Concrete buildings arent the only thing that rises vertically in the metropolis of Mumbai, Indias most populous city.
Gilbert Hill is Mumbais oldest skyscraper.
Gilbert Hill is a very visible remnant of that volatile era.
Geologists believe that the monolith was formed when lava was squeezed out of crack in the plateau.
As the magma cooled, it formed vertical columns instead of horizontal layers.
These rectangular and hexagonal structures are known as columnar basalt or laccolith.
There are only a handful of places on earth where you’re able to see such geological structures.
Gilbert Hill was declared a National Park in 1952, and a Grade II heritage structure in 2007.
There are two temples on the top of the hill, accessible by stairs.
The vegetation that once surrounded the hill has given way to buildings and dingy slums.
The only people who visit the site are scholars, historians and devotees of the shrines.
Awareness about this natural wonder is low among Indians.
Geography lessons in schools do not teach about the existence of this rock.
There are no tour guides in the city that bring tourists to the site.
We still dont know how Gilbert Hill got its name.
Some say it was named after an American geologist Grove Karl Gilbert who coined the term laccolith.
Others say that the hill was named after the then British officer in charge of Andheri Taluka block.
But these demands have not been met.
Some years ago, a local builder suggested that the hill be demolished to make room for more buildings.
This suggestion was appropriately crushed by the temple trustees.
The shrines are the only things thats protecting this geological wonder from complete destruction.
