Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum

Within the premises of Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan in Mumbai’s Byculla area stands an extremely stately turquoise building, reminiscent of old British mansions. It houses Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, the oldest museum in the city.

Established in 1857, it was formerly known as the Victoria and Albert Museum. The idea of setting up a museum in Mumbai (then Bombay) came up during the preparations for the Great Exhibition of 1851 which was held in London. According to sources, the building is of historical importance because it was the first colonial building which was built specifically for the purpose of housing a museum.

In 1975, it was renamed Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum in honour of Dr. Bhau Daji Lad who was an eminent scholar, surgeon, philanthropist, social reformer and the first Indian Sheriff of Mumbai in the 19th century. He played an important role in the construction of the museum building, as well as in the making of modern Mumbai.

The turquoise exterior of the museum building is absolutely beautiful. Equally stunning is the grand interior. The museum has old statues, paintings, maps, historical artifacts, weapons and many other fascinating objects in its vast collection. There is a fascinating model of Bombay Castle, which was one of the first buildings to be constructed in the city. It served as the historical nucleus around which the city was eventually built.

There are old maps showing the original seven islands of the city, before they were merged into a single landmass. There are models of old boats and ships that were used for trade and naval defence. There is a collection of statues of historical figures from the British Era. There is also a huge stone elephant statue, which was once located at Elephanta Island, which gave the island its name.

The museum is a great place to explore and understand the history of the city.