The place has become so iconic that when I finally reached the spot to capture a picture, I understood how someone like me must have captured all those pictures that I have ever seen of this monument, in my history textbooks in school, on google etc. I feel I am good at relating memories and past visuals to current photography I guess,…I wish I could go closer though.
Standing there, I was wondering why the monument was really reminding me of one of the “darwazas” (like the Teen darwaza, Dilli darwaza) at Ahmedabad. I think the Ahmedabadi spirit in me really got re-invigorated as I stood to watch the gateway. Wiki tells me that ‘The architect combined the elements of the Roman triumphal arch and the 16th century architecture of Gujarat. Its design is a combination of both Hindu and Muslim architectural styles, the arch is in Muslim style while the decorations are in Hindu style. The gateway is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete’.
The monument is symbolic of the gateway to the 200 year old British empire in India.It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay, in December 1911.
As a huge fiery comet, a shooting star flies past, everyone stops, points up and gasps "Oh look at that!" Then - whoosh, and its gone... and they'll never see anything like it ever again, and they won't be able to forget it - ever.
