The CSMVS or the former Prince of Wales Museum. Mumbai’s main museum.
It was my 3rd
day in Mumbai And I was just starting to get used to the heat and the new time
zone. However, a family emergency came up for Lubna and she was going to have
to let me fend for myself. She offered me use of the family’s vacation home in
Goa and I decided to take her up on that but for this last day in Mumbai she
decided to take me to the most amazing museum.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, abbreviated CSMVS and formerly the Prince of Wales Museum
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (translation: ‘King Shivaji museum’), abbreviated CSMVS and formerly named the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, is the main museum in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Located a short distance from The Gateway to India, the museum is a wonderful introduction to the long history of Indian civilization. Containing over 50,000 examples of ancient Indian history as well as objects from other lands, these items are categorized into primarily 3 sections: art, archaeology and Natural History. Construction on the museum began in 1905 to commemorate a state visit by HRH George, Prince of Wales who would later become George V. The museum was renamed in 1998 after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire.
Inside the Museum
Yet, for a neophyte to understand India is almost impossible. First,
the civilization is one of the oldest dating back 5100 years to around 3000 BC.
During that time, they’ve been trading with the Middle East, the eastern coast
of Africa, China and the islands of the South Pacific. They’ve been invaded
from the Middle East and from Europe several times over. Layer upon layer of
history, religions, civilizations, different kingdoms and cultures all stacked
on top of each other and presented to you in one fell swoop, here is India. The
sheer amount of information can be overwhelming. I read a few books about India
before I came to help me understand a little. One of those books is called Land
of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India’s Geography by Sanjeev
Sanyal, published by Penguin Books; yet it wasn’t until I entered the museum
that I was able to visually understand what the books had told me.
Situated on 3 floors are room upon room of ancient treasures featuring the
different cultures and different civilizations that make up India’s rich
history. Also exploring the different religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam
and how they all clashed and influenced each other through the ages.
As I noted earlier in this series the weather in Mumbai was extremely humid
during my visit. The AC at the museum had a hard time keeping up with the heat,
yet there are several locations throughout the museum where you can stop and
get a refreshment including a lovely tea room where they serve an English high
tea. After 4 hours of wandering through the width and breadth of India’s deep
history I was exhausted, so we left to go get lunch in a cooler environment.
Yet, I highly recommend the museum as a wonderful introduction to helping understand
something of India’s amazing cultures and civilization through the ages.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu
Sangrahalaya Museum, 159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai,
Maharashtra 400023, India.
Right across the street from the Gateway to India stands India’s most famous hotel and one of the grandest in all the world, The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. It is a heritage, five-star, luxury hotel which is historically known as the Taj Mahal Hotel or simply “the Taj”.
View from Mumbai Bay by Yamini vijay lawhate
As you enter the Hotel, you’ll notice a high
level of security. This is because the hotel was one of the main targets of the
2008 Mumbai attacks. There are high security bomb walls, and private security and
metal detectors, but the way that they are disguised or woven into the fabric
of the hotel you almost don’t notice them.
Lobby
Once you enter the hotel though you are
overwhelmed by the level of luxury and sophistication of the lobby areas, adjoining
hallways and restaurants and gift shops. This five-star hotel serves as a
playground for the international rich and the rising young affluent Indian upper
class. While outside the bustling streets are loud with the sounds of traffic
and the crowds at the adjoining Gateway, inside you don’t hear a sound. The air
is fragranced with a scent that seems to be a combination of Mandarin oil and
the open sea. Everywhere is opulence. Huge crystal chandeliers, giant vases of
bright colorful flowers and a sense of luxury which is combination of the
British Raj and modern opulence. The people that populate this space seem to be
as almost from another planet. Money seems to be no issue for them and there’s
a sense that they live on an elevated plane far above most normal humans.
Giant Vase of Flowers
Yet for such a world-famous, five-star hotel and its sense of wealth and opulence, the price of a small room there is actually not that far out of reach. With a current exchange rate of 71.5 Indian rupees to one US dollar, the price for their simplest room comes in at around 302 US.
Staircase
Opened in 1903, the hotel has a deep and amazing history. Established and built by Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group, one of India’s largest conglomerates, the hotel has played host to a wealth of royalty, political figures, and world-famous entertainers. King George V of Great Britain stayed there during his visit to India, the first British Monarch to ever visit India in 1911. American US presidents such as Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have stayed there. And rumor has it that in the hotel’s Ravi Shankar Suite is where the famous Indian musician taught George Harrison of the English group The Beatles how to play the sitar in 1966.
Original view 1903
When it first opened, the
hotel was the first in India to have: electricity, American fans, German
elevators, Turkish baths and English butlers. Later it also had the city’s
first licensed bar and India’s first all-day restaurant. Initially in 1903, it
charged Rs 13 for rooms with fans and attached bathrooms, and Rs 20 with full
board. During World War I, the hotel was converted into a military hospital with
600 beds.
On November 26th, 2008, the hotel became
famous for another much darker reason. The hotel was attacked by a terror group,
Lashkar-e-Taiba, which also targeted
many sites in the Mumbai area resulting in the capture and death of many
hostages. The final death toll of the attacks was 167 people. The casualties
were mostly Indian citizens, although westerners carrying foreign passports
were specifically targeted. During the three-day siege of the Taj Mahal hotel
itself, the results were the destruction of the hotel’s roof and many of the
public areas of the hotel. The siege was over when Indian commandos finally killed
the terrorists barricaded in the hotel. At least 31 people died at the Taj. The
attack on the hotel served as the subject of the 2018 movie, Hotel Mumbai
starring Rav Patal and Arnie Hammer.
photo of ornate roof inside staircase
So if you find yourself at the Gateway of India, please cross the street and enter the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. Wander around and treat yourself to a sense of luxury that you will not find in many places in the world. Even if you can’t afford to stay at the hotel, treat yourself to High Tea in the Sea Lounge. It will be a memorable experience.
lobby waterwall sculpture
Some facts come from Wikipedia and the Taj Mahal Palace website.
