Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra is often regarded to be the city of dreams. Every year, various people come to this city to accomplish their desire and find a living. Being a resident of Bangalore, I always had the desire to visit Mumbai once and find out about the city’s roots. And what could be a better way than to traverse around the museums in this incredible city? So, I made a plan, booked the affordable flight from the plethora of Bangalore to Mumbai flights available online and settled at my sister’s place. Since she is living here for 3 years now, I took her advice and made a list of the museums to traverse on my tour. Want to know which they are? Well then, scroll down to have an idea of the notable museums that Mumbai stores in its territory.  

Victoria and Albert Museum

Essentially an art Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum is one of the significant heritage spots in Mumbai. It has been rechristened recently as Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum. The walls and halls of this place are adorned with huge framed paintings and photographs represent the various aspects of the British Presidency in Mumbai. Here, you will find several books and journals taking up the glass shelves, while pages from eminent manuscripts and diaries have been preserved in air-tight glass shelves for the public to view. The artefacts here date back to early Bombay, roughly between the late eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries. 

Mani Bhawan Gandhi Sangrahalaya

If you are keen on learning the contributions of Gandhiji during the country’s struggle for freedom, this is more than just a museum to satiate your eagerness. Acclaimed to be the house where Gandhiji spent the maximum of his time planning for the various Movements, Mani Bhawan is a beautiful place and each of its bricks carries the story of our struggle for Independence. The rooms are beautifully preserved here and are maintained regularly by dedicated staff. It is located on Laburnum Road. If you are a bibliophile, you can delve into a detailed study of his struggles from Bhawan’s research library that houses over 25000 books related to Mahatma Gandhi’s life and India’s struggle for Independence. 

Prince of Wales Museum

Also known by the Mumbaikars as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, this is one of the main museums of the city. From woodblock paintings to relics dating back to the time of the Marathas, the Prince of Wales Museum is a huge structure that houses several significant artefacts. A portion of this place has been dedicated to Lord Vishnu and contains paintings and sculptures carved out on huge blocks of stone. Each is a piece of marvel and thus, this place can take up to two hours to complete the tour. This museum is not only a memoir for the history of Maharashtra but caters to the history of several other parts of the country as well through its many preserves. You will also find exhibits of the Miniature Poetry manuscripts from Harappa here.

National Gallery of Modern Art

The National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai is one of the oldest existing art museums and galleries in India. It is home to more than fifteen thousand works of art that have been preserved skilfully. The Gallery is a renovated and redesigned form of the previously existing Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall, which was an auditorium dedicated to hosting public performances. Under the leadership of sculptor, Piloo Pochkhanawala and the eminent artist Kekoo Gandhi, the Hall was thoughtfully carved into a highly maintained zone for the preservation of modern art. Some of the paintings here date back to the British Raj with years as early as the 1850s. The whole structure as of now houses five elaborate art galleries, an extensive library, a public auditorium and a cafe that serves perfect refreshments. 

RBI Monetary Museum

This is an interesting place to visit if you have a knack for knowing about monetary evolution. The RBI Monetary Museum has been thoughtfully designed and filled with exhibits that inform visitors about this evolution. From the money used in the days of the barter system, to medium and large engraved coins made of copper, gold and silver and paper notes that we use today, the Museum houses everything and a lot more. With each exhibit, are a detailed description of how and why it was used, its significance and every little thing a visitor would require to know about the monetary evolution completely.

Thus, these are some of the best museums you can pay a visit to, while in Mumbai. I managed to cover them all on my trip and was quite satisfied when I came back home. Trust me, these museums are the best place where you can expand your knowledge and go into the depth of Mumbai’s chronicle.