The Gateway of India in Mumbai

The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay (now Mumbai), prior to the Delhi Durbar, in December 1911.

However, the King and Queen only saw a cardboard model of the structure since the construction did not begin till 1915. The Gate was designed by George Wittet, with the gateway built from yellow basalt and concrete. Construction was finished in 1924 and the Gateway was opened on 4 December 1924, by the then Viceroy, the Earl of Reading.

The last British troops to leave India following Independence, were the 1st Btn of the Somerset Light Infantry, and they marched through the Gateway on their way out in a ceremony on 28 February 1948, signalling the end of British rule.

In the Gateway George Wittet combined a Roman triumphal arch and the 16th century architecture of Gujarat. It incorporates both Hindu and Muslim styles; the arch is Muslim while the decorations are of Hindu style.