Gateway of India

The symbol of the city, a triumphal arch on the seashore. From here ferries leave for Elephanta Island and its ancient cave temples (closed Mondays; boats from ~9:00, last one back around 17:30; a half-day trip). Built to commemorate the 1911 arrival of King George V and Queen Mary, its meaning flipped from imperial-arrival arch to a symbol of departure.

A historical irony: on 28 February 1948, the last British regiment (the 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry) embarked through the Gateway of India, ending the era of colonial rule.