rupees in 1913

Preserved By: Archaeologic Survey of India

Location: Mumbai, India
Student’s Surname 5

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.

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