4 Dec : That’s the Gateway of India

I have been to Mumbai thrice and each time I could not stop myself from visiting the Gateway of India. The sea view and the ferry has been a wonderful experience. So must be the case for anyone who has visited Mumbai.

The Gateway of India has a rich history. It was inaugurated today in 1924. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V, who was the first reigning British monarch and Queen Mary. The architect of the monument was a Scottish man named George Wittet. It’s design is a combination of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles; the arch is of Muslim style while the decorations are of Hindu style.

There is a staircase leading to the roof top of the monument. There are plans to turn it into a viewing gallery. Another staircase behind the arch leads down to the sea. An advance LED lighting system containing a palette of 16 million shades is put for lighting up the monument.

Because of it’s glory and rich heritage, it has been on the terrorists radar for 3 times in last 15 years. The first two in 2003 and last one in 2008 – the famous Mumbai terror attack.
But Gateway of India is still standing high and tight holding the sea in one hand and the city in the other.

#Hindi 
आज 1924 में मुंबई में Gateway of India का उदघाटन हुआ था। Gateway of India को King George V और Queen Mary की मुंबई यात्रा की याद में बनाया गया था। Gateway of India की खासियत ये है कि इसमें हिंदू और इस्लामिक वास्तुकला का Fusion किया गया है। इसे architect George Wittet ने डिज़ाइन किया था और उस ज़माने में ये 20 लाख रुपये में बनकर तैयार हो गया था।