Scenes from Mumbai (Part 1): Stunning Colonial Architecture

Posted by Colleen
On June 5, 2022
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I’ve been traveling around India for the last eight days, and I’ll be sharing images from each city in the next few posts.

My journey began with a few days in the amazing city of Mumbai! Between research meetings and presenting a session (virtually) at a conference in Spain, I put in some miles exploring the city on foot.

The Gateway of India monument

The Gateway of India monument was my first stop. It’s an important monument for many reasons, not least of which is because it’s where the last British soldiers left at the start of India’s independence (you can see a cool aerial photo and learn more about the monument here).

Apparently the Gateway of India is a popular gathering place for locals!

Impressive architectural details of the Gateway monument

After some solo time in Mumbai, I was joined by a visitor from the U.S. (who just happens to be my favorite travel companion!). After a day of jet lag recovery for her, we arranged a full day with a car and guide so we could explore several different areas of the city. One of our stops was the impressive monument-that’s-actually-a-functioning-train-station below.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai central train station)

This gorgeous station complex was completed in 1887 after nearly 10 years of construction, and the completion date was meant to honor the 50th year of the British Queen Victoria’s rule. All obvious problems with colonialism aside, it’s hard to not appreciate the beauty of the station’s design. Today the building is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage site (meaning a natural area or landmark with significant historical, cultural, or scientific value to the world). If you’re interested in hearing what makes this site so special, the short video linked here is worth a quick watch.