ART AND MUSEUMS, Mumbai

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Dating from 1911, the edifice housing the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai (NGMA) was originally built as an auditorium. It was donated by Sir Cowasji Jehangir, and is thus officially called the Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall. The Edwardian/Neoclassical building was in a decaying state until it was converted into the NGMA, an extension of the Delhi based gallery. It is located on Mahatma Ghandi Road at Wellington Fountain (now SP Mukherjee Chowk) in the Kala Ghoda area, opposite the Prince of Wales Museum.

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Formerly the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai's primary museum is now officially called the mouthful Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. Small wonder locals still use the old name, much as they still call their city Bombay. The Prince of Wales Museum was named after the Prince, and future King George V himself, who laid the foundation stone of the building in 1905. Its inauguration was delayed until 1922 because of WWI when the building temporarily served as a military hospital. The magnificent multi-domed building was designed by the same Scottish architect responsible for the Gateway of India, George Wittet, who successfully blended Gothic, Islamic and Hindu architecture to produce what was becoming the signature style in Bombay at the time, dubbed Indo-Saracenic. The museum houses a rare collection of mostly Indian artefacts.

The following are some of the good art galleries in Mumbai:

Art Hub - 1 Sukhada Bldg, Sir Pochkhanawala Road, Worli

Rainbows Modern Art Gallery - Kerawalla Mansion, LT Marg, Opposite GT Hospital

Art Entrance Gallery - Army Navy Building, MG Road, Kala Ghoda

Hacienda Gallery - Great Western Building - Kala Ghoda

Jehangir Art Gallery - Kala Ghoda

Bhodi Art Gallery - ITTS House, 28-K Dubhash Marg, Kala Ghoda

Many are located within walking distance in the Kala Ghoda area and each year in February the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is held near Jehangir Art Gallery.

There are several other galleries worth visiting in other parts of Mumbai. Each Friday's Times of India has a What's Hot section that includes all of the ongoing exhibits. Time Out Mumbai magazine will also have information.

This museum was formerly known as Prince Wales Museum was constructed to commemorate the visit of Prince of Wales in Mumbai. Situated at a stone’s throw from Gateway of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum is a weird blend of Gothic and Moorish architecture. The museum has a rich collection of ancient Indus Valley artifacts along with Tibetan and Nepali art. I visited this gallery on last Thursday when I was able to view some of the masterpieces of Buddhist tankha scrolls also Tibetan bronzes.

I was most impressed with the sprawling collection of 2000 miniature paintings from the various famous art schools of India. Also Bombay Natural History Society is adjacent to it where I viewed an extensive collection of local flora and fauna. The central hall an introductory collection but don’t just stop there as this museum has a plethora of monuments to be viewed. From beautiful sculptures of Hindu deities to Maratha weaponry the museum offers an array of masterpieces from round the country.

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On the top floor, if memory serves me correctly, are a series of models depecting important events in Ganhdi's life. They include the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919, the Salt Satyagraha in 1930, the Quit India campaign in 1932 and his assassination and cremation in 1948.

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I found this quite interesting. I think this poster was on a set of stairs and it outlines the different designs of Indian flag over the years. It starts with the Flag of Calcutta from 1906, then the Flag of the Home Rule Movement from 1917, a design unofficially adopted in 1921, a proposed saffron flag with the brown chakra in 1931 and lastly the flag adopted by the Indian National Congress in 1931.

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The Mani Bhavan is the building where Mahatma Ghandi stayed during his visits to Bombay between 1917 and 1934 and is, today, open as a museum. Gandhi took his first lessons in carding from a carder who used to pass by here everyday in 1917. He also learnt spinning here and there are a few spinning wheels in his living room which has been preserved. Gandhi launched the Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act from here in March 1919 as well as his civil disobedience compaign in 1932. The house features a library with more than 50,000 reference books as well as some written by and on Gandhi. There is also a picture gallery which gives glimpses of Gandhi at Mani Bhavan and the important events in his life. It also displays letters, article and documents written by and about Gandhi.

Open: 9.30am-6pm everyday. Admission: Free.

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The armoury is located in a small gallery on the second floor and includes swords, daggers, shields and armour. The main attractions of the gallery are Allauddin Khilji's Khanda and Akbar's cuirass with shield, dated AD 1593.