Must Visit Museums In Mumbai To Learn About Its Cultural Heritage

Connect Mumbai's past with its dynamic present with these architectural gems and a rich collection of decorative arts in these museums.

Published On Nov 30, 2023 | Updated On Mar 07, 2024

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Mumbai, the financial capital of India has so much importance not just to our nation but to the world. How it has come to this status is a complicated mix of our history, geography, contributions by many individuals and many more important factors. If you are planning to visit this marvellous city here are some famous museums in Mumbai to visit to learn about its rich heritage.

Famous museums in Mumbai which are a must visit

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Founded by the Ministry of Culture, the National Gallery of Modern Art Mumbai(NGMA) opened its gates to the public for the first time on December 9th in the year 1996.
The museum in Mumbai showcases the works of many renowned Indian artists providing a captivating journey to its visitors through its diverse collection of paintings, sculptures and installations. The commitment that this establishment has given towards promoting artistic expression and creativity has truly made a statement in the field of Art & Culture. Paying a visit and experiencing it first hand will be a treat for enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.

Brought to life by Mr.Sunil Kandalloor in 2016, Mumbai’s Red Carpet Wax Museum is a glaring homage to a number of iconic personalities from Bollywood. Bringing the concept of lifelike wax replicas of famous celebrities to India, this museum in Mumbai has become a frequent destination among tourists and other visitors of the city. Making it one of the most visited museums in the world in no time. Each figure has been sculpted and formed with extreme precision giving visitors a chance to be as close to being in presence of their favourite stars. If you are a big Bollywood fan and appreciate a unique art form, this place has to be on your list to visit once in a lifetime!

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Visiting the State of Maharashtra and not learning about the rich history of Chhatrapati Shivaji is like having a burger without a patty, pointless! This 100 year old establishment setup specifically to highlight incidences from Shivaji Maharaj’s life takes all of the visitors through a course of history that includes valour, bravery and countless battle stories of how to this date no other emperor or leader has ever come close to the brilliance that was Maharaj Chhatrapati Shivaji. Portraying artefacts and a remarkable collection of spanning art placed in a building built with Indo-Saracenic architecture, this museum in mumbai deserves a visit.

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Ramachandra Vitthal Lad also known as Dr. Bhau Daji Lad was a visionary physician, Sanskrit scholar and an antiquarian. He significantly shaped the fields of Ayurveda and integrative medicine over his extensive career. This 150 year old institution earlier known as the Wales Museum has been dedicated to show the hardships and challenges he faced during his academia days as well as during his practice and research. The committee takes pride in the lavish display of archaeological finds that Dr. Bhau Daji discovered as well as an impressive collection of artefacts and paintings from the royal era. To the right eye, a visit will not disappoint.

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For all the curious minds out there, Nehru Science Centre Mumbai has some tricks up its sleeves which can be explained if you are willing to learn with an open mind. Be ready to be in awe though as the state-of-the-art planetarium paired with interactive exhibits, workshops and demonstrations will surely change the image of ‘museum’ from boring to exciting in a blink of an eye. With the amount of advancements present in this Mumbai museum, don’t let the fact slide that it was built in 1985. It has been fostering the spirit of inquiry and discovery for the last 38 years and will keep educating its visitors for many upcoming years too. Do visit to learn and have fun at the same time.  

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It's not possible to learn about the time when India struggled to gain Independence without knowing the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Without his sacrifices and contributions, Indian revolt against the British would have never taken the pace that it did. So in 1955, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, a trust in his memory, established this institute to honour the sacrifices and contributions he made in his lifetime. Also, to educate and make people aware about this great leader’s background and formative years. This museum in Mumbai is built in the same building that used to be Mahatma Gandhi’s residence. All of the possessions kept there have been preserved and displayed as a part of the museum’s collection. A visit here can be a leap for students of History and Polity as it has details of all the movements and marches that he led from the front. 
 


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