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Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
(Formerly known as: THEPRINCE OF WALES MUSEUM OF WESTERN INDIA)
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The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly Prince of Wales Museum
of Western India is the main museum in Mumbai, formerly Bombay.[4]
It was founded in theearly years of the 20th century by prominent citizens of Bombay, with the help of the
government, to commemorate the visit of the then prince of Wales. It is located in the heart of
South Mumbai near the Gateway of India. The museum was renamed in the 1990s or early 2000s
after Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire.
The museum building is built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, incorporating elementsof other styles of architecture like the Mughal, Maratha and Jain. The museum building is
surrounded by a garden of palm trees and formal flower beds.
The museum houses approximately 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history as well as objects
from foreign lands, categorized primarily into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural
History. The museum houses Indus Valley Civilization artefacts, and other relics from ancient
India from the time of the Guptas, Mauryas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakuta
History
In 1904, some leading citizens of Bombay decided to provide a museum to commemorate thevisit of the Prince of Wales, the future King George V. On June 22, 1904, the committee passed
a resolution saying, "The building should have a handsome and noble structure befitting the site
selected, and in keeping with the best style of local architecture". The foundation stone was laidby the Prince of Wales on the 11 November 1905 and the museum was formally named "Prince
of Wales Museum of Western India".Press Information Bureau: Union Ministry of Culture
(September 5, 2008). "Union Ministry of Culture give Administrative approval for 12.43 croreRupees for Modernization of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai".
http://www.pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2008PR703 . On March 1, 1907, the
government of the Bombay Presidency granted the museum committee a piece of land called the"Crescent Site", where the museum now stands. Following an open design competition, in 1909the architect George Wittet was commissioned to design the Museum building. Wittet had
already worked on the design of the General Post Office and in 1911 would design one of
Mumbai's most famous landmarks, the Gateway of India."Official site". http://www.bombaymuseum.org/ . The museum was funded by the Royal Visit (1905) Memorial
Funds. Additionally, the Government and the Municipality granted Rs. 3 lacs and Rs. 2.5 lacs
respectively. Sir Currimbhoy Ibrahim (first Baronet) donated another Rs. 3 lacs and Sir CowasjiJehangir, gave half a lac. The Museum was established under Bombay Act No. III of 1909. The
museum is now maintained by annual grants from the Government and the Bombay Municipal
Corporation. The latter pays for these grants from the interest accruing on the funds at the
disposal of the Trust of the Museum. The museum building was completed in 1915, but was usedas a Children's Welfare Centre and a Military Hospital during the First World War, before being
handed over to the committee in 1920. The Prince of Wales Museum was inaugurated on January
10, 1922, by Lady Lloyd, the wife of George Lloyd, Governor of Bombay.Maharashtra stategazetteers, Greater Bombay District. "Places: Prince of Wales Museum". Archived from the
original on 14 June 2011.
http://web.archive.org/web/20110614182506/http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/gr
eater_bombay/places.html. The museum building is a Grade I Heritage Building of the city and
7/30/2019 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
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was awarded the first prize (Urban Heritage Award ) by the Bombay Chapter of Indian Heritage
Society for heritage building maintenance, in 1990. The Museum was renamed[when?]
ShivajiMaharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya" after the founder of Maratha empire - Shivaji, following the
renaming of the city, when the colonial name "Bombay" was replaced by the native "Mumbai".
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly Prince of Wales Museum
of Western India is the main museum in Mumbai, formerly Bombay.[4]
It was founded in the
early years of the 20th century by prominent citizens of Bombay, with the help of thegovernment, to commemorate the visit of the then prince of Wales. It is located in the heart of
South Mumbai near the Gateway of India. The museum was renamed in the 1990s or early 2000s
after Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire.
The museum building is built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, incorporating elements
of other styles of architecture like the Mughal, Maratha and Jain. The museum building issurrounded by a garden of palm trees and formal flower beds.
The museum houses approximately 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history as well as objectsfrom foreign lands, categorized primarily into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural
History. The museum houses Indus Valley Civilization artefacts, and other relics from ancient
India from the time of the Guptas, Mauryas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakuta.[5]
History
A Buddha in the gardens of the Museum
In 1904, some leading citizens of Bombay decided to provide a museum to commemorate thevisit of the Prince of Wales, the future King George V. On June 22, 1904, the committee passed
a resolution saying, "The building should have a handsome and noble structure befitting the site
selected, and in keeping with the best style of local architecture". The foundation stone was laid
by the Prince of Wales on the 11 November 1905 and the museum was formally named "Princeof Wales Museum of Western India".Press Information Bureau: Union Ministry of Culture
(September 5, 2008). "Union Ministry of Culture give Administrative approval for 12.43 croreRupees for Modernization of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai". http://www.pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2008PR703 . On March 1, 1907, the
government of the Bombay Presidency granted the museum committee a piece of land called the
"Crescent Site", where the museum now stands. Following an open design competition, in 1909the architect George Wittet was commissioned to design the Museum building. Wittet had
already worked on the design of the General Post Office and in 1911 would design one of
Mumbai's most famous landmarks, the Gateway of India."Official site".