My second day in India my friend, Lubna had to go to work. I decided to stay close to home and walked the less than 1 kilometer to the Gateway of India. The gateway is located on the island of Colaba in an area called Apollo Bunder. Located at the tip of Apollo Bunder, the gateway overlooks Mumbai harbor which is bordered by the Arabian Sea. It is surrounded by a series of 5 jetties and is directly across the street from the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel. The gateway is synonymous with the city of Mumbai. Built in 1911 to welcome the King and Queen of England, this stone archway in Colaba is now a historic landmark. Since its construction, the gateway has remained one of the most visited sites in all Mumbai.
Gateway to India
The gateway was built to commemorate the arrival of George V, Emperor of India and Mary of Teck, Empress consort, in India on 2 December 1911. It was the first visit of a British monarch to India. However, they only got to see a cardboard model of the monument, as construction did not begin until 1915. Before the gateway’s construction, Apollo Bunder used to serve a native fishing ground. Its foundations were completed in 1920 while construction was finished in 1924. The gateway was opened to the public on 4 December 1924 by then viceroy, Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading. Following Indian independence, the last British troops to leave India, the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, passed through the gateway with a 21-gun salute, as part of a ceremony on 28 February 1948, signaling the end of the British Raj.
Gateway to India
The monument is built of yellow basalt and reinforced concrete. The stones were sourced locally while the perforated screens were brought in. There are 4 turrets on the structure of the gateway, and there are steps behind the archway that lead down to the Arabian Sea. The Scottish architect, George Wittet combined elements of the Roman triumphal arch and Islamic architecture. The harbor front was realigned in order to make an Esplanade, which would sweep down to the center of town. On each side of the arch , there are 2 large halls with a capacity to hold 600 people. Due to a lack of funds, the approach road was never built therefore the gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.
Gateway to India
The gateway was the location of a terror attack on 25 August 2003, when there was a bomb blast in front of it. The force of the explosion, from a bomb in a taxi parked near the Taj Mahal hotel, reportedly threw bystanders into the sea. Following the terrorist attacks of November 2008, which targeted the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel opposite the gateway, among other locations, the area has become more restricted. While still crowds of thousands gathered there each day at the gateway but police presence and security monitoring is much stronger than it was before 2008 .
Gateway to India and Esplanade
Another thing that you can do from the Gateway of India is to go to the world famous Elephanta Caves. Starting at 9:00 AM, each morning colorful double-decker boats leave one of two jettys that are connected to the Esplanade and they will take you on a journey into the past.
Boats to Elephanta Caves
The journey by sea takes 1 hour to reach Elephanta Island. The island is located in Mumbai Harbor about 10 kilometers from the gateway. The caves are a collection of temples predominantly dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. The caves and the statues are cut from solid rock, and the carvings narrate Hindu mythology with large monolithic statues. The Caves are from a time when faith, mysticism and art reign supreme, when the challenge of carving out gigantic statues and caves were accepted as a blessing. Both of these serve as awesome and beautiful examples of Hindu faith, and a testimony to the hard labor and belief of Indian ancestors.
Boats to Elephanta Caves
There are 2 types of launch: Economy and Deluxe. One is large, the other is slightly smaller in size. Travelling by either carries its own fun experience. A ticket for the Deluxe boat is Rs.150 for Adult, Rs. 90 for Child (3 to 7 years) which includes a return journey. If you want to see the view from the upper deck, you have to pay Rs.10/-extra to the launch (boat) operator. Economy boat charges are Rs. 20 less being Rs.130 for Adults.
The first boat of the day is at 9AM; they may wait a little bit for more passengers, but they will pretty much leave the dock on time. A boat leaves for Elephanta Island every 10 minutes. Week days are less crowded than weekends.
Elephanta Caves
The island and the caves are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some of the work dates back to the 2nd century BC but most of the work seems to have been done between the 5th and the 7th century AD. There is a historical park on the island which you have to pay a fee to get into. There is a tourist tax of Rs 10 for adults and Rs 5 for children. At the entrance of the park, one needs to pay an entrance fee, Rs 40 for Indian citizens and Rs 600 for foreign nationals. Your ticket will be checked by a security guard on entry to the site.
Artwork in Caves
There are five caves you can visit. You can also walk up higher on the Island, on Cannon Hill. There are 2 old cannons there and a view, but nothing else to see.
Elephanta Caves
Take lots of pictures and show them to your friends later. Beware of the monkeys that roam around. They are quite used to the huge masses of people, but they do not like it when kids and even pesky teenagers tease them by throwing stones or making weird noises and gestures. There have been many cases of people being scratched or attacked by monkeys in retaliation. If left alone, they will usually leave you alone. Try to keep with a crowd, especially if you have some packed food with you and want to have a picnic in the area.
It is advisable to take lots of drinkable water with you from Mumbai itself.
Boats to Elephanta Caves
The first boat leaving Elephanta Island for Mumbai is at 12:00 noon and the last one is at 5:30PM. If you are fast, you can take the first boat from Mumbai to Elephanta Island, visit all caves, go up to Cannon Hill to see the old cannon, come back to the dockside, and take the first boat back to Mumbai.
Next: Mumbai and the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel
*Some information taken from Wikipedia and local tourist guidebooks of Colaba.
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