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.
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.
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.
