Mumbai - Bhau Daji Lad Museum

A and I followed up the CSM Museum with another rainy day visit to the Bhau Daji Lad Museum which has been opened to the public only in January 2025. It is the oldest museum in Mumbai, conceived in 1855 as a treasure house for decorative and industrial arts for the Great exhibition of Prince Albert in 1851 (he exhibited the Kohinoor there). 

Bhau Daji Lad Museum

David Sassoon Clock Tower

Cannons

Terracotta Elephant found in the sea (6th century)

Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria had this vision of organising a 'Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations' where he showcased the industrial wares and arts of all British colonies and thereby increase trade for these products. The exhibition was a first of its kind and a huge success and the idea of world fairs and exhibitions caught on.

Prince Albert statue (donated by David Sassoon below0

Queen Victoria

In 1856 (post the Great Exhibition) the Museum Committee was set up under the leadership of John Elphinstone and a museum was opened with the wares from the Exhibition in 1856. In 1862 a new building committee was formed with Dr Bhau Daji Lad (actually Ramachandra Vittal Lad, Physician, Antiquarian, twice Sheriff of Bombay among other things) and Jagannath Shunkersheth to raise money and they finally got the museum up and running by 1872 after raising funds and getting land granted. It was called the Victoria and Albert Museum and was housed in the vicinity of the Byculla Zoo and the Jijamata Udyan.

Buddha (Burma)

Taj Mahal

In 1975 it was renamed after Bhau Daji Lad who was instrumental in getting this project going. The building is a Grade II Heritage structure which was shut down from 2003-2008 for repairs and again due to COVID and only recently in January 2025 has it been reopened after renovation to the public.

Miniature paintings

Return of Rama and Lakshmana

The museum in set in green environs of the Jijamata Udyan, very pleasant. The clock tower of George Sassoon stands tall and stately over the park. The interiors of the museum are quite dramatic and intricate, unlike any I have seen so far. Lots of security and stuff, two floors of artifacts. 

Map of Bombay Fort

Among other things the museum has several archaeological finds, maps, historical photos, silver, copper and metal ware, models, costumes a rare 17th century manuscript of Hatim Tai, the iconic Kala Ghoda statue, a monolithic basalt elephant which has been recovered from the sea originating from Elephanta.

Replica of Meenakshi temple, Madurai

Kasi Vishwanath temple, Varanasi 

Statue of Mumba Devi

Stunning interiors from the first floor

Another view from the top

I found some stunning replicas of the Meenakshi temple, the Kasi Vishwanath temple, a lot of work around the modern architecture of the Indore palaces, precious maps of old Mumbai.

It was another lovely couple of hours spent in a wonderful place, quite and serene and surrounded by great art and craft of 175 year vintage.    

   

Mumbai - Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly Prince of Wales Museum)

One very rainy day recently, A and I took off to check out the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya formerly known as Prince of Wales Museum of Western India which documents the history of India from pre-historic times to modern times. It was originally conceived in 1905 to commemorate the visit of Prince of Wales on 14th August 1905 (he later became George V, King of England and UK and Emperor of India). George Wittet who also designed the Gateway of India was entrusted with the design of the building. The foundation stone was laid by the prince of Wales in 1905 and it was completed in 1915 and used as Children welfare and Military office during the first world war until it was finally inaugurated in 1922.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Formerly Prince of Wales - one can see his statue in the centre 

The hall as we enter

Spread over an area of 3 acres and lying towards the southern tip of Mumbai (not far from Gateway), it is an imposing building and a Grade 1 Heritage building with a well kept garden before it. We bought tickets for 200 bucks camera and all and went in. Artefacts were placed here and there as we walked the lawns. In the middle of the lawns was a statue which i am assuming is of Prince of Wales. It has two floors and is split into three main parts - Art, Archaeology and Natural History. We checked out the map and then proceeded into the beautiful hall which has a marble medallion from Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh and a lovely Jain sculpture in the middle of the hall. The museum is supposed to contain 50000 artefacts.

Lotus medallion from Amaravati, Guntur

To the left was the Inscription gallery, ancient world gallery and to the right wing were the Indian Sculptures section (Sadashiva of the 12th century, Yaksha of the 2nd century, Harihara of 12th century, Uma Maheshwara of 6th century from Aihole, Mahishashura Mardhini of 6th century from Elephanta caves, Bodhisattva of the 3rd century). The Buddhist and Jain sections contained a Jain game called Gyanabaazi which is a snakes and ladders version based on our good and bad actions - the bottom most are hells, middle are human lives and top are upper lives. There was also one painting which showed all the terrible ways one gets punished in hell.

