One of the oldest and among the few inspirational museums, one is Bhau Daji Lad Museum.  This museum is located in the city of Mumbai and it is also popular among the tourists. It takes initiatives to bring international speakers who are well known in their respective fields to discuss and educate the public on art. This museum is located in the campus of Rani Jijamata Udyan. This museum has even won UNESCO award for restoration. People must have visited the museums of different countries but this is the museum that attracted them the most.

It has been restored undoubtedly very well being it is standing since 20 years and see it now, there is no difference. It is absolutely a model restoration job. The building itself is what one should go there to see its beauty, let alone the contents. Under its current director and probably the committee, all is really well displayed and restored beautifully before displaying it. Excellent shops which have good merchandise for sale and if you get on to their mailing list you get invited for some very interesting programs and lectures. All in all, this museum is having all those things through which a person may be able to make his time passed with historical things easily.

History

The museum of Bhau Daji Lad was inaugurated in the year of 1872. The previous name of this museum was Victoria and Albert Museum. This museum was constructed on the same pattern on which Museum of London was constructed is located in London. This museum is also having the collection of all kinds of archeological relics, photographs and maps that provides the history of Mumbai. This museum was renamed as Bhau Daji Museum. He was the benfactor who dedicated his life for the museum. The Museum is located at Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar road, which is now named as Rani Bagh. Bhau Daji Lad Museum owes its name to Dr. Bhau Daji Lad who devoted all his life for this museum. Dr. Originally established as a treasure house of the decorative and industrial arts. It is a treasure trove of the cultural history of different parts of India.

Once again, it went through the major restoration project that was started in the year 2003and ended in 2007. It was well supervised by the Mumbai chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and financed by the Jamaal Bajaj Trust.

Different Sections in Museum

Photographs Ans Clay Models

Industrial Arts Gallery

The collections, that are available inside this museum was made for the artifacts for the World Fair which was started in the 19th century. This museum was previously known as Victoria and Albert Museum. It was located within the fantastic views of Old Bombay. It shows the pictures of that time when the museum was constructed through photographs and clay models with various goods that were traded through the western coast of India.

19th Century Paintings

So fine collection of paintings, pottery and objects from the period of 19th century from Sir J.J school of Arts.

Arts And Ethnography

It is as similar as Victoria & Albert Museum in London (to which this is affiliated); this museum is a fine example of fine art and craft, metalwork, textiles and other things. They are apart from the historical developments of arts as well as crafts which were done by the British in India. Also they found some parts of the crafts randomly from the collection that were developed through them.    

There is an excellent video on the ground floor showing the restoration, and models showing "model" Indian villages, boats, military dresses of all the myriad peoples that make up India's popular,  a cabinet explaining some of the beliefs, typical type of professions and backgrounds relating to some of the major ethnicities.

There are helpful fairly detailed booklets alongside nearly every cabinet in various languages including English which put the displays in context and explain how things are made; well written too. These booklets help elevate the quality of the visit significantly.  They use these to tie in modern day craftsmanship with photos rather than leaving the museum as a historic.

Origins of Mumbai Gallery

There are multiple galleries that display such things as models of historic boats and ships used in the area, detailed and have been carved from all sides and statues painted telling the stories of  various peoples of the area and a video of the amazing restoration. My favourite though was the entire first floor that was filled “industrial arts” which is to say very extensive. There were galleries used to showcase special exhibitions that are around different themes.  

In the coming months visitors will enjoy several national & international exhibitions on themes ranging from photography and poster design to contemporary art. 

Founder’s Gallery

This gallery depicts the picture of those men who devoted their life for the development of this museum in the city of Mumbai. All those people, who did hard jobs, are having a picture that is shown in the gallery.  These great men include bhau Daji Lad, Geaorge Buist, Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy and many others.

Kamalnayan Bajaj Special Exhibitions Gallery

This gallery is having enormous space and among these all spaces, there are those exhibitions are showcased that came from all parts of the world and on different themes. In some few months, people will come to see some exhibitions on different themes which will come from national and international themes. They may be poster designing, photography and art of contemporary level.  A person may log on to the Facebook page of the museum for other details.

