The oldest museum in Mumbai, founded in 1855 by Lord Elphinstone, was conceived as a collection of exhibits dedicated to history, economics, geology, industry, and art.
One of those who supported the lord's initiative and helped financially with the construction of a separate building for the museum was Dr Bhau Daji Lad, an Indian physician and a prominent scholar of his time. In his honor, in 1975 it was decided to change the original name “Victoria and Albert Museum” to a more “Indian” one, but many Mumbai residents still use the old version.
Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum was located in Town Hall for some time, but after the construction in 1872 of a magnificent new building on the grounds of the Victoria Gardens, it moved to its permanent location.
Today, the museum has an extensive collection divided into several exhibitions that will tell you about the history of Mumbai's art from ancient times, about the development of everyday life and culture, economics and industry, both of the city and of the whole country. Indian art and crafts are presented in the industrial design gallery: here you can see how the traditions of India closely intertwined with the European lifestyle of the XVIII-XIX centuries.
The museum has an impressive historical library, but unfortunately, it can only be accessed with special permission.
