How the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum preserves Mumbai's past while engaging its present
While Mumbai has been a constantly changing landscape, growing into a metropolis that has become almost unrecognisable, one institution has managed to preserve and capture the city’s essence — the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Established in 1857, the city’s oldest museum serves as a guardian of Mumbai’s cultural legacy. Its rich collection includes 19th-century decorative arts, miniature clay figurines that depict the vast diversity of people across Mumbai and India — from professions and deities to regional identities, communities, and costumes, among much more.
Tasneem Mehta, managing trustee and director, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum“The collection includes rare textiles, maps, photographs, dioramas of Mumbai's development, and rare books that together trace the city’s evolution. But the museum is much more than a repository of the past. It is a vital public institution in a city where accessible public spaces are increasingly rare. Situated in Rani Baug, surrounded by lush greenery, it offers Mumbaikars a place for leisure, reflection, and community-building. A place where families can spend their weekends and visitors can engage with the city’s history at their own pace,” shares Tasneem Mehta, managing trustee and director, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum.
The museum has pioneered the promotion of contemporary art and design, showcased within its remarkable heritage building, in the premises of Rani Baug. Its exhibits seek to rethink outdated ideas and challenge precepts rooted in colonial and European traditions.
“At the museum we encourage visitors to bring a curious approach when engaging with the objects and their histories. Through innovative workshops, storytelling sessions, film screenings and performances we try to turn information into experiences that spark interest and joy. We aim for the museum to become a lively, welcoming place where new audiences eventually turn into our long term friends,” adds Mehta.
"The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad museum in Byculla, was a neglected jewel in the heart of our city. Tasneem Mehta lovingly and painstakingly restored this jewel to its original beauty and glory. Today, it is the pride of Mumbai—a magnificent example of what inspired leadership and corporate partnerships can do for a city's heritage and legacy," Shobhaa De, writer and social commentator.