Kamalnayan Bajaj Mumbai Gallery

When a person may enter to this gallery, he will come to know about the rise of Mumbai in 18th, 19th, and 20th century. The things are discussed through models and dioramas. Those people who migrated to the city during these times had given prime importance and these communities are depicted in these models. It include all kinds of things like their lifestyle, the food that they eat, the games that they play, the uniform which they wore and many other things as well. Many Indian Regiments of those times are also depicted in these models.

Collections

The museum is restored in a wonderful manner. It is also fruitful for a person to take a trip to this museum while he is looking for the tourist’s area in Mumbai city. The building is simply looks vibrant from inside. On the first floor, a person may watch some marvelous and greatcollection of artistic things that may take a person to some other world apart from the crafts which were prepared in India. This museum is also having books of more than 4000 in numbers and also some manuscripts which are under supervision. The models of clay, costumes of those times, silver shaped in fine manner, copper ware and others are counted among the things that make a person glued and he may watch it at a glance. The other museum, Victoria and Albert Museum is also having some typical photos of the Colonial period which was in Bombay at early times. It was firstly exhibited to Lord Canning under half done mode in year 1856. Bhau Daji Museum now days is having some different and exceptional things like gold ornamented walls, corners, ceilings and pillars painted with blue color.

Exhibitions

Quintessential by the Artist L.N. Tallur

Social Fabric

Contemporary Art including Artist Sudarshan Shetty’s 'This too shall pass' in September 2010 and Victoria & Albert Museum’s (London) 'Something that I’ll never Really See' and 'A Century of Olympic Posters' from November 2010 until February 2011. Temporary and permanent exhibitions of art are produced for the showcasing of art in a variety locations and contexts. Space and design describe the various relationships within a particular cultural practice  to the viewing public. 

Quintessential by the artist L.N. Tallur

The textile conservation internship was funded by the Bonita Trust as a part of rotation of the objects in the Museum’s Nehru Gallery of Indian Art. These three objects were kept for displaying them in the Gallery, a Child’s costume (20th century) from Gujarat.

Evoking the Pause

Evoking The Pause’, an exhibition of photo and video based objects and installations by the artist Sheba Chichi, is the first in a new series of solo exhibitions by artists whose work speaks directly to the craft traditions and issues that underlie the founding of the Museum yet evoke the present by challenging orthodoxies and questioning assumptions.

Fieldnotes: tomorrow was here yesterday by Jitish Kallat

One of the most nopted person in the field of art is Jitesh Kalat and he is was the prolific contemporary artist and the museum of Bhau Daji Lad is glad to present his paintings as well. There is a well combination among the artist and curator. During the run of 5 months, Kallat will be continuing in making some extraordinary arts and he will increase the collection of museum through its library and architecture.

A Century of Olympic Posters

Olympic Games are the games that cane be conveyed in a perfect manner through posters. People are having large amount of excitement for these games. They are expected to begin with some blast of excitement. Official posters were released by the Olympic committee before the 20th century as well.  These events are having some moments that are eye catching and memorable.

The Artful Pose - Early Studio Photography in Mumbai 1855 - 1940

Under this exhibition, the early phase of relation between art and photography is presented. They are having places and people of 19th century who came to stay in Mumbai. It is having historical view for developments through paintings as they were taught in the art schools at that time.

How to Reach

People can very easily reach hereby boarding buses or trains, or by hiring autos, rickshaw’s, trams to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Byculla, and Mumbai.

Timings and Ticket Prices

The museum's HOURS are from 10-6 p.m., closed on Wednesdays. Admission is 100 rupees for foreigners, Rs.50. those foreign children who are among the age group of 5 to 15 or below than 5 can enter free of cost to this museum. For Indian citizen, Rs.10 is charged from adults while those children who are under age group of 5 to 15 may get the entry with Rs.5 ticket cost. Students may carry their identity card to get special discount and their entry will be at rs.2 and rest children bellow 5 years of age may enter without any cost.  One may also visit Victoria garden which is located apart from this museum.

Photo Gallery