Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai's oldest, gets new look; see photos

The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Maharashtra's oldest museum, reopened on Wednesday after extensive renovations.

After Independence, the museum fell into disrepair, regarded as a colonial relic. In 1997, INTACH’s Tasneem Mehta discovered severe damage, with algae, plant roots, and inadequate lighting.

In 2003, INTACH Mumbai partnered with MCGM and the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation to restore the museum, with funding split between them. A 15-year agreement led to the museum receiving a UNESCO cultural heritage award in 2005.

The museum was closed for four years, initially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later for renovation efforts.

In the early 20th century, the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum drew 3,000 visitors daily, serving as a cultural center that influenced Mumbai's modern identity and the Early Modern aesthetic movement in Indian art and architecture.

Established in 1855 as the Victoria and Albert Museum, it opened in 1857 at Town Barracks. Its Renaissance Revival style, Palladian architecture, and Victorian interiors make it unique.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that a city's value lies not in skyscrapers or wealth but in its museums, during the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum reopening in Byculla.

Mumbai municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani described the Bhau Daji Lad Museum building as a smaller replica of the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo credit: Sanjay Hadkar)

Devendra Fadnavis highlighted the 154-year-old institution as the state's oldest and India's third oldest museum, with its new green walls and white columns is all set to boost Mumbai's tourism.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation invested Rs 3 crore in restoring the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, the oldest museum in Maharashtra.