Atlas Obscura · People & society

Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum: Mumbai's Oldest

The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai's oldest, is housed in a historic turquoise building in Byculla, originally built for museum purposes.

Established in 1857 as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the idea for its creation arose from preparations for London's 1851 Great Exhibition.

The building is significant as the first colonial structure purpose-built to house a museum.

In 1975, it was renamed to honor Dr. Bhau Daji Lad, a prominent 19th-century scholar, surgeon, philanthropist, and the first Indian Sheriff of Mumbai, who was instrumental in its construction and the development of modern Mumbai.

The museum's collection includes statues, paintings, maps, artifacts, and weapons.

Notable exhibits feature a model of Bombay Castle, early maps of Mumbai's original seven islands, models of historical boats and ships, statues from the British Era, and a large stone elephant statue from Elephanta Island.

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