Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will shortly remodel the precincts of the Gateway of India to enable a clear view of the heritage landmark and the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from the approach road. The plaza structure, which was established 15 years ago inside the premises, will be dismantled and reconstructed nearby, according to the design authorized by the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC). The public will be able to visit the existing area surrounding the Shivaji Maharaj monument and fountain. The project is expected to cost around Rs 20 crore.
The Gateway of India, which overlooks the Arabian Sea and was built to honour King George V and Queen Mary’s visit to Mumbai in the twentieth century, is now a renowned tourist attraction. A plaza near the entrance now blocks the view.
An official from the BMC said, ‘The new design will ensure visual access to visitors so that people can see the Gateway of India, the sea and have a chance to see the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which is currently lost in all the visual clutter.’
The BMC must conserve the vista of the customs house, which is a very ancient structure and part of the original setting of the Gateway of India but is not a listed heritage property, according to the MHCC’s no-objection certificate (NOC).
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The proposal was conceived last year when state tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray reviewed the development and conservation of 22 tourist landmarks, including the Gateway of India, with deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar in a meeting. A music and light show has also been planned for the location by Thackeray’s tourist department. The light display will be centred on many themes relating to the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Marathas, and the liberation movement, among others, as per the preliminary conversations.
Furthermore, since the management of the property and the region surrounding it is shared among many organisations, BMC officials say they would write to multiple authorities alerting them of the proposal. Due to the many agencies involved, the state government established a committee of top officials from the BMC, the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB), the state archaeology department, the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), and the police department in September last year. The state archaeological agency is in charge of the heritage site and a 100-meter radius around it, while the MbPT is in charge of the jetty and boating area. The BMC is responsible for the area outside of it, which includes the plaza approach walk.
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