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Chhatrapati
Shivaji
Maharaj
Vastu
Sangrahalaya
is
the
main
museum
in
Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
It
was
founded
in
the
early
years
of
the
20th
century
by
prominent
citizens
of
Mumbai,
with
the
help
of
the
government,
to
commemorate
the
visit
of
George
V,
who
was
Prince
of
Wales
at
the
time.
It
is
located
in
the
heart
of
South
Mumbai
near
the
Gateway
of
India.
The
museum
was
renamed
in
1998
after
Shivaji,
the
founder
of
Maratha
Empire.
The
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.
The
museum
houses
Indus
Valley
Civilization
artefacts,
and
other
relics
from
ancient
India
from
the
time
of
the
Guptas,
Mauryas,
Chalukyas
and
Rashtrakuta.
HISTORY
In
1904,
some
leading
citizens
of
Bombay
decided
to
provide
a
museum
to
commemorate
the
visit
of
the
Prince
of
Wales,
the
future
King
George
V.
On
14
August
1905,
the
committee
passed
a
resolution
saying:
"The
museum
building
embodies
the
pomp
and
height
at
which
the
British
raj
was
moving
ahead
with
their
ambitious
plans,
in
building
the
great
metropolis
Bombay".
"In
keeping
pace
with
the
best
style
of
local
architecture,
many
buildings
were
built,
among
which,
Bombay
High
Court
building,
and
later,
Gateway
of
India
buildings
were
the
most
notable
ones".
The
foundation
stone
was
laid
by
the
Prince
of
Wales
on
11
November
1905
and
the
museum
was
formally
named
"Prince
of
Wales
Museum
of
Western
India".[1]
On
1
March
1907,
the
government
of
the
Bombay
Presidency
granted
the
museum
committee
a
piece
of
land
called
the
"Crescent
Site",
where
the
museum
now
stands.
Following
an
open
design
competition,
in
1909
the
architect
George
Wittet
was
commissioned
to
design
the
Museum
building.
Wittet
had
already
worked
on
the
design
of
the
General
Post
Office
and
in
1911
would
design
one
of
Mumbai's
most
famous
landmarks,
the
Gateway
of
India.[5]
The
museum
was
funded
by
the
Royal
Visit
(1905)
Memorial
Funds.
Additionally,
the
Government
and
the
Municipality
granted
Rs.
300,000
and
Rs.
250,000
respectively.
Sir
Currimbhoy
Ibrahim
(first
Baronet)
donated
another
Rs.
300,000
and
Sir
Cowasji
Jehangir
gave
Rs.
50,000.
The
Museum
was
established
under
Bombay
Act
No.
III
of
1909.
The
museum
is
now
maintained
by
annual
grants
from
the
Government
and
the
Bombay
Municipal
Corporation.
The
latter
pays
for
these
grants
from
the
interest
accruing
on
the
funds
at
the
disposal
of
the
Trust
of
the
Museum.
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