Gateway Of India When King & Queen Passed Through, 1942 Photo
A striking 1942 photograph of the Gateway of India captures the grandeur of Bombay (Mumbai) during the late colonial era. In December 1911, King George V and Queen Mary arrived in Bombay at Apollo Bunder during their celebrated tour of India. The royal couple was en route to attend the grand Delhi Durbar of 1911. Where the King would formally be proclaimed Emperor of India.
Notably, at the time of their arrival, the Gateway of India had not yet been built. Instead, Apollo Bunder functioned as a bustling colonial landing point where dignitaries, officials, and travelers disembarked from steamships onto smaller ferry boats before reaching the shore.
Bombay hosted the King and Queen with great ceremony. The city witnessed elaborate receptions, public celebrations, and official engagements during their stay. Before departing for Delhi, the royal couple received a grand and affectionate send-off.
The Gateway of India was conceived as a permanent architectural tribute to commemorate this historic royal visit. Construction began in 1913 and was completed in 1924, transforming Apollo Bunder into a monumental ceremonial entrance.
Designed in the Indo-Saracenic style, it also marked Bombay as the “Gateway” to the subcontinent for visitors arriving by sea.
Before the development of modern port infrastructure in the 1920s, Apollo Bunder served as a key landing harbour. Large steamships anchored offshore, and passengers were ferried to the pier by smaller boats.
The area around the Gateway was among the most prestigious in Bombay:
- The iconic Taj Mahal Hotel, opened in 1903, stood prominently facing the harbour
- The Royal Bombay Yacht Club added to the elite colonial atmosphere
- Nearby lay the bustling Bombay Docks, central to the city’s maritime trade
By 1942, when this photograph was taken, the Gateway of India had already witnessed decades of history, from imperial ceremonies to the changing tides of nationalism. Just a few years later, in 1948, it would serve as the symbolic exit point for the last British troops leaving independent India.
Did you know – that the last horde of British troops left India through this gateway after India’s independence.
