3 hour Architecture walk in Mumbai covering Gothic and Art Deco

3 hour Architecture walk in Mumbai covering Gothic and Art Deco

The Victorian Gothic & Art Deco story of Mumbai began in the late 19th century with the emergence of Mumbai as a global trading city. This led to spurt in the construction of magnificent buildings. In this tour we will tell the story of Mumbai over the last 2 centuries through its remarkable collection of Victorian and Art Deco buildings which are now a UNESCO world heritage site.  Some of the building we will visit are the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Eros Cinema, Empress Court, Bombay High Court, Rajabhai Tower, David Sassoon library, Elphinston College, Maharashtra police headquarters, Regal Cinema and the Gateway of India.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, DN Road Mumbai CST Area, Mumbai India

9 AM– We commence the tour at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, arguably the best example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India. What is remarkable is that the Gothic elements are blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture. With more than 6 million daily commuters, CST is one of the busiest train stations in the world.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Flora Fountain, MG Rd at Veer Nariman Rd, Mumbai India

We walk to Flora fountain, the most famous fountain in Mumbai. Sculpted from Portland stone it has a magnificent statue of the Roman Goddess of flowers.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Eros Cinema, Maharshi Karve Road 2, Cambata Building, North Wing, Mumbai India

Eros Cinema is an cinema hall built in Art Deco style. It was built in 1938 by architect Sorabji Keikhushru Bhedwar. The internal decorations were done by Fritz von Dreiberg. The building resembles a wedding cake as it rises in tiers topped by a semi-circular tower.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Empress Court, 140, Maharshi Karve Rd, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400020, India

We next walk to an impressive residential Art Deco building called Empress Court. Living in these Art Deco building used to be a symbol of status and wealth!

Duration: 15 minutes

Pass By: Five Senses Tours, Mumbai 400705 India

Orientation

Stop At: Bombay High Court, Fort Dr Kane Rd High Court Building, Mumbai 400032 India

The High court building of Mumbai is a splendid specimen of Gothic architecture. Designed by Col. JA Fuller the building is characterized by huge towers and broad staircases. Statues of Justice & Mercy on top of the building are an inspiration for law abiding citizens!

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Rajabai Clock Tower, Bombay University, Mumbai 400001 India

We next head to the Big Ben of Mumbai. Rajabai Tower is a 125 years old structure and is a blend of Gothic and Art Deco elements.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: David Sassoon Library and Reading Room, 152 David Sassoon Library Marg Library Marg, Fort, Mumbai 400001 India

In 1862, a Jewish banker named David Sassoon built a magnificent Gothic structure as a reading room and library. The library makes for a good afternoon jaunt, with a collection of 70,000 rare books.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Elphinstone College, 156, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Mantralaya, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400023, India

The Elphinston College is another remarkable Gothic structure. Established in 1856, the institution has provided alumni of the calibre of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Dr BR Ambedkar and Jamshedji Tata.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, 159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Lion Gate, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400023, India

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya is housed in a magnificent heritage building, built in order to commemorate the visit of King George V to Mumbai. We will see it from outside

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Regal Cinema, Colaba Causeway, opposite Prince of Wales Museum, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400005, India

Regal Cinema was the first Art Deco style cinema hall in Mumbai. It was built in 1933. Regal Cinema building was designed by Charles Stevens whose father Frederick William Stevens designed Victoria Terminus, where we we began this tour.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Gateway of India, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai 400001 India

We finish our Victorian Gothic and Art Deco walk at Gateway of India. It was built to welcome the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. On February 28, 1948, the last British troops passed through the Gateway of India in a ceremony signaling the end of British rule in India.

Duration: 30 minutes