The Dr.Bhau Daji Lad Museum is a small quaint little structure just outside the entrance of the Jeejamata Udyan (Victoria Gardens as it was formerly known or Byculla Zoo as it’s popularly known). The museum is the oldest in the city and over 150 years old. It was started in 1855 and names as the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1872. Thereafter in 1975 the Bombay Municipal Corporation renamed the museum as the Dr.Bhau Daji Lad Museum in honor of Ramkrishna Vitthal Lad, one of the men instrumental in the creation of the museum. The museum was recently restored by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and reopened to the public in January this year.

I visited the museum on Saturday. The museum had a very nominal entry fee of Rs.10 only. The interiors are breathtaking. The lighting, gold lined walls give it a very old world feel. The restoration work has been done quite well. The ground floor holds various exhibits of different art forms ranging from stone sculptures to horn and ivory engravings. The first floor holds various models detailing the people and history of the city of Mumbai. It also has models of various ships, temples etc.

All in all a nice way to spend a lazy summer afternoon soaking up some culture.

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