Thursday, April 26, 2012

Which museum was designed by George Witter, was formerly known as Prince of Wales Museum ?



1) Mahatma Gandhi Sanghralaya
2) Veermata Sanghralaya
3) Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sanghralaya
4) Dr. Ambedkar Sanghralaya








Ans : 3






  • Location: 159-161, M.G. Road Fort Mumbai – 400023
  • Time: Tuesday to Sunday between 10.30 am and 6 pm
  • Attraction: Painting gallery,Art, Archeology and Natural History, Artifacts of Maurya and Gupta periods etc.
  • Built in: 1914

 
Prince of Wales Museum realizes the memories of British rule in India.The dome of the museum gives reflection of the combination Indian and English style. The dome has been modelled after the dome of the Gol Gumbaz in Bizapur. Prince of Wales museum was designed by George Witter. The foundation was laid in 1905 by the visiting Prince of Wales. The building was completed in 1914 and during World War Ist It was converted into a Military Hospital The Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai also known as the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralay. It is located near the Gateway of India on the Crescent Site. The Prince of Wales Museum was built in the twentieth by some Mumbai citizen in honor of the visit of the Prince of the Wales. The Museum was established in the 1909. The architecture of the Prince of Wales Museum is a magnificent structure. It is an interesting combination of Gothic and Moorish styles. Located at M.G. Road, near Gateway of India, in South Bombay, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum has Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. Its façade is made of yellow and blue stones, mined from the Bombay region. It has an assortment of details from different Indian styles like small spherical cupolas on towers, saracenic arches with Muslim jalis as fillers, semi-open verandahs and jharokhas (windows) of Rajputs. Its dome has been designed deliberately, so as to append variety in the skyline and make a landmark at ground level. It houses a unique, rare, and ancient collection of Indian history as well as objects from foreign lands and civilization. Designed in Indo-Saracenic style, the facing is done in Yellow and blue stones. It has also drawn inspiration from many other Indian styles – small bulbous cupolas on towers, Saracenic arches with Muslim jalis as fillers, semi-open verandahs and Rajput jharokhas. Barely a stone’s throw from the Gateway of India is the Prince of Wales Museum, a magnificent, but somewhat strange structure, built in a confluence of Gothic and Moorish styles, and crowned by a sparkling white dome. It boasts a good collection of ancient Indus Valley artifacts dating back to 2000 BC, plus some priceless Tibetan and Nepali Art. There is an entire gallery devoted to Buddhist tankha scrolls and another to Tibetan bronzes, but the chief attraction here is the collection of over 2000 miniature paintings from the various art schools of India. Next to the Museum is the Bombay Natural History Society, which has an extensive collection of local flora and fauna.Prince of Wales Museum is the erstwhile name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya of Mumbai. In 1905, its foundation stone was laid down, by George V – the Prince of Wales himself, who came on a visit to India. The splendid structure was designed by George Wittet, an architect. The construction work was concluded in 1914, but the structure was converted to a military hospital for the period of World War I. The full-fledged museum was inaugurated by Lady Lloyd in 1923.
There is a lot to see in the museum. The plan of the museum is simple, there is a big hall in the centre and after going upstairs there is a natural history section on the right hand side and on the left is the gallery of Tibetan and Nepali art. On the second floor is the Indian miniature painting gallery- the pride of the museum, and next to it is the gallery of decorative art. The gallery on the second floor is attractive for who love glasswork. Most of the art pieces of the glass art are donated by Sir Ratan Tata and Dorab Tata. The collection also includes artwork from other countries like Japan, China etc. It also contains two galleries of European paintings. It also houses many artefacts of Nepalese and Tibetan art, including a beautiful 12th century Maitreya with his head surrounded by a halo, slightly inclined. For the lovers of art the Prince of Wales Museum Mumbai, India is nothing less than a bonanza, and one of the best tourist places in India. The Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai exhibits a rich collection from pre-proto history. They exhibit a rare collection of objects from the Indus civilization. The collection exhibited at the museum aslo includes several rare sculptures, which were found in different parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai. A special gallery has been dedicated to miniature paintings. This gallery includes 200 miniature paintings based on the Akbar and Mewar Ramayana painted by Manohar and others in 1649. The Gallery houses the best collection of miniature paintings in India. The Museum contains a special gallery dedicated to the natural history of India. The gallery has displayed various animals, birds, and reptiles in dioramas and habitat cases that show their natural habitat. The decorative art section of the museum contains few of the finest decorative pieces created during different eras in the history of India. The Arms and Armor gallery exhibits some the finest armors and weapons designed for both offensive and defensive purposes. The ranges of weapons mainly include those used during the Moghul regime. The Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai has been renamed as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. The museum was set up in the beginning of the 20th century to honor the visit of King George V’s to India, while he was still the Prince of Wales. Built by George Wittet the museum is located in the heart of South Mumbai at a stone’s throw distance from the Gateway of India. Art, Archaeology and Natural History are three exclusive sections in the museum. It houses some of finest collections, ranging from ancient Indus Valley relics to the artifacts from the Gupta and Maurya Periods. Here, one can see a few of the rarest and earliest exhibits of Indian history. There are scores of interesting artifacts from foreign countries like Tibet and Nepal. It has one complete gallery comprising the exquisite tankha scrolls of the Buddhists. Another gallery is devoted to bronze castings and sculptures. In case intricate paintings happen to be your interest, you will be delighted to see the compilation of more than 2,000 miniature paintings from the different art schools of India. The variety of art displayed in the museum is definitely a treat for any art-lover. In concise terms, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum is an important cultural and education centre that certainly deserves a visit. The Prince of Wales Museum has also some finest collections featuring ancient Indus Valley artifacts dating back to 2000 BC and also the relics from the Gupta and Maurya Periods. It is also home to some priceless Tibetan and Nepali Art. Those interested in Buddhism would love an entire gallery that is devoted to Buddhist tankha scrolls. The museum houses another gallery on Tibetan bronzes. If intricate paintings interest you then you may marvel the collection of over 2000 miniature paintings from the various art schools of India. The Museum is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday between 10.30 am and 6 pm. The Prince of Wales Museum or Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya has an architecture exhibiting Indo-Saracenic style with an imposing white dome adding to its grandeur. As one of the best museums in India, the Prince of Wales Museum has three main sections: Art, Archaeology and Natural History. You can witness some of the rarest and ancient exhibits of Indian history and many interesting artifacts from foreign countries. The exhibit in Museum contains a rich and rare collection of far eastern historic objects. One can get to see several historical and ancient objects representing the Nepal and Tibetan history. They also have several artifacts of the Chinese and Japanese ancient civilization. The precious collection of the Prince of Wales Museum also contains rare bronze mannequins and statute many from the 12 th AD period of South India. The Museum also has a textile gallery, which has a rare wardrobe collection of different ancient collection. Prince of Wales Museum is a must see in Mumbai.

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