A Heritage Walk through Town

The Imposing 'Gateway of India' Built to welcome King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911! 

•   The cost of the construction was a sum of Rs. 21 lakh, borne mainly by the Government of India. (21 Lakh today would not get me a room of 100 square feet in my house!)
•    For lack of funds, the approach road to the Gateway was never built. This is why it stands at an angle to the road leading up to it. 

• The whole harbor front was re-laid so that it would sweep down to the centre of the town.
• The Viceroy, Earl of Reading inaugurated the gateway in Mumbai, on December 4, 1924. 
• The last British troops left India through this gateway!

Boats and Ferries ply between Gateway and Elephanta Caves..at Appolo Bunder!

 Elephanta Caves contain beautiful rock-cut artwork of Gods and Goddeses!  This cave was renovated in the 1970s after years of neglect, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 to preserve the artwork.   The ferries leave for the caves from the Gateway at noon, hop on!

Interestingly,  The Elephanta caves are "of unknown date and attribution" !

The New Building of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel!

The hotel has hosted notable guests such as The Beatles, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Bill Clinton, The Prince of Wales, Mick Jagger, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Deep Purple...cool right?  

According to the BBC, after the Mumbai attacks of November 2008 by Pakistani terrorists , the hotel serves as a symbol of Mumbai's resilience.

Street Scene

The Very famous and beautiful The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

Wrought Iron Lamps at the Gateway of India Seaface

Anyone else fancying a  Medieval Rapunzel looking out of this charming window?

 Just a random click...the tree and the facade of this old stone building looked soo pretty!

The clock tower on the University of Mumbai Building!

When I looked at the Mumbai University Building that day, in the 11 AM sun, I found myself admiring its beautiful Gothic Architecture...But it was overshadowed by a deeper thought- So this is where my engineering course Syllabus(Which I cram 2 nights before the exam)...was drafted!! That is so cool and intriguing!:p

Haggling with Vendors on the Street

I loved how the colourful umbrellas showed up against the white shirts of the men....
The city is bustling,  chaotic, colourful, and always busy! 

Btw I don't know if many of you have heard the song, but I love Abba's "I am the City"  a lot!:)

A Really Imposing Entrance to the Parsi-only complex!

 Now the Parsi community is a fast dwindling, secluded community. Exerpts from the Indian Express's
"A peek into the Parsi bastion in Colaba, which is out of bounds for most Mumbaikars." 

"On Colaba Causeway, there is a place that intrigues the non-Parsis a lot. For over six years, we’ve have gone up and down the Causeway a million times, each time thinking about what goes on within the fortress called Cusrow Baug. A lovely residential sanctuary, the Baug situated across the road from Café Churchill is also a gateway to traditional Parsi ways of life and culture.

For the Parsis, the dwindling numbers of the community is quite a huge concern. Even at Cusrow Baug there aren’t many young people around. No wonder then that it is no less than a festival for them when neighbours fall in love and get married to stay in the Baug forever.

Cusrow Baug remains a place surrounded by mysterious charm. For its residents, it is the best place on earth. For most of us, this haven is out of bounds."

Signing off finally! I bet you guys found this post a tad geeky, but I do SO love clicking buildings in 'town' ! I went alone on this particular trip a few days back, and was not bored even an inch! Hope you liked the pictures and found the information, well interesting!. :)

Lots of Love,

Shubhi!