Gateway of India Monument

Address: Gateway of India, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Hours: Open 24 hours (public waterfront monument; surrounding area accessible daytime and evening)

Admission: Free (public monument)

Gateway of India is a vaulted basalt arch monument on the waterfront at Apollo Bunder in the Colaba area of Mumbai, India, completed in 1924. It was built to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V and is a landmark of Mumbai’s harbour front.

A broad sea-facing plaza and the arch itself form the focal point for photography, promenade activity and boat departures. Many visitors combine a visit with a short ferry ride to nearby islands or with views of the historic Taj Mahal Palace hotel opposite on the waterfront.

The site functions as a public gathering place for civic events, sunrise and sunset visits, and as an access point for harbour cruises and local boat services. The monument’s 26-metre-high central arch and flanking structures create a formal ceremonial gateway to the city.

Built between 1911 and 1924 during the late colonial period, the Gateway was both a commemorative monument and a ceremonial entrance to Bombay. It later became a symbolic site for events such as the departure of British troops in 1948.

The monument occupies a prominent position on the southern tip of Mumbai at Apollo Bunder, facing the Arabian Sea and the Mumbai harbour, in the Colaba district.

• Waterfront access: The Gateway is a prominent waterfront landmark and a primary embarkation point for ferries to nearby Elephanta Island and other harbour trips.

The Gateway of India is on the Colaba waterfront in South Mumbai. From Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport it is about 25-30 km by road (allow 45-90 minutes depending on traffic) via the Western Express Highway and south through Marine Drive/Colaba; the nearest major suburban railheads are Churchgate and CSMT followed by a short taxi/bus ride. Ferries to Elephanta Island depart from the ferry terminal at the Gateway.

• Go at first light on weekdays to avoid the busiest tourist and local weekend crowds and to see the monument in softer, cooler conditions.
• Use the jetty on the eastern side of the Gateway if you plan to take the ferry to Elephanta Caves-the ferries depart from the Gateway jetty and are easiest to access early in the day.
• For a different perspective, walk the Colaba Causeway and the stretch opposite the monument; many visitors congregate at the monument itself and miss the atmospheric seaside views from the walkway.