Gyanabaazi - Jain Snakes and Ladders Game based on karma

Punishments in hell - Jain

On the first floor were the Miniature Paintings section (Mughal Rajasthani, Pahari, Deccani), the Krishna gallery, the Prints gallery, Jewellery, Money gallery, Arms and Armour and Special Exhibitions. The rare manuscripts include Anvar-e Suhalyi, a Persian translation of the Panchatantra probably commissioned by Akbar. Also palm leaf manuscripts with paintings on them. A 17th century Ramayana from Mewar.

Anvar i Suhalyi

Jehangir donating alms at Ajmer

Rama Pattabhishekam

The Art Collections include collections from Sir Purushottam Mavji (1915), Sir Ratan Tata (1921) and Sir Dorab Tata (1933). The museum has artifacts from the Indus Valley times and relics from the Gupta, Maurya, Chalukya, Rashtrakuta and others.

Bhishma explaining to Yudhishtira

Bhima versus Duryodhana

Radha looking at Krishna's painting

The ivory section contains Gupta era artefcats, textiles, jades from the Mughal era, silver, gold and metal ware, European paintings, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, Arms and Armour, Nepali and Tibetan art. There is a finely decorated armour of Akbar dating to 1581 CE - a steel breastplate and a shiled.

Various textiles of India

The Archaeological section contains Sculptures and coins, Indus Valley artifacts, Gupta era Terracotta figures (280-550 CE), Chalukya, Badami and Rashtrakuta era figures.

Egyptian Mummies

European Paintings

The second floor has Miniature sections, the Krishna Gallery, Prints gallery, Jewellery and Money Gallery along with some special exhibitions such as JJ School of Art, Progressive Art Movement and so on.    

      

Armour and Shield

Another view

A good two hours later we stepped out to dark skies but no rain. We did not do the Natural History section and walked around the lawns - near the cafeteria. From the gate I could see Regal and I knew Mondegar Cafe which was where we thought we would have a spot of lunch was a few minutes away. 

Like they say, museum like these can take days if we do them right but owing to a paucity of time we did what we could and got the lay of the land. Perhaps next time we could do more.

That's another one off my list of 100 wonders in India to see. I am inching closer to 50 now I think!

Mumbai - Visit to Bandra Fort

The Bandra Fort is at Land's End which is the southernmost tip of Bandra - right next to the Arabian Sea. The rickshaws and all stop there and we must walk past Taj (and I think Salman Khan's house) and go into the Bandra Fort area which has been converted into a park. Many walkers come (entry is free unlike in our Hyderabad parks where the elite have made entry charges up to Rs 50 in elite parks), there is a gym, park facilities, we can go up and down. The fort remains are a broken wall and maybe a gate and some steps. But one gets great views of the sea, one can go to the land's end here also and sit on the seaside and relax.

The Fort and its surrounding areas are also known as the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Point in honour of the said gentleman who contributed towards building the road to the Land's End etc. As you enter you see a small hillock to the left which you can climb and to the right the sea and a walking area and sitting places. I chose to go left and found a cute amphitheatre right there - new one obviously.

Further up I saw a nice park, a couple of early morning romancers, at to the right the Jeejeebhoy ruins, parts of the fort walls etc.

The Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1640, who by now it is clear, did a lot of work in their initial days and handed it all over to the British. the Portuguese called it the Castella de Aguada (Fort of the Water Point) which is named after the area's fresh water springs. A garrison of soldiers were stationed there.

The Mount Mary Church was built around that time for the soldiers.

Some stuff was going on between the British, the Portuguese and the Marathas - from 1661 the British controlled the islands of Mumbai thanks to the famous marriage between the Portuguese Catherine of Braganza and Charles II of England.

In 1739 the Portuguese were back in action and were defeated by the Marathas who were constantly attacking both the Brits and the Portuguese who had at that time split up Mumbai between them. The Marathas had also gained control of one of the seven islands - Salcette. 

The Castella was destroyed by the British to prevent it from falling into Maratha hands at one point and it lies in that ruined state.

The Land's End has a nice arm that goes into the sea and one can walk along into the sea for  a bit.