G20 delegates to be taken to Kanheri trail, Gateway walk

The delegates of G20 Development Working Group (DWG) will be treated to a heritage walk at the iconic Gateway of India and an excursion to the Kanheri Caves.

The meeting is scheduled in Mumbai from December 13-16. The delegates would also be hosted for a series of cultural events that will give them a unique India experience after back-to-back meetings and official engagements.

The imposing Gateway of India is one of the most visited and photographed structures of Mumbai. It’s a pride of Mumbai and has its own importance in the history of this city and that of the country. It stands at the end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg at the Apollo Bunder that touches the Arabian Sea.

The Gateway of India was built to celebrate and honour the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India for their formal proclamation as Emperor and Empress of India at the Delhi Durbar in December, 1911. The foundation stone for the monument was laid by Sir George Sydenham Clarke, the Governor of Bombay on 31 March, 1911 at what was a crude jetty used by the fishing community. A cardboard model of the proposed structure was presented to the Royal visitors and the final design of Scottish architect, George Wittet was sanctioned on March 31, 1914.

The formal inauguration of the Gateway of India was done by the Viceroy of India, Rufus Isaacs, Earl of Reading, on December 4, 1924. The Scottish architect George Wittet combined the elements of the Roman triumphal arch and the 16th-century architecture of Gujarat. Its design is a combination of Hindu and Muslim architectural styles; the arch is of Muslim style while the decorations are of Hindu style. The gateway is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete.

The Kanheri Caves located deep inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) is one of the major tourist attractions in the financial capital of Mumbai. Chiseled out of a massive basaltic rock outcrop, the cave complex demonstrates Buddhist style in art and architecture.

Chinese Buddhist monk and traveller Xuanzang had also briefly stayed here - which reflects its importance.

They contain Buddhist sculptures and relief carvings, paintings and inscriptions, dating from the 1st century CE to the 10th century CE. Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit Krishnagiri, which means black mountain.

Kanheri, which has over 100 caves, flourished under the patronage of Satavahana, Traikutakas, Vakatakas and Shilaharas and through donations made by the wealthy merchants of the region. The Kanheri Caves come under the Archaeological Survey of India.