This 26-meter-tall (85-foot-tall) colonial monument that looks out over Mumbai Harbour is one of the city’s best-known landmarks. Built by the British as a triumphal arch to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V to what was then called Bombay, it was also the site from where British troops in 1948 left India as the country achieved independence. Today, it’s a fun spot to hang out and people-watch before catching a boat to Elephanta Island.
Gateway of India ; Bombay Mumbai ; Maharashtra ; India ; Asia
Aspi Patel/Dinodia Photo/© Aspi Patel/Dinodia Photo
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Best time to visit the Gateway of India
The best time to visit Mumbai’s iconic Gateway of India is just after sunrise, when parrots and pigeons fly overhead, the streets are still relatively quiet, and the sky casts a golden haze over the waterfront in Apollo Bunder. Built to honor King George V and Queen Mary, who visited 16 years earlier, the yellow basalt archway was once the literal gateway to the country, the first landmark people would see when arriving to Bombay by boat. Now, it’s a tourist attraction flooded with people hawking guided trips to Elephanta Island, souvenir photos with beautiful women, giant balloons, and crafts. But at sunrise, the seafront is still, perhaps like it used to be several generations ago.
