Collection: The Gateway to India

At the turn of the century, an architectural shift started changing the cityscape of Bombay from spires to minarets, pointed arches to cusped arches, vaulted ceilings and mansard roofs to domes and the city welcomed the ‘Indo Saracenic’ architectural style. The term Saracen suggests a place which is geographically far from India, the idea was to blend Mughal or Islamic elements to create a different language from the prevalent Victorian Gothic. This hybridisation of eastern and western influences sprinkled the urban landscape with some remarkable buildings such as the Prince of wales Museum, Taj Mahal hotel, Western Railway headquarters etc., The ‘Gateway of India’ designed as a monumental arch by George Wittet celebrates the Indo Saracenic style and is symbolically linked to India's entry into the modern world.