Victoria And Albert Museum

Location: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Byculla, Mumbai
Built in: 1872
Attractions: Archeological findings & relics
How to Reach: One can easily reach here by boarding buses or trains, or by hiring autos or taxis from the city.
Web Site : http://www.bdlmuseum.org/


Bhau Daji Lad Museum is the oldest museum in Mumbai city of India. Rani Jijamata Udyan makes the picturesque setting of this historical museum at Ambedkar Road, in Byculla area of Mumbai. Built in 1872, it was initially christened as Victoria & Albert Museum after the museum of London. The museum has a great collection of archaeological relics, maps and photographs that peep into the history of Bombay. It was later renamed after its benefactor, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad, who dedicated his life to this museum. 

The history of Bhau Daji Lad Museum reveals that it was planned with an amount of Rupees 6,000, at the initiative of Dr. Bhau. The marvelous structure of building had lost its sheen with the times, but thanks to Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, Mumbai (INTACH) that is renovating the museum with utmost care. The treasury comprises of more than 6000 valuable artifacts, including sculptures, pottery, coins, ivory work, paintings, etc. It has special sections on the social and cultural life in India also. 

Apart from the above compilation, the museum has over 4,000 reference books and manuscripts in its supervision. The clay models, costumes, finely shaped silver, copper ware etc, are amongst the most-cherished compilation which is worth taking a glance. Victoria & Albert Museum also contains atypical photographs of early Bombay and testimonials from the colonial past. The half-done collection was first exhibited to Lord Canning in 1856. Today, Bhau Daji Lad Museum is revived in its appearance, with gold ornamentations on wall corners, ceilings, hand railings and blue-painted pillars.