The city that never sleeps, Mumbai, is always building, collecting, and storing away, capital in its various forms of real estate, art, artifacts, and even out-of-circulation currency. The city's museums are a stately and dignified repository of its historical wealth. Here are four of them you must visit to understand Mumbai better.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Fort
Formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, or C.S.M.V.S., is one of the best and foremost art and history museums in India. It is a Grade I Heritage Building recipient of the 2022 Award of Excellence of the UNESCO Asia Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Also, it is one of the finest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Established by Act III of 1909 of the Bombay Legislation by the then Bombay Presidency Prince of Wales Museum Act, the C.S.M.V.S. now is a not-for-profit organisation. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, part of the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble in Mumbai. In 2019, the museum received a Platinum rating from the Indian Green Building Council or I.G.B.C. The museum has a collection of 70,000 historic and artistic works.
For timings, entry fees, programmes, routes, etc., check the website
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum, Byculla East
It is Mumbai's first museum, opened in 1872, and was named the Victoria and Albert Museum, Bombay. Now called Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum, or B.D.L.M., it is an institution of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. The museum underwent a comprehensive five-year restoration and won UNESCO's 2005 Award of Excellence in the field of Cultural Conservation, and it re-opened in 2008. It displays Mumbai's cultural heritage and history through its collection of fine and decorative arts that highlight Early Modern Art practices and the craftsmanship of various communities of the Bombay Presidency. In 2012, the museum introduced the Museum Plaza, which offers the public recreational space for multiple activities.
For timings, entry fees, programmes, routes, etc., check the website
Reserve Bank of India Monetary Museum, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road
The world runs on hope and money. While the first is held secure in the hearts of humans, the latter is secured by the R.B.I. This R.B.I. Monetary Museum aims at documenting and preserving the heritage of money in India. As you are well aware, money is an intrinsic component of the cultural heritage of a country. It shows the socio-economic history of India, one of the earliest issuers of coinage in the world. We have been minting coins since the 6th century B.C. Here at the museum, you will see coinage of India, paper currency, the always-important gold bars, and financial instruments and curiosities down the ages.
For timings, entry fees, programmes, routes, etc., check the website
B.E.S.T. Undertaking Museum, Wadala
The BEST bus service is the true lifeline of Mumbai city, as it runs monsoon flooding no bar, even when the rest of the public transport has shut down. You will see the red mammoths slowly navigating through heavy traffic during the day and operating smoothly on the arterial roads late at night. The museum of BEST Undertaking is at the Anik Depot in Wadala, and entry is free. Here you will see how the company has turned out over the years, in the form of old bus tickets, black-and-white photographs, maps of routes, miniatures, etc.
For timings, entry fees, programmes, routes, etc., check the website
