Prince of Wales Museum Mumbai

Vital Information for Visitors

Address:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra

Open & Close:

Open on all days except Monday 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM

Entry Fees:

INR 100 – Indian visitor

INR 650 – Foreign visitor

Duration:

2-3 hr

Significance:

Excellent collection of Indian history

Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai has been rechristened as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. Prince of Wales Museum is the principal museum in the state of Maharashtra. It is one of the finest sights of Mumbai, a visit to which no one who visits the city, misses. The building of Prince of Wales Museum is characterized by a behemoth dome and amalgam of Islamic, Hindu and British architecture. This architectural style is termed as Indo-Saracenic. George Wittet, designer and architect of Gateway of India, had designed this museum too. The design of dome is inspired by Gol Gumbaj of Bijapur. The garden outside the museum drew inspiration from Mughal gardens. One of the hallmarks of museum is octagonal wooden arched pavilion. Its design drew inspiration from 18th century ‘wada’ (mansion / haveli) near Nashik. To realize the attraction it affords one has only to watch the cosmopolitan crowds which visit it daily, and that also in large numbers, men, women and children, the latter predominating and viewing the exhibits with unabated interest. Scholars and artists, painters and research workers find much in its varied contents to help them in their work.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya has three main sections: art, archeology and natural history. The miniatures of the Rajasthan and Deccan Schools are exhibited in the circular gallery of the main building (first floor). The Tata family collections form part of the archeology and art sections. The natural history section was started with part of the admirable collection of the Bombay Natural History Society. The picture galleries contain, in addition to ancient Indian paintings, some by European and contemporary Indian artists and copies of Ajanta murals. There is also a large collection of jade, crystal, china, lacquer and metal objects, both ancient and modem. There are some excellent dioramas in the natural history section. The museum has an interesting collection of exhibits from the Maratha period.

Archaeology and Natural History are some of its prominent representative features. The display of bird and animal life, of the life of the denizens of the deep and of reptiles in the wing especially devoted to it, is unique—perhaps the finest in the country and attracts immense crowds. The museum authorities are always on the look-out for material to improve it still further. The publication of the Bulletin is one of its new ventures.

A museum is always dependent on adequate financing from outside. The Prince of Wales Museum has been more fortunate in this respect than some other Indian Museums, but side by side with its development it has been found that its finances are inadequate to meet the demands of a modern Museum catering for research and popular education. Since the day of its opening to the public in 1922, the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai has depended for its maintenance upon government aid. But since last several years, it doesn’t take any aid from government. It is self-reliant and still one of the best-managed museums in India.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya remains open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on all the days of the week.