CSMVS or the Mumbai city museum is one of the leading tourist destinations located in South Mumbai. Its aesthetically designed hallways preserve the artefacts from pre-historic to modern times. In its early days it was known as the Prince of Wales Museum. It exhibits contemporary art, paintings, archaeology and the natural history of the region. It is a premier art and history museum which defines the quintessential tourist experience. Situated on the southern tip of Mumbai on the ‘Crescent Site’, the Museum building is a fine example of the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture.
Reaching the Location
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) is located at 159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort, Mumbai-400 023. Maharashtra, India. The Museum is a major landmark in the Kala Ghoda Art precinct, along with the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), the Jehangir Art Gallery and Regal Cinema. Parking is available in the pay and park lots at Hutatma Chowk and Kala Ghoda. The CSMVS or the Prince of Wales Museum can be reached via a Taxi from the Churchgate train station. It is around 1.8 km from the train terminal and can be covered on foot as well if you are an avid walker, especially since the walkways around South Bombay are really well built with lots of scenery and aesthetically pleasing buildings around to view through while walking amongst the traffic filled roads.
Entry Formalities
In order to enter the museum, you will have to undergo security check-in at the gates and buy a ticket which is Rs 100 for normal visitors. However, if you are a student and have a valid ID card then you will get a discount and the ticket price comes down to Rs 50. Please note that if you are looking to take pictures inside the museum then you will need to purchase a photography ticket which can again set you back by Rs 100.
Browsing through the Museum sections
The aim at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) is to create awareness and sensitivity towards the rich heritage through a visitor-friendly museum for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment of the public. The museum houses approximately 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history as well as objects from foreign lands, categorized primarily into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural History.
The museum houses Indus Valley Civilization artefacts, and other relics from ancient India from the time of the Guptas, Mauryas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakuta.It also has a Maritime Heritage Gallery, which displays objects relating to navigation. The museum's miniature collection encompasses representations of the main schools of Indian painting namely, Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari and Deccani. It features palm leaf manuscripts dating to the 11th-12th centuries to the early 19th century Pahari paintings, as well as paintings from the Sultanate period.
Sculptures and coins transferred from the Poona Museum in Pune and the collections of the Bombay branch of the Royal Asiatic Society resulted in the development of an archaeological section, with precious sculptures and epigrams. It also houses coins of pre-historic times along with a nice storyline on the development of currency through the years.
The Himalayan Art Gallery on the first floor showcases many artifacts from Nepal. As soon as you enter, you see a six-foot clay sculpture of Maitreya Buddha. thirteenth-century gilt bronze Maitreya that is the gallery’s most valuable exhibit. Also on display are various ceremonial items such as musical instruments, water jugs, lamps and incense burners; figurines of Buddhist icons such as Goddess Tara and poet-saint Milarepa and mythological paintings.
Our experiences prompt us to argue that the preservation of cultural heritage continues to be one of the biggest challenges of contemporary societies, both within the sub-continent, and transnationally; at par with other great challenges such as health and environmental sustainability. In keeping with this challenge, CSMVS has done a great job of accurately depicting the pre-historic and modern times through the medium of art and artefacts.
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