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Gateway of India

Gateway of India

heritage site · Maharashtra

The Gateway of India is Mumbai's most recognisable landmark, a triumphal basalt arch built overlooking the Arabian Sea at Apollo Bunder.

State
Maharashtra
Type
Heritage Site

The Gateway of India is Mumbai's most recognisable landmark, a triumphal basalt arch built overlooking the Arabian Sea at Apollo Bunder. Completed in 1924 to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V and Queen Mary, it blends Hindu and Islamic architectural styles and later became the ceremonial exit point for British troops after independence in 1948. Free to visit and open around the clock, it remains one of India's most-visited and most-photographed public monuments, and the departure point for ferries to Elephanta Island.

Gateway of India is known for

Mumbai's iconic waterfront archIndo-Saracenic architectureFerry point for Elephanta CavesBuilt to commemorate King George V's 1911 visit

A short history

Designed by architect George Wittet in Indo-Saracenic style, the Gateway was begun in 1915 and finished in 1924, commemorating King George V and Queen Mary's 1911 landing in India. The same gateway was later used for the ceremonial departure of the last British troops in 1948.

Why Gateway of India matters

Mumbai's defining landmark and one of India's most-visited and most-photographed public monuments.

When to go

November to February for cooler, more comfortable weather; evenings year-round for the best atmosphere and light.

Why visit

Mumbai's defining monument — a grand waterfront arch, launch point for ferries to the Elephanta Caves, and one of the most photographed spots in the city.

Cultural notes

Built to welcome royalty and later used to mark the end of British rule, the monument's dual role bookends the colonial era in India and makes it a frequent gathering point for public life in Mumbai.

How to reach

In South Mumbai, walkable from Colaba and a short taxi or train ride from most parts of the city; Churchgate and CST railway stations are both nearby.

Gateway of India guide & itineraries

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Mumbai runs on its trains, and the fastest way to stop being a tourist here is to work out which line you need and get on it. The stretch people photograph without knowing what it is runs from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus down to Oval Maidan: Victorian Gothic on one side, Art Deco on the other, facing each other across the park. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is best walked at seven in the morning when the light is low and the traffic has not started. Skip the crush at the Gateway of India unless you are taking the ferry to Elephanta, which is worth a half day for the rock-cut Shiva in cave one. Instead go to Banganga tank in Walkeshwar — a stepped water tank in the middle of the richest neighbourhood in India, almost always empty of visitors. Monsoon, June to September, is when the city is most itself and most difficult. The rain is genuinely heavy, the trains flood, and locals will tell you both that it is beautiful and that they dread it. Both are true. November to February is the easy window.

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Ellora Caves

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The Ellora Caves are a group of 34 rock-cut shrines carved into the basalt cliffs of the Charanandri Hills near Aurangabad. Stretching over two kilometres, they bring together Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples cut between the 6th and 10th centuries CE — a rare place where all three faiths sit side by side. The centrepiece is Cave 16, the Kailasa Temple: the largest monolithic rock-cut structure in the world, carved top-down from a single cliff. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of basalt were removed to reveal a multi-storey temple with carved pillars, life-size elephants and detailed galleries.

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