Mumbai and The Gateway to India

My second day in India my friend, Lubna had to go to work. I decided to stay close to home and walked the less than 1 kilometer to the Gateway of India. The gateway is located on the island of Colaba in an area called Apollo Bunder. Located at the tip of Apollo Bunder, the gateway overlooks Mumbai harbor which is bordered by the Arabian Sea. It is surrounded by a series of 5 jetties and is directly across the street from the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel. The gateway is synonymous with the city of Mumbai. Built in 1911 to welcome the King and Queen of England, this stone archway in Colaba is now a historic landmark. Since its construction, the gateway has remained one of the most visited sites in all Mumbai.

The gateway was built to commemorate the arrival of George V, Emperor of India and Mary of Teck, Empress consort, in India on 2 December 1911. It was the first visit of a British monarch to India. However, they only got to see a cardboard model of the monument, as construction did not begin until 1915. Before the gateway’s construction, Apollo Bunder used to serve a native fishing ground. Its foundations were completed in 1920 while construction was finished in 1924. The gateway was opened to the public on 4 December 1924 by then viceroy, Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading. Following Indian independence, the last British troops to leave India, the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, passed through the gateway with a 21-gun salute, as part of a ceremony on 28 February 1948, signaling the end of the British Raj.

The monument is built of yellow basalt and reinforced concrete. The stones were sourced locally while the perforated screens were brought in. There are 4 turrets on the structure of the gateway, and there are steps behind the archway that lead down to the Arabian Sea. The Scottish architect, George Wittet combined elements of the Roman triumphal arch and Islamic architecture. The harbor front was realigned in order to make an Esplanade, which would sweep down to the center of town. On each side of the arch , there are 2 large halls with a capacity to hold 600 people. Due to a lack of funds, the approach road was never built therefore the gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.

The gateway was the location of a terror attack on 25 August 2003, when there was a bomb blast in front of it. The force of the explosion, from a bomb in a taxi parked near the Taj Mahal hotel, reportedly threw bystanders into the sea.  Following the terrorist attacks of November 2008, which targeted the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel opposite the gateway, among other locations, the area has become more restricted. While still crowds of thousands gathered there each day at the gateway but police presence and security monitoring is much stronger than it was before 2008 .

Another thing that you can do from the Gateway of India is to go to the world famous Elephanta Caves. Starting at 9:00 AM, each morning colorful double-decker boats leave one of two jettys that are connected to the Esplanade and they will take you on a journey into the past.

The journey by sea takes 1 hour to reach Elephanta Island. The island is located in Mumbai Harbor about 10 kilometers from the gateway. The caves are a collection of temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. The caves and the statues are cut from solid rock, and the carvings narrate Hindu mythology with large monolithic statues. The Caves are from a time when faith, mysticism and art reign supreme, when the challenge of carving out gigantic statues and caves were accepted as a blessing. Both of these serve as awesome and beautiful examples of Hindu faith, and a testimony to the hard labor and belief of Indian ancestors.

There are 2 types of launch: Economy and Deluxe. One is large, the other is slightly smaller in size. Travelling by either carries its own fun experience. A ticket for the Deluxe boat is Rs.150 for Adult, Rs. 90 for Child (3 to 7 years) which includes a return journey. If you want to see the view from the upper deck, you have to pay Rs.10/-extra to the launch (boat) operator. Economy boat charges are Rs. 20 less being Rs.130 for Adults.

The first boat of the day is at 9AM; they may wait a little bit for more passengers, but they will pretty much leave the dock on time. A boat leaves for Elephanta Island every 10 minutes. Week days are less crowded than weekends.

The island and the caves are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some of the work dates back to the 2nd century BC but most of the work seems to have been done between the 5th and the 7th century AD. There is a historical park on the island which you have to pay a fee to get into. There is a tourist tax of Rs 10 for adults and Rs 5 for children. At the entrance of the park, one needs to pay an entrance fee, Rs 40 for Indian citizens and Rs 600 for foreign nationals. Your ticket will be checked by a security guard on entry to the site.

There are five caves you can visit. You can also walk up higher on the Island, on Cannon Hill. There are 2 old cannons there and a view, but nothing else to see.

Take lots of pictures and show them to your friends later. Beware of the monkeys that roam around. They are quite used to the huge masses of people, but they do not like it when kids and even pesky teenagers tease them by throwing stones or making weird noises and gestures. There have been many cases of people being scratched or attacked by monkeys in retaliation. If left alone, they will usually leave you alone. Try to keep with a crowd, especially if you have some packed food with you and want to have a picnic in the area.

It is advisable to take lots of drinkable water with you from Mumbai itself.

The first boat leaving Elephanta Island for Mumbai is at 12:00 noon and the last one is at 5:30PM. If you are fast, you can take the first boat from Mumbai to Elephanta Island, visit all caves, go up to Cannon Hill to see the old cannon, come back to the dockside, and take the first boat back to Mumbai.

Next: Mumbai and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

*Some information taken from Wikipedia and local tourist guidebooks of Colaba.