Apollo Bunder- The Site of Gateway of India, Bombay, 1890 Photo
A rare 1890 photograph captures Apollo Bunder in Bombay (Mumbai), long before it became home to the iconic Gateway of India. At the time, Apollo Bunder functioned as a landing pier for passengers arriving by steamships from abroad. This historic location would later gain immense prominence as the ceremonial landing site for King George V and Queen Mary during their visit to India in 1911.
The Gateway of India was conceived as a grand imperial monument to commemorate this royal visit. Its foundation stone was laid in 1913 by Sir George Sydenham Clarke, the then Governor of Bombay, following the approval of architect George Wittet’s design. Construction required extensive reclamation work along the waterfront, which began in 1914 to expand Apollo Bunder and reinforce it with sea walls.
By 1920, the foundation of the structure was completed, and the monument itself was finally finished in 1924. Interestingly, Apollo Bunder was not just a passenger pier but also served as a landing point for local fishing boats—a detail evident in the photograph, where numerous small vessels are seen anchored along the quay. Facing this historic waterfront are two notable landmarks: the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Royal Bombay Yacht Club (not visible in this image), both of which continue to define the architectural and cultural landscape of the area. Click image to enlarge.
Did you know – the Scottish architect, George Wittet, combined indigenous architectural elements with elements of the 16th-century architecture of Gujarat in the design of the Gateway of India.
