Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai

The story of this place

Mumbai grew in two great waves, and this site captures both. In the second half of the 19th century, after the old fort walls came down, the city built a line of grand public buildings in the Victorian Gothic style, a high court, a university, a secretariat, facing the new open ground called Oval Maidan. The British designs were adapted to the Indian climate with balconies and verandas, creating what is called the Indo-Gothic style.

The second wave came in the early 20th century, when the Backbay Reclamation created new land to the west. On it, Indian businessmen and architects raised confident modern apartment buildings and cinemas in the Art Deco style, and laid out the sea facing sweep of Marine Drive. They blended Indian design with Art Deco imagery, and the world now calls that blend Indo-Deco.

In 2018, UNESCO inscribed 94 buildings of this precinct as a World Heritage Site. The listing celebrates something rare: two complete architectural ensembles from two different eras, still in their original use, looking at each other across one green maidan.

What you will see

Start on the eastern side of Oval Maidan. Here stand the Bombay High Court, the University of Mumbai's Fort campus with the Rajabai Clock Tower rising above it, and the Old Secretariat, which now houses the City Civil and Sessions Court. These are working courts and university buildings, so you admire them from the footpath and the maidan. Entry inside is restricted to those with work there, and that honesty matters: the reward here is the streetscape, not an interior tour.

Now cross to the western edge of the Oval. A continuous line of Art Deco apartment buildings faces the Victorian ensemble, with curved balconies, rounded corners, porthole windows and lettering straight from the 1930s. These are private homes, lived in by Mumbai families, so please enjoy them from outside and respect the residents.

Walk on past Churchgate towards Marine Drive, where the Art Deco line continues along the sea. Together these buildings form one of the largest Art Deco assemblages in the world. End your walk on the promenade. At night the curve of street lamps becomes the Queen's Necklace, and the whole story of modern Mumbai lies behind you.

Best time to visit

November to February is the season for this walk, when Mumbai is relatively cool and the light is clear. The city is hot and humid for much of the year, and the monsoon from June to September brings heavy rain, though Marine Drive in the rains has its own charm for those who do not mind getting wet.

Within the day, two windows work best. Early morning gives soft light on the Victorian stone and cricket practice on the Oval. Late afternoon lets you walk the whole route and finish on Marine Drive at sunset, which is exactly how we plan it for our guests.

How to reach

Few heritage sites are easier to reach. Churchgate station on the Western line sits right beside the Art Deco precinct, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus is about a 15 minute walk from Oval Maidan. If you are staying in Colaba or Fort, you can simply walk over.

From the international airport, the drive to this part of South Mumbai is about 25 km and can take 1 to 2 hours in traffic, so plan your day with a cushion. Taxis and app cabs drop you at Oval Maidan or Marine Drive easily.

Tips from our travel experts

Give this walk 2 to 3 unhurried hours. Carry water, wear a hat, and keep your camera charged, because the details reward a slow pace: look up at the balconies, the sunburst grilles, the building names in period lettering, the gargoyles on the Victorian side.

Several local heritage groups run guided walks of the precinct, and the Art Deco Mumbai Trust has documented these buildings in wonderful detail online. Reading a little before you walk doubles the pleasure.

One honest note. Do not expect ticket counters, entry gates or interiors here. The courts are working courts, the university is a working campus, and the Art Deco buildings are private homes. The public spaces, Oval Maidan and Marine Drive, are the viewing galleries, and they are free and open to all.

For our NRI and OCI travellers

If your family has roots in Bombay, this walk is a walk through their world. The buildings your grandparents knew, the cinema fronts, the sea wall at Marine Drive, all remain in their original use, which is precisely why UNESCO honoured them. Many of our overseas guests tell us this half day moved them more than any monument.

Combine it with Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus nearby and you cover both of Mumbai's World Heritage Sites on foot in a single, easy day.