{"id":4422,"date":"2017-06-13T08:22:25","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T08:22:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelindiadestinations.com\/?p=4422"},"modified":"2019-08-05T08:39:28","modified_gmt":"2019-08-05T08:39:28","slug":"dr-bhau-daji-lad-museum-revival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelindiadestinations.com\/dr-bhau-daji-lad-museum-revival\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum: A Historic Revival"},"content":{"rendered":"

Museums are the windows into the history. It might sound like a boring quiet place where all you see is artefacts from the earlier times. However, when you look closely each one has its story and importance. Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum is not a huge museum when you look at the building, but it stores around 3,500 objects revolving around Mumbai\u2019s history. The museum has photographs, books, textiles, maps, lacquer ware, manuscripts, and weaponry and exquisite pottery which engulfs you into its beauty and craftsmanship. In the first part<\/a> of this three-part series, we read about the history of Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, once known as the Victoria and Albert Museum. In this part, we focus on its revival and the renaming of the museum to its current name.<\/p>\n

A Unique Public-Private Partnership<\/strong><\/p>\n

After India\u2019s independence in 1947, the Victoria and Albert Museum never received the kind of attention it deserved. On November 1, 1975, the museum was renamed as Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Dr Bhau Daji Lad was the first secretary of the Museum Committee. He was also a philanthropist, physician, surgeon and a historian. It was his efforts and dedication to urge the citizens to donate freely to the museum. He was at the fore of raising funds for the museum and making this project a success.<\/p>\n

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The Stairs to the First Floor at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1997, Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage (INTACH), a non-profit charitable organisation were looking for a place to set up their conservation lab and it was then that the officers of INTACH visited the museum. On seeing the sad state of this historic building they decided to work on it. They convinced the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to team up and raise funds to restore the museum.<\/p>\n

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Meet the Founders – Dr Bhau Daji Lad Portrait with other founding members<\/p><\/div>\n

Two years later (1999), INTACH approached the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation to contribute to the project financially. In 2003, the MCGM, INTACH and the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation signed a unique public-private partnership along with the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum Trust to restore the museum.<\/p>\n

Architectural Restoration<\/strong><\/p>\n

The museum building was in desperate need of architectural restoration because the exterior fa\u00e7ade and the interior walls were in the dismal state. The presence of algae and plant growth were ruining the core of the building.<\/p>\n

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Iron Pillars at the Museum<\/p><\/div>\n

Many of the iron columns were detached from the walls and the etched glass panes were broken. The lighting wasn\u2019t enough to let visitors appreciate the beauty of the artefacts and the intricate designs on the wall were fading away. A lot of gilding and stencil work has gone into the restoration of the museum.<\/p>\n

Restoration of the Artefacts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of the objects in the museum were in damaged and neglected condition. Many of them had fungus due to poor handling of the objects. INTACH <\/a>decided to step forward and brought their expert conservators to restore around four thousand artefacts now showcased at the museum. INTACH also brought in some of the skilled craftsmen from Kashmir to restore the carpets.<\/p>\n

Museum Organisation Plan<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the primary changes brought into effect during the restoration of the museum was to bring in a unified theme. Earlier, the placement of the objects in the museum had no sense of storyline. However, during the restoration, the Museum Trust decided to present the objects in a completely new light. There are two main themes that emerge clearly in the museum. First is the evolution of Bombay from seven different islands into a cosmopolitan city. Second is the development of trade and industrial arts and the lifestyle of the citizens.<\/p>\n

Global Recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2008, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum<\/a> was opened to the public after five years of dedicated restoration work. The combined effort of the MCGM<\/a>, INTACH, Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation<\/a> and Museum Trust has transformed this museum into Mumbai\u2019s finest. The museum is exceptionally clean. The staff is friendly and courteous and the interiors are insanely spectacular. The Museum Restoration Project won the 2005 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award of Excellence for Conservation.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the photographic tour of the Museum’s first floor:<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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The Grand Chandelier in the Founder’s Gallery<\/p><\/div>\n

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Look at the detailed work done here<\/p><\/div>\n

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Exploring the Museum interiors<\/p><\/div>\n

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One of my favourite pictures of all<\/p><\/div>\n

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I just love standing here among all those carpets and the grand chandelier<\/p><\/div>\n

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A closer view of one of the carpets<\/p><\/div>\n

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Portrait of Jagannath Shankarseth, an eminent businessman, philanthropist and an educationalist<\/p><\/div>\n

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I loved that nice little wooden window just above the stairs<\/p><\/div>\n

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The antique tiles and iron railing add to the decor.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The museum ceiling is just breathtakingly beautiful<\/p><\/div>\n

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A spectacular view of the long hall from the first floor.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The first floor of the museum is equally interesting as the ground floor.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Kamalnayan Bajaj Gallery<\/p><\/div>\n

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I am in love with the design on the railings.<\/p><\/div>\n

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View from the First Floor<\/p><\/div>\n

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Exquisite Railings at the BDL Museum<\/p><\/div>\n

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The view of the statue and the stairs from the first floor.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The work done on the iron pillars is so fascinating<\/p><\/div>\n

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Foreign Communities in Bombay<\/p><\/div>\n

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The first thing you see on the first floor is the head wear collection. Different headwear of different communities in Bombay.<\/p><\/div>\n

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People playing indoor games in Bombay in the 19th Century<\/p><\/div>\n

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Music and Dance Collection<\/p><\/div>\n

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Actual musical instruments<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Palki Carriers (Palanquin Carriers)<\/p><\/div>\n

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Sweetmeat Vendor<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Vamana Avatar – Lord Vishnu incarnated as human placing his step on Bali’s head.<\/p><\/div>\n

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A replica of a temple<\/p><\/div>\n

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Mumba Devi a.k.a Mumba-Aai (The name Mumbai is derived from this Goddess).<\/p><\/div>\n

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A Selfie with the Goddess of the City<\/p><\/div>\n

\"The

The Light Fixtures<\/p><\/div>\n

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The railing architecture<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Atya

Atya Patya Game Played in Bombay<\/p><\/div>\n

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The traditional Danda Fugdi game played in Bombay<\/p><\/div>\n

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The most preferred mode of transport in Bombay<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Tower

Tower of Silence. A structure made by Parsis for excarnation. The vultures sitting on the walls is done so finely.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Trade

A replica of the trade ships at the Bombay Harbour<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Merchant

Merchant ships at the Bombay Harbour<\/p><\/div>\n

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The foot soldiers of the British Indian Army<\/p><\/div>\n

\"British

British Indian Army Cavalry<\/p><\/div>\n

\"The

The Rajasthani Regiment Soldier<\/p><\/div>\n

I’m sure you guys must have enjoyed the tour of the first floor of the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. This was just a fraction of the items that are on display so make sure you do visit the museum and take a tour personally if you’re in Mumbai. Also, this is the second part of the three-part series, so coming up next is the tour of open areas of the museum. So stay tuned.<\/p>\n

I would also request my readers to please checkout this 10-minute YouTube video by the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum authorities showcasing the restoration work done on the museum and the before and after shots of the museum. The video showcases 5-years of hard work done by INTACH, MCGM, the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation and the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum authorities.<\/p>\n