10 must see heritage buildings in Mumbai

As much as it is a city buzzing with modernism, Mumbai is also an old city with a number of buildings and structures that bear testimony to the golden past. Here are ten must-see buildings in the financial capital of India.

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel:

The Taj Mahal Palace hotel is one of the world’s oldest surviving heritage hotels in the world. The hotel’s original building was commissioned by Tata. It first opened its doors to guests on December 16, 1903. It is one of the most beautiful and an imposing landmark of Mumbai city.

GPO building:

The iconic General Post Office (GPO) building at Fort. One of the historic, heritage buildings of Mumbai, it dated back to the British era. The architecture resembles that of Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur. The building has an area of 120,000 square feet (11,000 m²). This is the principal post office in Mumbai which still handles the bulk of postal work of the city.

The Central Bank of India building:

Built-in 1920, this building serves as the head office for Central Bank of India. The gothic architecture of the building is beautiful. This iconic building is located just across another heritage site, Flora Fountain. This building is a visual treat to any architecture lover.

Mahatma Phule Market (Crawford Market):

This is one of the oldest markets in the world. It was built in the year 1869, by the British. It was named after the first municipal commissioner of Mumbai, Arthur Crawford. Even today, it is widely known as Crawford Market. It was partly renovated in June 2017. This market is very famous for food items, bags, meat shops, etc.

Bazaar Gate Tower, Fort:

This is one of the most ignored heritage landmarks of Mumbai. You can find it in the busy lanes of Mint Street in the Fort area of Mumbai. It is an ancient clock tower. This landmark is generally known as the Bazaar Gate Tower, because of the locality. The architecture is Gothic style. It was built somewhere in the 18th century by a Parsi family.

When we talk about heritage, this has to be one of the most beautiful buildings in Mumbai. The building is known for its 255 ft (77.7 m) tall tower. The chief architectural feature is the central dome that rises to a height of 71.5 m (234.6 ft). It is a Grade IIA heritage building (‘V’ shaped as viewed from top) opposite to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (a UNESCO World heritage site) at the junction of Dadabhai Naoroji Road and Mahapalika Marg.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

The imposing, beautiful heritage structure is the main railway station of Mumbai for both local and outstation trains. It is also the UNESCO world heritage site. The station was built in 1887 in the Bori Bunder area of Mumbai to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The station building is designed in High Victorian Gothic style architecture. The building exhibits a fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and classical Indian architecture.

David Sassoon Library:

The David Sassoon Library is the name of a famous library and heritage structure in Mumbai. The idea for a library to be situated in the center of the city was the brainchild of Albert Sassoon, son of the famous Baghdadi Jewish philanthropist, David Sassoon. The library is located on Rampart Row, across Kala Ghoda.

The Asiatic Society of Mumbai

Inaugurated on November 26, 1804, this structure has one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. It is now classified as a heritage structure. Heavily influenced by Greek and Roman architecture, it has a portico with eight Doric columns. A flight of 30 steps lead up to the town hall and a wrought iron divided regency staircase leads to the vestibule.

Ballard Estate area:

Ballard Estate is an old European style business district situated in south Mumbai, next to Fort. Located between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Fort of South Mumbai, it hosts the offices of shipping companies and the headquarters of the Mumbai Port Trust at the Port House. All the buildings here were mostly built in the British era and they are a treat for any architecture lover.