taj se india

It is the place where the viceroys and governors used to land upon their arrival in India. Though built as a welcome to King George V for his visit of 1911, then an event of grand significance for British India and the British empire,



 today serves as a "monumental memento" of colonialisation and subjugation by the British over the people of India.^[11] Built right next to the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel,^[21] for British arriving for the first time to India, the gateway was a symbol of the "power and majesty" of the British empire.^[3]

Seen here is the crowd, which includes international and local tourists, local photographers with the monument at the background.

 

 

 

 

 

Opposite the gateway stands the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the king who used guerilla warfare to establish the Maratha empire in the Sahyadri mountain range in the 17th century,^[22] as a symbol of Maratha "pride and courage".^[23] The statue was unveiled on 26 January 1961 on the occasion of India's Republic 



Day.^[24][25] The other statue in the area is that of Swami Vivekananda.^[26]
There are five jetties at the gateway.^[27] The first jetty is exclusive to the Atomic Research Centre, the second and third are used for commercial ferry operations, the fourth is closed and the fifth is exclusive to the Royal Bombay Yacht Club.

Gateway of India thronged by tourists.

 

 

 

After the 2008 Mumbai attacks, there has been a proposal to close all these jetties and replace them with two newer ones to be built near the Bombay Presidency 

Radio Club nearby.^[28] The second and third jetties are the starting point for tours of Elephanta Caves, which is a 50-minute boat ride away by ferry.^[21][29] Other routes from the Gateway include ferry rides to Alibaug and Mandwa; these ferries are said


to carry passengers above their certified capacity due to their popularity.^[30]
The Gateway of India is a major tourist destination and a popular gathering spot for locals, street vendors and photographers.^[19] In 2012, Maharashtra Tourism 



Development Corporation moved the "Elephanta Festival of music and dance" from its original location at Elephanta Caves (where it had been celebrated for 23 years) to the Gateway due to the increased capacity offered by the venue. The Gateway can host 2,000 to 2,500 people, whereas Elephanta Caves could host only 700 to 800 people.^[31][32]