Prince of Wales Museum is one of the best preserved monuments in India. This is a fine example of craftsmanship and height of architecture in British colonial era. Located just near the Gateway of India, Prince of Wales Museum is a magnificent structure. This stately building was named after Prince George to honor him when he visited India in 1905. It was he who laid the foundation stone of this huge structure.  

History of the Museum

Foundation stone of the building was laid in 1905 and designed by the architect George Wittet who also designed themajestic arch The Gateway of India. Completed in 1914, this building served as a military hospital during World War I. In 1923, it was opened again by Lady Lloyd who was the wife of then governor, Sir George Lloyd.

Description

Prince Wales Museum in Mumbai was built in Indo-Sarcenic style.  It was the blend of Gothic and Moorish styles. Façade of the building is done in blue and yellow stones which were queried from Mumbai. Modeled after the Gol Gumbaz of Bijapur, the museum has huge white dome.  Other than this, the building has many features which are very much Indian; Saracenic arches with Muslim Jalis, small bulbous cupolas, semi-open verandahs and Jarokhas from Rajasthan. There are three storeys’s which form a rectangle and it is raised in the centre to give place to the entrance porch. There is a huge dome over the central arched entrance. This dome is adorned with white and blue flecks on lotus-petal base.   An array of pinnacles, surround the dome and all of them are capped by miniature domes.  These are supported by Indian motifs.

Exhibits inside the Museum

Counted among the most famous art museums in Mumbai, this museum showcases huge collection of natural history artifacts, Indian miniature paintings, decorative art, Tibetan and Nepali Art, European paintings and armory and textile galleries.

According to Mumbai travel guide, with so much on display, you can not do justice to these great works of art, if you see them all in one day. You need many days to explore and absorb the magic of these beautiful things. It is like absorbing 5000 years of Indian history in a capsule.