Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
INTRODUCTION
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, is a museum in Mumbai which
documents the history of India from prehistoric to modern times.
It was founded in early 20th century by prominent citizens of Mumbai, with the
help of the Government, to commemorate the visit of George V who was Prince of
wales at the time.
It was established on January 10, 1922.
ABOUT THE ARCHITECT
George Wittet was a Scottish architect who
worked mostly in Mumbai, India.
George Wittet was born in Blair Atholl, Scotland in 1878.
He studied architecture with a Mr.Heiton of Perth, Scotland,
and worked in Edinburgh and York before moving to India.
Wittet arrived in India in 1904 and became an assistant
to John Begg, then Consulting Architect to Mumbai.
The two men were responsible for the evolution and
subsequent popularity of the IndoSaracenic Style of architecture.
In 1909 there was an open competition to select an architect for design of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu
Sangrahalaya.
Wittet designed some of Mumbai's best known landmarks: the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Saghralaya,
the Gateway of India, the Institute of Science, the Small Causes Court at Dhobitalao, the Wadia Maternity
Hospital, Bombay House, the King Edward Memorial Hospital, the Grand Hotel and other buildings at the Ballard
Estate, by the Mumbai Docks.
HISTORY
In 1904, some leading citizens of Bombay decided to provide a museum to commemorate the visit of the Prince
of Wales, the future King George V. On 14 August 1905, the committee passed a resolution saying, "The museum
building embodies the pomp and height at which the British raj was moving ahead with their ambitious plans, in
building the great metropolis Bombay".
The foundation stone was laid by the Prince of Wales on 11 November 1905 and the museum was formally
named "Prince of Wales Museum of Western India".
In 1998 the Museum was renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
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 10 January 1922, by Lady Lloyd, the wife of George Lloyd, Governor
of Bombay.
ARCHITECTURE
• The museum building is situated in 3 acres area, having a built up area of 12,142.23m
sq. It is surrounded by a garden of palm trees and formal flower beds.
• The museum building, built of locally quarried grey Kurla basalt and buff
coloured trachyte Malad stone.
• It 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 IndoSaracenic style of architecture, the building
accommodates a central entrance porch, above which rises a dome, tilled and modified well
"tiled in white and blue flecks, supported on a lotus - petal base“.
• A cluster of pinnacles, topped with miniature domes surround the central dome. The
building incorporates features like Islamic dome with a finial along with protruding balconies
and inlaid floors, inspired by Mughal palace architecture.
• The design of the building is a blend of 15th to 16th century Gujarati and Islamic design,
in addition to English brickwork. The building is bordered by lavish green gardens. The
museum has three different parts for Natural history section, Archaeology section and Art
section.
• The architect, George Wittet, modelled the dome on that of Golconda Fort and the
inner vaulting arches on those at the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur. The interior of the museum
combines the columns, railings and balcony of an 18th-century Wada with Jain style interior
columns, which form the main body of the central pavilion below the Maratha balcony.
• In its recent modernisation programme (2008), the museum created 30,000 sq ft 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. The museum also houses a library.
COLLECTIONS
• The museum collection comprises approximately 50,000 artefacts.
• The collection of the museum is categorised primarily into three sections: art,
archaeology and natural history.
• The museum 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.
• The Maritime Heritage Gallery, which displays objects relating to navigation, is the
"first of its kind in India".
• In 2008, the museum installed two new galleries, displaying the "Karl and
Meherbai Khandalavala collection" and "the Coins of India".
• The art section displays the collections of Sir Purushottam Mavji, acquired in 1915,
and the art collections of Sir Ratanji Tata and Sir Dorab Tata, donated in 1921 and
1933 respectively.
GALLERIES
CSMVS Museum has various galleries. They are related
to Art, History, Natural History and Indian Culture.
• Sculpture gallery
• Pre and Proto History gallery
• Natural History Section
• Indian Miniature Painting gallery
• Krishna gallery
• Himalayan Art gallery
• Decorative Metalware gallery
• House of Laxmi- Coin gallery
• Karl and Meherbai Khandalavala gallery
• Chinese and Japanese Art gallery
• Sir Ratan Tata and Sir Dorab Tata gallery of European
Paintings
• Arms and Armour gallery
• Jehangir Nicholson gallery
• Premchand Roychand gallery
• Key gallery
• First Floor Circle gallery
• Second Floor Circle gallery
• European Decorative Art gallery
• Bombay School gallery
• Jahangir Sabawala gallery
• Textile Gallery
• Prints gallery
• Curators gallery and Conservation Centre

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