7/30/2019 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/chhatrapati-shivaji-maharaj-vastu-sangrahalaya 6/9
http://www.bombaymuseum.org/ . The museum was funded by the Royal Visit (1905) Memorial
Funds. Additionally, the Government and the Municipality granted Rs. 3 lacs and Rs. 2.5 lacsrespectively. Sir Currimbhoy Ibrahim (first Baronet) donated another Rs. 3 lacs and Sir Cowasji
Jehangir, gave half a lac. The Museum was established under Bombay Act No. III of 1909. The
museum is now maintained by annual grants from the Government and the Bombay Municipal
Corporation. The latter pays for these grants from the interest accruing on the funds at thedisposal of the Trust of the Museum. The museum building was completed in 1915, but was used
as a Children's Welfare Centre and a Military Hospital during the First World War, before being
handed over to the committee in 1920. The Prince of Wales Museum was inaugurated on January10, 1922, by Lady Lloyd, the wife of George Lloyd, Governor of Bombay.Maharashtra state
gazetteers, Greater Bombay District. "Places: Prince of Wales Museum". Archived from the
original on 14 June 2011. . The museum building is a Grade I Heritage Building of the city andwas awarded the first prize (Urban Heritage Award ) by the Bombay Chapter of Indian Heritage
Society for heritage building maintenance, in 1990. The Museum was renamed[when?] Shivaji
Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya" after the founder of Maratha empire - Shivaji, following the
renaming of the city, when the colonial name "Bombay" was replaced by the native "Mumbai".
Architecture
Interior of the museum building, showing first and ground floors. On the first floor, the Marathastyle columns, railings can be noticed. Below, the Jain style columns can be seen.
The museum building is situated in 3 acres (12,000 m2) area, having a built up area of 12,142.23
sq.m.[2]
The museum building is surrounded by a garden of palm trees and formal flower beds.[6]
The museum building, built of basalt and kurla stone, is a three-storied rectangular structure,capped by a dome set upon a base, which adds an additional storey in the centre of the building.
Built in the Western Indian and Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, the building accommodates
a central entrance porch, above which rises a dome, "tiled in white and blue flecks, supported on
a lotus - petal base". A cluster of pinnacles, topped with miniature domes surround the centraldome. The building incorporates features like Islamic dome with a finial along with protruding
balconies and inlaid floors, inspired by Mughal palace architecture. The architect, George Wittet,
modeled the dome on that of Golconda Fort and the inner vaulting arches on those at the GolGumbaz in Bijapur.[7][6] The interior of the museum combines the columns, railings and balcony
of an 18th century Wada (a Maratha mansion) with Jain style interior columns, which form the
main body of the central pavilion below the Maratha balcony.[7]
In its recent modernization programme (2008), the Museum created 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m 2)
space for installation of five new galleries, a conservation studio, a visiting exhibition gallery and
a seminar room, in the East Wing of the Museum.[2]
The Museum also houses a library.[2]
Collections
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Karl and Meherbai Khandalavala collection - Gallery
The museum collection comprises approximately 50,000 artefacts.[2]
The collection of the
museum is categorized primarily into three sections: art, archaeology and natural history. Themuseum also houses a forestry section, which has specimens of timbers grown in the Bombay
Presidency (British India), and one exhibiting a small local geological collection of rocks,minerals and fossils.[8] The Maritime Heritage Gallery,which displays objects relating to
navigation, is the "first of its kind in India".[9]
In 2008, the Museum installed two new galleries,
displaying the "Karl and Meherbai Khandalavala collection" and "the Coins of India".[2]
[edit] Art section
The art section displays the collections of Sir Purushottam Mavji, acquired in 1915, and the artcollections of Sir Ratan Tata and Sir Dorab Tata, donated in 1921 and 1933 respectively.[6]
Dancing Krishna, from the Nepal-Tibet section. Nepal, 18th Century AD. The headphone
symbol at the foot of the image indicates that the artefact is part of the audio tour. The museumprovides an audio tour in six languages to visitors.[2]
The museum's miniature collection encompasses representations of the main schools of Indianpainting namely, Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari and Deccani. It features palm leaf manuscripts
dating to the 11th-12th centuries to the early 19th century pahari paintings, as well as paintings
from the Sultanate period.[6]
Notable manuscripts housed in the museum include the Anwar-
Suhayli painted in Mughal emperor Akbar’s studio and a 17th Century manuscript of the Hinduepic Ramayana from Mewar.[9]
The ivory section has artefacts dating as early as the Gupta era.[6] The museum also has
