The gray basalt facade of Elphinstone College features pointed Gothic arches and intricate stone carvings that set it apart from the surrounding government buildings. Established in eighteen thirty-four to promote Western arts and sciences…
Victorian Gothic Fort District
We walk through the architectural heart of colonial Mumbai to marvel at the soaring spires, grand gargoyles, and magnificent institutions of the 19th-century Fort district.
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1. Elphinstone College
2. David Sassoon Library and Reading Room
The David Sassoon Library and Reading Room is a yellow, basalt stone building with pointed Gothic arches that stand out against the grey skyline of Kala Ghoda. It holds one of the city's oldest collections, founded in eighteen seventy with…
3. Rajabai Clock Tower
The Rajabai Clock Tower rises two hundred and eighty feet above the University of Mumbai campus, its Venetian and Gothic stonework standing out against the city skyline. It was built in the eighteen seventies, funded by a wealthy broker…
4. HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
The Bombay High Court occupies a massive, dark limestone building defined by its tall, sharp twin towers and rows of gothic arches. Completed in eighteen seventy-eight, the structure was designed by a British engineer named James Fuller.…
5. Flora Fountain
Flora Fountain stands at the intersection of five major roads in the heart of Mumbai, topped by a carved stone figure of the Roman goddess Flora. This ornate structure is built from Portland stone brought all the way from England in…
6. St. Thomas’ Cathedral ( C.N.I ), Mumbai
St. Thomas’ Cathedral features thick, whitewashed walls and a heavy, square tower that marks the oldest British building in Mumbai. Construction began in sixteen seventy-six but stalled for decades as officials argued over funding and…
7. Horniman Circle Garden
Horniman Circle Garden occupies a circular plot defined by its sweeping arc of neoclassical buildings and dense, overgrown greenery. Before the nineteen fifties, this space served as the Bombay Green, a commercial center where local…
8. Ruttonsee Muljee Jetha Fountain
The Ruttonsee Muljee Jetha Fountain stands as a tall, tiered stone structure topped by a bronze lamp, distinct for its intricate carving and octagonal base. Built in nineteen ninety-four, it honors a prominent businessman from the Bhatia…
9. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus features an explosion of stone gargoyles, pointed arches, and stained glass that looks more like a Victorian cathedral than a railway station. Frederick Stevens designed this headquarters for the Great…