Gateway of India

The Gateway of India is a ceremonial arch on the harbour front of south Mumbai, looking out over the Arabian Sea. George Wittet designed it to honour the 1911 royal visit of Queen Mary and King George V, and the finished monument was opened in 1924. It mixes Indian, Arabic and Western ideas in one design and has become the best-known symbol of the city.

The arch is about 26 m tall and is built of yellow basalt and concrete, with Hindu and Muslim motifs carved across it. Its central dome measures some 48 ft across, and its top sits roughly 83 ft above the ground. Steps behind the arch open onto a wide view of the sea. The spot began as a simple fishermen's landing, was later rebuilt as a pier for British governors, and at the end of colonial rule saw the last British ship leave, after which the arch came to stand for independence rather than empire. It is lit up after dark.