Fort Area
The magnificent Gothic Victorian buildings in the Fort
area highlight the power and wealth of the British Empire at its
might and are reminiscent of many of the great public buildings in
London or Glasgow. The Victoria Terminus (known as CST), was opened
in 1888 and is one of the world's grandest railway stations, on a
par with New York's Grand Central Station or London's St Pancras.
Built in the Italian Gothic style, it looks more like a lavishly
decorated cathedral than a railway station; massive arches soar
splendidly above the scurrying crowd and carved into the pillars
and buttresses are images of monkeys, peacocks, elephants and
lions. The station is topped by a tall dome crowned with a statue
representing 'Progress'. Nearby, St Thomas' Cathedral was built
between 1672 and 1718 and is witness to almost the entire history
of the British in Bombay. Its whitewashed interior contains
poignant colonial memorials, including one to Henry Robertson
Bower, Lieutenant of the Royal Indian Marine, who lost his life
returning from the South Pole with Captain Scott. The epicentre of
the Fort area is the Horniman Circle, surrounded by curved, arcaded
terraces. The lush and leafy garden in the centre offers a welcome
retreat from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding
city.
Telephone:
Website:
Transport: The Fort area is situated 2km from Chhatrapati Shivaji
Terminus (CST)
Opening times:
Colaba
The southernmost peninsula, known as Colaba, is where
most travellers gravitate to as it has a good range of hotels and
restaurants and two of the city's best landmarks, the Gateway to
India and the Taj Mahal Hotel. The Gateway to India was built in
1911 to commemorate the visit to India of King George V and Queen
Mary. The archway is built from honey-coloured basalt in a style
derived from Gujarati architecture of the sixteenth century. In the
days of the steam liner, the Gateway was for many visitors their
first and last sight of India but today it acts purely as a
colourful tourist stop, and attracts hawkers, snake charmers, and
beggars. The neighbouring Taj Mahal Hotel was built in 1902 by JN
Tata, after he was allegedly refused entry to one of the city's
European hotels on account of being 'a native'. It has since turned
into a bit of an institution, and the streets behind it have become
a Mecca for travellers, the Colaba Causeway is the main street with
a melee of street vendors, shops, stalls and cafes. To the north,
set in beautiful lush gardens, is the fascinating Prince of Wales
Museum displaying a collection of ancient and medieval sculpture
and Indian decorative arts, nearby the new National Gallery of
Modern Art showcases Indian modern art.






