Mumbai is a lot more than just the city that never sleeps. It is an epitome of rich heritage and culture, infused with the right balance of resilience, solidarity, and multi-ethnicity.

That apart, what gives Mumbai a distinct charm and flavour of its own are the places of historical significance. Each historical monument in this magnificent city has a different story to tell, bringing alive a different era, standing tall and proud through the trials of time, and reminding us of the legacy of Mumbai's rich historical past. Let’s dig in deeper.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Planned originally as the office of the Great Indian Peninsula Railways, and now functioning as the Central Railways headquarters, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus or CST - formerly Victoria Terminus - is worth having on your bucket list if you are a history buff, since this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of India’s finest and oldest Victorian-Italianate-Gothic style architectural buildings. A truly historic railway station in Mumbai built in the late 1800s, CST was designed by F. W. Stevens, drawing inspiration from Sir Gilbert Scott’s St Pancras International railway terminus in central London.  

CST is constructed with marble, ornamental ironwork, multi-coloured stones and tiles. The elegant building’s frontage boasts of projecting wings and a colossal dome that has the structure of a woman called the Statue of Progress - holding a flamed torch in her right hand and a wheel in her left, signifying progress. 
The booking office, called the Star Chamber, built with Italian marble and Indian blue stones is arcaded and adorned with stencilled designs, glassy tiles, and beautiful stained glass. Several sculptures and intricate ornamented ironwork, created by Mumbai’s J. J. School of Arts students, elevate the station’s beauty further. 
Not surprisingly, CST ranks second on India’s most photographed structures list, after Agra’s Taj Mahal.

Town Hall 

A majestic colonial structure built in the 1800s, Mumbai's Town Hall is one of the most regal and sophisticated heritage structures in the city. Designed by Colonel Thomas Cowper, a premier engineer in the city back in that time, this 200-feet wide, 100-feet tall structure draws inspiration from Roman and Greek architectural styles. 
The Town Hall houses a public state library called the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, and its museum is no less than a rich and priceless treasure house of literature, oriental arts and sciences. It has a collection of ancient manuscripts in Sanskrit, Urdu, Persian, and Prakrit, several historic Asian and European books, thousands of ancient coins including a gold 'mohur' belonging to Akbar, Dante's first issue of Inferno, and various other rare treasures of India. 
Overlooking the Horniman Circle Gardens, the Town Hall is one among Mumbai’s prized architectural marvels, epitomising one of the last architectural remnants of Victorian-age Mumbai.

Gateway of India

Notwithstanding the cliché, Gateway of India indisputably remains one of Mumbai’s most iconic monuments. Its construction began in 1911 and was completed in 13 years. Built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, this beautiful honey-coloured basalt stone monument stands tall with four bartizans and fascinating, intricate latticework. Located at South Mumbai’s Apollo Bunder road, this signature monument overlooks the Arabian Sea and showcases an inscription mentioning that it was erected to commemorate the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary in India in December 1911.
Earlier the official entrance for Viceroys and new Governors, it continues to remain a chief access point into India. 

August Kranti Maidan


Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan is one of the most significant historic chapters in India’s journey of the independence struggle. This is where Mahatma Gandhi commanded the British to leave India on August 8, 1942, marking the launch of the Quit India Movement. Formerly called the Gowalia Tank Maidan, the ground was later renamed as August Kranti Maidan to symbolise this historic event. 

Mani Bhavan

Located near Wilson College in downtown Mumbai’s Laburnum Road, Mani Bhavan is a significant historical memorial linked to Mahatma Gandhi. This is where he resided from 1917 to 1934 at the time of the Indian freedom struggle. It is from here that he contrived and directed the Non-Cooperation, Swadeshi, Satyagraha, Khadi and Khilafat movements/agitations. In fact, his association with the Charkha also started from here.  
First owned by the Mani family, then Revashankar Jagjeevan Jhaveri, Mani Bhavan finally came under Gandhi Smarak Nidhi’s management in 1955.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya is an iconic museum the construction of which began in 1905, based on local 15th and 16th century Gujarati architecture. Known earlier as the Prince of Wales Museum, this breath-taking museum built with local stone showcases the archetypal Indo-Saracenic architecture of designer George Wittet. Archaeology, art, and natural history and the chief sections in this main museum of Mumbai. 

Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum 

Founded by Sir George Birdwood and designed by William Tracey in 1862, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum, formerly called the Victoria and Albert Museum, stands out for its unusual Palladian architectural style in Mumbai, where Gothic styles are usually predominant. The museum has an interesting collection of artefacts and other things that bring alive Mumbai’s intriguing history. 

Rajabai Clock Tower

The Rajabai Clock Tower (Italianate Clock Tower) was built in 1865 and is a gift by David Sassoon to the designs of Scott, McClelland & Co. This spectacular Gothic-style monument is constructed in Porbandar stone with Minton tile panels and Blashfield's terracotta dressings from Lincolnshire. At the base of the tower is a drinking fountain, and its four prominent faces represent morning, evening, afternoon and night. 

Mumbai High Court

Designed and built by Colonel James Augustus Fuller, the Mumbai High Court is yet another marvellous English Gothic construction. It is 562 feet long and 187 feet wide, dominated by a large central tower. On either side are octagonal spire-covered towers, crowned by the figures of Mercy and Justice. The façade is made of rich blue basalt, beautified further with Porbandar, Stucco, Sewri, and Coorla stones, and the steeply pitched roofs are covered with rich red tiles. 

Central Telegraph Office 

James Trubshaw designed the Old General Post Office, now re-christened the Central Telegraph Office, in mediaeval Italian style. The upper part of the building once served as an outdoor dining room for clerks. The Telegraph Office stands opposite the Public Works Office and its main façade faces Vir Nariman Road. It is hard to miss the building’s two conspicuous tall towers with sharply pitched roofs, in between which lies a yawning porte-cochere. 

Raj Bhavan

The official residence of Maharashtra’s Governor, Raj Bhavan a.k.a. Government house is located in Mumbai’s upscale Malabar Hill locality. The fascinating house has timber verandas and a pitched roof, exuding a rustic appeal. It is located across 50 acres of sprawling sylvan surroundings, bordered by the sea on three sides. Raj Bhavan was a part of the historical Mumbai (then Bombay) Castle, where the city’s Governor lived during the British Raj, till 1757.
After this period, the Governor’s residence moved to Apollo Street’s Great Western Building, then Parel (where the Haffkine Institute is presently located), and finally settled at its current location in 1883. Mountstuart Elphinstone enlarged the place in 1819, after which Sir John Malcolm did the same in 1828. 

Taj Mahal Palace and Tower

The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower is another historical landmark of Mumbai city. Often referred to as one of the most outstanding hotels of the East, this is a monument in its own right. Built by Sir J. N. Tata, the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, even after 113 years of existence, has retained its distinct social prestige and prominence. Its distinguishable belvedere, gorgeous red dome, and curved towers crowned by Moorish domes are hard not to marvel at.  
According to Historian Sharada Dwivedi, this iconic hotel was built following the breakout of a massive plague epidemic in 1896 that was threatening Mumbai’s well-being. Sir Tata therefore set up this hotel out of pure love for Mumbai city.

Each of these monuments embody brilliant architecture, commendable skill, intricate thought and detailing, and a rich, intriguing historical past - justifying why they qualify as Mumbai’s, in fact, India’s must-see, iconic historical monuments.

What about the icons in your city that you are proud of? Tell us why it makes your city special in the comments section