decorative artefacts such as textiles, ivories, Mughal jades, silver, gold and artistic metal ware. It
also has a collection of European paintings, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, ivory and jade
artefacts.[6]
The museum also has sections dedicated to arms and armour and another to Nepali and Tibetan art.[9] The arms and armour section contains a finely decorated armour of Akbar
dating to 1581 CE, consisting of a steel breastplate and a shield, the former inscribed with
religious verses.[10]
[edit] Archaeological section
Sculptures and coins transferred from the Poona Museum in Pune and the collections of theBombay branch of the Royal Asiatic Society resulted in the development of an archaeological
section, with precious sculptures and epigrams.[6]
The Indus Valley Culture Gallery houses
fishing hooks, weapons, ornaments and weights and measures from the Indus Valley Civilization (2600 – 1900 BCE).[9] Artefacts from the excavation of the Buddhist stupa of Mirpurkhas, were
housed in the Museum in 1919.[2]
The sculpture collection holds Gupta (280 to 550 CE)
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terracotta figures from Mirpurkhas in Sind of the early 5th century, artefacts dating to the
Chalukyan era (6th-12th century, Badami Chalukyas and Western Chalukyas), and sculptures of the Rashtrakuta period (753 – 982 CE) from Elephanta, near Mumbai.[6]
[edit] Natural History section
Uma-Maheshvara, Ground floor gallery, Aihole, 7th century
The Bombay Natural History Society aided the Museum Trust in creating the natural historysection.[6] The museum's natural history section makes use of habitat group cases and dioramas,
along with diagrams and charts, to illustrate Indian wildlife, including flamingoes, Great
Hornbill, Indian bison, and the tiger.[6]
[edit] New galleries
As part of renovation project initiated in October 2008, the "Krishna Gallery" holding artworksrelated to the Hindu god Krishna, a Hindu deity of the preserver-god Vishnu, was opened in
March 2009. A textile gallery, the first gallery in the city, is going to be opened in April 2010. It
will illustrate "various techniques of textile manufacturing, regional collections and traditional
Indian costumes".[3]
Matrika Design Collaborative is currently designing the museum's IndianMiniature Painting Gallery. The content developed for the gallery will be converted into Braille
text and tactile labels for the blind with help from designers, fabricators and consultants from the
Hellen Keller Institute
[edit] References
1. ^ The name is given in this form on the museum's official site. (See under "MUSEUM
ADDRESS".)
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Press Information Bureau: Union Ministry of Culture (September 5, 2008). "Union
Ministry of Culture give Administrative approval for 12.43 crore Rupees for Modernization of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai".
http://www.pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2008PR703.
3. ^ a b Mahorey, Sumedha (July 13, 2009). "New-Seum!". Mumbai Mirror .
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-
%20City§id=2&contentid=20090713200907130258416406f04a997. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
4. ^ "Prince of Wales Museum". Extract from Frommer's India, 4th Edition. The New York Times.
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/asia/india/mumbai/33189/prince-of-wales-
museum/attraction-detail.html. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
5. ^ Desai, Kalpana (2002). Jewels on the Crescent: Masterpieces of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Vastu Sangrahalaya (Illustrated ed.). Mapin Publishing. pp. 356. ISBN 978-1-890206-44-4.
http://books.google.com/books?id=1-CzQgAACAAJ&dq=Jewels%20on%20the%20Crescent.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Govt. of India.
"CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ VASTU SANGRAHALAYA".
http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/mtdc/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/Default.aspx?strpage=.
./MaharashtraTourism/MaharashtraMusems/Prince_Museums.html.
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7. ^ a b "Architectural Note on the Building of Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, Mumbai".
http://www.bombaymuseum.org/powm/bldgarch.htm.
8. ^ Maharashtra state gazetteers, Greater Bombay District. "Places: Prince of Wales Museum".
Archived from the original on 14 June 2011.
http://web.archive.org/web/20110614182506/http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/gr
eater_bombay/places.html.
9. ^ a b c d Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (2004). "Mumbai Museums". http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/MTDC/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/Default.aspx?strpage
=../MaharashtraTourism/Articles/Mumbai_Museums.html.
10. ^ Brend, Barbara (1991). Islamic art (Illustrated ed.). Harvard University Press. pp. 212. ISBN 0-
674-46866-X.
http://books.google.com/books?id=ba3LyiGfPU8C&pg=PA212&dq=akbar+armour+mumbai+m
useum. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
