Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum

As the oldest museum in the city Dr. Bhau Daji lad museum, Mumbai was established in the year 1855. The museum reflects the city rich history and cultural heritage with its rare collection of decorative Art which showcases the craftsmanship of different communities of the city presidency. The museum also demonstrates the city history beginning from the twentieth century with its collection of rare books documenting the life of people living in the city at the time, photographs, maps, clay models, etc.

Traveler tips

The museum is open every day except for Wednesday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Apart from this, the museum is also closed on public holidays. The entry fee for Indian residents visiting the museum is rupees 10 for adults and rupees 5 for small children while for foreigners the entry fee is rupee 100. To thoroughly explore the museum tourists require at least 2 to 3 hours in hand exploring the place to the fullest. While the museum is wheelchair user friendly however photography is not allowed on the campus. Registering on the official site will help the tourist to understand the details of the museum along with upcoming events and also allow easy access to the museum.

Things to do

There are tons of activities which both the adults and kids can enjoy simultaneously, children activities include workshops, and treasure hunts, etc as for adults various educational lectures on history, arts, educational programs on music, films, etc are available. One can even explore nearby cafes, restaurants, bookstores, etc too for fun-filled trips to the museum.

Availability

Dr. Bhau Daji lad museum, Mumbai offers tour guides both for public and private tours. The tour guides are experts in several languages like Hindi, English, and Marathi, etc thereby catering to different age groups. The museum also offers audio guides for tourists.

History

The museum was first opened for public viewing in the year 1872.Dr. George Birdwood led the team of the fundraiser and conceptualized the design element of the museum with Dr. Bhau Daji after whom the museum is renamed in the year 1975. The museum committee had members from all different religions and was built in the honor of Queen Victoria. The museum was closed for full five years due to its revamping by INTACH.

Architecture

Since Dr. Bhau Daji lad museum, Mumbai is the oldest museum and its architecture is that of the British era. The museum also received a UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage award of excellence for heritage conservation. It is the city's oldest museum but it also reminds of the architecture of the 19th century. The main hall of the museum is the double-height volume where galleries are placed. The Statue of Albert is placed in the central hall which showcases a collection of Indian arts and crafts along with other art and crafts famous in Europe then.

Festival

There are lots of festivals celebrated in Mumbai but Ganesh Puja is famous and it is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Diwali and Janmashtami also celebrated with great joy.

Best time to visit

Since Dr. Bhau Daji lad museum, Mumbai is open all through the year and fully air-conditioned tourists can visit the museum anytime. However for a unique traveling experience, one can visit the museum during certain events hosted by the museum for a memorable trip.

How to reach

The museum is well connected with rail and road with both Mahalaskmi and Byculla railway station being nearby. There are also tons of buses available that frequent to the museum at regular intervals.

Interesting facts and trivia about

The museum has won a UNESCO Award in the year 2005 for excellence in heritage conversation. Another interesting facet of the museum includes that the quixotic design in the museum roof is named after Jewish patron David Sassoon and is known as’ star of David ‘. The museum was earlier known as Victoria and Albert Museum.

FAQ

Before visiting the museum one must keep in mind the timings of the museum and also make sure those belongings of the museum should not be damaged.

Thus visit this beautiful place Dr. Bhau Daji lad museum, Mumbai, when you are, happens to be at Mumbai.