For the first time ever, the Gateway of India in Mumbai, will illuminate green along with other global iconic monuments in honour of St. Patrick’s Day, as part of Tourism Ireland’s ‘Global Greening’ in March
Mumbai, 16th March 2013 –
In a major coup for Irish tourism, for the first time ever, the Gateway of India monument in Mumbai – a world heritage site along with an ancient wonder of the world – the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro n Brazil, the famous ‘Welcome’ sign in Las Vegas, the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, HMS Belfast in London, City Hall in Houston, Texas, the Citadel in Jordan, the International School in Bonn, and the Allianz Arena in Munich are set to go green on St Patrick’s Day, 17th March 2013.
The new sites will join some ‘old favourites’ which have gone green in previous years on 17th March – including the Sydney Opera House, Niagara Falls, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Burj Al Arab in Dubai, Table Mountain in South Africa, the Empire State Building in New York and the Sky Tower in New Zealand to name some.
In Mumbai, the iconic monument the Gateway of India – the architectural heritage of India which is located on the waterfront in the Apollo Bunder area, South Mumbai is illuminated in green for the first time ever on St Patrick’s Day. This iconic monument is a basalt arch; 26 metres (85 feet) high built during British Times in 1924.
Today, people of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially throughout the United States, Canada and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore and Russia.
In modern-day Ireland, beginning in 1995, the Irish government began a national campaign to use interest in St. Patrick’s Day to drive tourism and showcase Ireland and Irish culture to the rest of the world. Today, approximately 1 million people annually take part in Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions and fireworks shows.
To witness the event in Mumbai, present was the Irish minister for Children and Youth affairs, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, T.D along with the ambassador of Ireland H.E Mr. Feilim McLaughlin and the honorary consul general of Ireland in Mumbai Mr. Cyrus Guzder.
On this occasion, Irish minister for Children and Youth affairs, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, T.D commented, “It’s a great honour to have one of India’s most prominent iconic monuments, The Gateway of India to be illuminated in green for the first time ever in celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day. We are happy to have India join hands with the rest of the global iconic monuments around the world in celebration of this big Day. Green is associated with Saint Patrick’s Day because it is the colour of spring.
Saint Patrick’s Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck.” Why Green? Green is associated with Saint Patrick’s Day because it is the colour of spring. Saint Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leafed plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day. St. Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March in Ireland.
It is named after Saint Patrick, the primary patron saint of Ireland. Ireland is known as “The Emerald Isle,” and emerald equals green, so green is the colour of Ireland and thus of St. Patrick’s Day.
For more details of the beautiful country Ireland – visit Website: www.discoverireland.com/in
