Once upon a time in a city...

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), formerly Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, is the main museum in Mumbai, formerly Bombay. It was founded in the early years of the 20th century by prominent citizens of Bombay, with the help of the government, to commemorate the visit of the then prince of Wales. It is located in the heart of South Mumbai near the Gateway of India. The museum was renamed in the 1990s or early 2000s after Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire. 

The museum building is built in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, incorporating elements of other styles of architecture like the Mughal, Maratha and Jain. The museum building is surrounded by a garden of palm trees and formal flower beds. 
The museum houses approximately 50,000 exhibits of ancient Indian history as well as objects from foreign lands, categorized primarily into three sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural History. 

Selected objects:- 

Railing pillar

        It is a Buddha monument, it was from pauni a small near Nagpur, close to the river wainganga. Pauni was an important Buddhist centre in the 2 nd century BC.  this is one of the many octagonal sculpted pillars found scattered at the site with Hinayana, early Buddhist themes. The Three front faces address carved intricately, the remaining faces though dressed are uncared. The upper right face has a scared bodhi tree with a devotee making an offering and a small figure collecting the falling bodhi leaves. The upper central face has the triratna(guiding) symbol. The third face has a dharmachakra ( a wheel of life) . the lower large panels show an elaborately adorned donor-couple and their bears. 

Brahma 

Brahma is the famous Hindu god. he has four head. He is considered as the god of creation. goddess saraswathi is his wife.there is no more temple which is worshiping brahma because of curse.
 Here, Brahma seated on a lotus pedestal surrounding by Muni's in the clouds and devotees near his feet offer him flowers and objects. Brahma holds an akshamala (rosary), sharuva ( ladle) and kamandalu( ritual vessel) in his three hands. The forth hand it's in the boon- giving gesture. It is from  7th century (AD). This is made in pink sandstone and This is excavated from aihole, Bijapur district in Karnataka. 

Ganesha 

   Ganesha is the son of shiva and parvathi. He is considered as the god of beginnings. his birthday is widely celebrating in india , especiallyin mumbai as vinayaka chadurthi. There is no.of interesting stories behind ganesha.
He is the favorite deity of Maharashtra and this sculpture was l was found in Thane district of Maharashtra. His chubby body and pot belly convey his iconographic details. He hold his  broken tusk, a bowl of sweets (laddu) and a lotus bud in his three hands. The fourth arm of sculpture is broken. He wares a serpent girdle, tied with a knot in the front. His mount (rat), occupies a prominent position on the pedestal 
      Sculpture material is basalt and it is dated 1100 AD. 
           

 Mandapa of a domestic shrine

This lacquered and gilded mandapa probably adorned the front of an adinatha shrine, it portrays his birth as the first jain thirthankara with narretive panels. the mandapa with pillars and a dome on a double platform has four kshatrapalas ( guardian deities) on each base. The cross beams, depict episodes from the life of adinatha. the front beam shows the dream of Marudevi, the mother of adinatha. the ornate carving compares with the famous Vadi-Paraswanatha Temple of Anhilvad patan, built in 1594-96.

Personal Armour of the emperor Akbar

Abdul fatha Jalaludheen muhammed akbar was the greatest king of mughal Dynesty.he is ruled  about 49 years.  akabar was interested in philosophy, religious talk, and literacy . he was created a library with 24,000 books He founded a new religious concept called "din ilahi" literally  means "the religion of god".

This set of Armour belonging to emperor Akbar consist of four elements: helmet, breastplate, and two arm guard's. The back plate is missing from the set.  Three helmet has fine gold damascene along the lower border, vertical bands and a movable nasal guard flanked by two plume holders. the breastplate, forged in one piece. The high neck collar; intended to protect the throat, is not a common feature in Indian Armour. 
      Material is steel with gold damascene. 

For visitors :- 
timings is 10:30 am to 06:00 pm

Admission charge 
For 12 year old Rs 10/- 
Above 12 Rs 60/- 
Colleges bearing Id card Rs 25/- 
Audio guide are also available. 
There is no parking facilities in the museum, it's in khalagoda 
Nearest railway station is churchgate. 

Warning:- keep silent  in museum and never touch any of the object!!

Kmsabith