Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly Prince of Wales Museum) is one the premier art and history museums in South Mumbai. Visiting museums is often a part of the tourist experience. I walked several times through this place but for one reason or another, visiting inside the museum had not yet happened.

Once you enter the museum compound, you will be surprised to see the Indo-Saracenic style building which was designed by the British architect, George Wittet and it features  British, Hindu and Islamic architecture. The  largest dome atop  is similar to  Agra’s Taj Mahal and the entire compound is beautifully decorated with  tall palm trees and pristine lawns.

This museum has three floors . Two of the upstairs galleries are air-conditioned.

The Three Floors of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Sculpture Gallery

The sculpture gallery features many Indian religious figures. One section is dedicated to Akhnoor Terracottas, Wood work of Gujarat etc. It exhibits Buddhist, Jain and Hindu sculptures.

There is a section dedicated to Lord Vishnu with different engraved sculptures on stone.

Lord Vishnu Sculpture

Pre & Proto History Gallery

The gallery has a display of Assyrian Collections. These alabaster stone reliefs once decorated walls of the palaces which are of great importance in the history of ancient art and civilisation.

The Royal Chariot

The great bath at Mohenjodaro is a brick structure surrounded by varandha's, rooms and galleries. A flight of steps lead to the pool.

The Great Bath

Himalayan Art Gallery

The Himalayan Art Gallery on the first floor showcases many artifacts from Nepal. As soon as you enter, you see a six-foot clay sculpture of Maitreya Buddha. thirteenth-century gilt bronze Maitreya that is the gallery’s most valuable exhibit.

Also on display are various ceremonial items such as musical instruments, water jugs, lamps and incense burners; figurines of Buddhist icons such as  Goddess Tara and poet-saint Milarepa and mythological paintings.

It has a display of seventeenth-century wood sculpture of Mahabhairava, Shiva’s angry avatar; a nineteenth-century jewelled plaque of the deity Chintamani Lokeshvara and a drawing of an eleventh-century Tibetan fresco.

Indian Miniature Painting

These miniature paintings showcase in intricate detail the life, culture, looks of people from yesteryear's.

Mughal Style paintings

Krishna Gallery

Cheera Harana

Sir Ratan Tata Gallery

Tata Gallery has a good collection of  European Paintings. The Tata collection comprises two major sections, the European and the Far Eastern.  Sir Edwin Ward, James Jebus Shannon, Jorge Romney, Thomas Gainsborough and Robert Hillingford are just some of the artists whose works are on show.

Lady Ratan Tata donated the furniture for the galleries.

Sir Dorab Tata Gallery

Indian Textile and Consume Gallery

This climate-controlled room showcases glimpses of the textile traditions of India. The Otni & Balni at the entrance reminds  us of  an era when hand picked  cotton and spinning wheels were used to spin yarn. The gallery has a good collection of  Religious items and  Royal Costumes.

The gallery has a large collection of shawls from Kashmir, ikat cloths from Gujarat and Sarees from Thanjavur and Kanchipuram.

Arms and Armour Gallery

This gallery exhibits a large collection of Indian weapons through the ages.

You can admire a collection of swords and armour belonging to Emperor Akbar, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb.

 Chinese and Japanese Art Gallery

The Chinese and Japanese Gallery occupies part of the top floor. Many snuff bottles from China are on display in a large glass case.

Natural History Section

Natural history section is situated on the  right of the ground floor. This section has a large selection of stuffed animals, including  fish, snakes and birds.

The entry fees to the museum is Rs.60 and Rs. 20 for permission to take photographs.

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Mani Bhavan, Mumbai

If you have not visited Mani Bhavan, Mumbai - the memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, you might want to reconsider. It was Mani Bhavan that Gandhiji stayed between 1917 and 1934 during India's freedom struggle and it is the place from where Gandhiji initiated the Non-Cooperation, Satyagraha, Swadeshi, Khadi and Khilafat Movements.

This three storied building  is situated near Nana Chowk, Gamdevi, Mumbai. The  visiting time is restricted from 9.30 am to 6 pm and is open everyday.

A plaque outside the museum has the full name of the place with Gandhiji’s trademark  'Charkha'  on top of it.

There is a small counter at the entrance for enquiry.  Entry is free and photography is allowed inside the museum. Once you enter the place, there is a library with a statue of Gandhiji where people offer their tributes.

The library contains more than 50,000 books on Gandhiji, Gandhian thought and allied subjects. The rooms on the ground floor have been  converted into a picture gallery that displays an array of photos depicting important events, copies of documents, noteworthy clippings and letters.

Picture Gallery

On the wooden stairs leading to the first and second floor, Gandhiji's pictures depicting his life have been  installed.  On the first floor is a simple auditorium where you can see films related to Gandhiji.

On the second floor is Gandhiji’s room that was used during his stay . There is a glass partition and  people can see a small bed, a writing table, few books and his favorite Charkha with open windows and doors. You are not allowed into this room.

Gandhiji's Room

This room has miniature doll-like figures depicting Gandhiji's life.

Of course, visiting Mani Bhavan is something all of us need to do.

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