SSC
The Gateway of India in Mumbai was designed by:
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Answer: Option B — George Wittet
Detailed Solution
The Gateway of India in Mumbai was designed by the Scottish architect George Wittet.
About the Gateway of India:
It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in December 1911. They landed at Apollo Bunder in Bombay, which was the site of the future Gateway; at that time, only a temporary cardboard structure stood there.
The foundation stone was laid on 31 March 1913 by the Governor of Bombay, Sir George Sydenham Clarke.
George Wittet's final design was approved in 1914, and construction was completed in 1924.
It was formally opened on 4 December 1924 by the Viceroy, Lord Reading.
It stands at Apollo Bunder, on the waterfront in the Colaba area of South Mumbai, overlooking the Arabian Sea.
It is about 26 metres (85 feet) high and is built of yellow basalt and reinforced concrete.
Its architecture is in the Indo-Saracenic style, combining Hindu and Muslim elements, with features inspired by Gujarati architecture of the 16th century.
On 28 February 1948, the last British troops to leave India, the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, departed through the Gateway in a ceremony. Thus, the Gateway, built to welcome the British, also saw their departure.
The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel stands opposite the Gateway.
About George Wittet (1878-1926):
- He was the consulting architect to the Government of Bombay.
- His other works in Mumbai include the Prince of Wales Museum (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya), designed with John Begg, and parts of the Institute of Science.
Other architects of British India:
- Edwin Lutyens: chief planner of New Delhi; designed Rashtrapati Bhavan (Viceroy's House) and India Gate.
- Herbert Baker: designed the North and South Blocks and Parliament House (with Lutyens).
- Frederick William Stevens: designed the Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus), completed in 1888.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Edwin Lutyens designed India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- ✗Herbert Baker designed the North and South Blocks.
- ✗Frederick William Stevens designed Victoria Terminus.
Quick tip
Remember: Gateway of India (Mumbai; opened 1924; for George V's 1911 visit) = George Wittet; India Gate (Delhi) = Edwin Lutyens; Victoria Terminus = F. W. Stevens.
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Famous Personalities & Founders — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Famous Personalities & Founders, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers famous personalities from India and the world: leaders, reformers, scientists, entrepreneurs and their nicknames, along with the founders of organisations, companies, institutions, religions and movements. Questions often use popular titles such as 'Iron Man of India' (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) or 'Nightingale of India' (Sarojini Naidu), or ask who founded an organisation, such as the Ramakrishna Mission (Swami Vivekananda). Grouping people by field and by title makes revision faster and helps you spot wrong options. Practise the famous personalities questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.