Prince of Wales Museum

One of the world's best art and history museums is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. It was previously popular as the Prince of Wales Museum. It is located on the southern tip of Mumbai on the Crescent Site, close to the Gateway of India. People from all over India come to see the Museum, which is one of the best places to see in Mumbai.

Collections and Exhibits at Prince of Wales Museum

As part of the renovation project initiated in October 2008, the museum opened many new galleries. Some of these galleries contain artworks of the Hindu God Krishna, textiles, and traditional Indian costumes. Inside the museum, there also take place regular exhibitions and talk programs on a variety of subjects.

A fine heritage edifice, tourists from around the world come here to explore the many ancient artifacts that have been preserved in the museum. Tourists can also visit the Jahangir Art Gallery situated alongside the museum.

•    The Museum has about 50,000 exhibits concerning ancient Indian history and foreign objects.

•    Exhibits are categorized into three main sections: Art, Archaeology, and Natural History.

•    Includes relics of the Indus Valley Civilization and remnants of the Guptas, Mauryas, Chalukyas, and Rashtrakutas.

•    The establishment has a collection of 2,000 rare miniature paintings from different Indian art schools.

•    The collection contains decorative art made of wood, metal, jade, ivory, and more.

•    There is a separate wing that is solely dedicated to weapons, swords, and shields of Indian arms and armor.

History of Prince of Wales Museum

In 1915, the famous architect George Wittet designed the Prince of Wales Museum to honor and remember King George V's visit to India. The idea for a museum started in 1904, but the Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone in 1905. 

The Museum was first used as a military hospital and a "Children's Welfare Center" during the First World War. In 1922, authorities changed its name to the Prince of Wales Museum, and in the 1990s, they renamed it after Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire.

Architecture

The Museum building is a great example of the Indo-Saracenic style of building. The building has a beautiful Mughal white dome on top, and lush green grounds circle it on all sides. This Grade I Heritage Building has won the "2010 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award" for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The Indian Heritage Society gave it an award for Heritage Building Maintenance. Many Mumbai tour packages include this must-see attraction.