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Monday, July 20, 2015

Heritage Buildings around Colaba

Afghan Church
 British-built church honoring those who died in the First Afghan War & the 1842 retreat from Kabul.
Hotel Majestic

Regal Cinema (a perfect example of  Art Deco Architecute)

Mumbai Police HQ
 In 1896 the Commissioner's office moved to an Anglo-Gothic revival building, which it still occupies to this day. The Police Headquarters building is a protected heritage site. The Maharashtra Police Headquarters moved into what was known as the Royal Alfred Sailors' Home, in 1896. Construction began on the building in early 1872 and was finished four years later, in 1876. As its name suggests, it was made to accommodate 20 officers and 100 seamen. However, the building was actually conceived to commemorate the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh in 1870. The Duke laid the Foundation stone during his visit.

The Maharashtra government acquired the building in 1928 to house the Bombay Legislative Council. The Police department subsequently moved in after it was vacated.
Metro House which houses the famous Café Mondegar

Hotel Majestic



The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is a "Heritage Grand" class five-star hotel in the Colaba region of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, next to the Gateway of India. Historically it was known as the "Taj Mahal Hotel" or the "Taj Palace Hotel" or simply "the Taj".

Part of the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, this hotel is considered the flagship property of the group and contains 560 rooms and 44 suites. There are some 1,500 staff including 35 butlers. From a historical and architectural point of view, the two buildings that make up the hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace, and the Tower are two distinct buildings, built at different times and in different architectural designs. In 2017, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel has acquired an image trademark. It is the first building in the country to get intellectual property rights protection for its architectural design.

The hotel has hosted many notable guests, from presidents to captains of industry and stars of show business.
Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

The Gateway of India
The Gateway of India is an arch monument built during the 20th century in Bombay, India. The monument was erected to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary at Apollo Bunder on their visit to India in 1911.

Built in Indo-Saracenic style, the foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911. The structure is an arch made of basalt, 26 metres (85 feet) high. The final design of George Wittet was sanctioned in 1914 and the construction of the monument was completed in 1924. The Gateway was later used as a symbolic ceremonial entrance to India for Viceroys and the new Governors of Bombay. It served to allow entry and access to India.

The Gateway of India is located on the waterfront at Apollo Bunder area at the end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg in South Mumbai and overlooks the Arabian Sea. The monument has also been referred to as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai, and is the city's top tourist attraction.
The Gateway of India (always a picturesque sight with the millions of pigeons around)

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