'Free open-air museum': Heritage expert highlights Mumbai's architectural attractions

Buildings in Mumbai reveal varied facets of history leading to its transformation into India’s financial capital, expert adds

Mumbai is a free open-air museum and a look at the buildings reveals varied facets of history leading to its transformation into India’s financial capital, says heritage expert Ramachandran Venkatesh.

Whether it is the Fort precinct or structures of the Victorian Neo-Gothic architectural style, Indo-Saracenic Revival, or Neoclassical styles – it is a great visual treat.

In fact, a walk from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the headquarters of Central Railway to the Western Railway headquarters at Churchgate, is a visual treat.

“The hurried, often harried resident of the city, traversing through the Fort area and thereabouts, seldom finds the luxury of time away from necessary engagements of business and everyday commitments to appreciate the veritable open-air museum that the area was made out to be, over a period of hundred years ranging from the mid-19th century to mid-20th century,” said Venkatesh, an avid photographer, researcher, traveller and storyteller.

Venkatesh, who is associated with Mumbai Research Centre (MRC) of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, is holding various events and 'Jashn-e-Dastaan-e-Mumbai', during which he will be conducting 'Heritage Quiz' and 'Look Up Mumbai' virtual walk.

According to him, the city as it evolved into its Neo-Gothic imperial grandeur representative of the Urbs Prima in Indis (the first/foremost city of India), and later to its more democratic, private architecture, inspired by global developments of Art Deco, provides us with a wide array of architectural attractions that support an extraordinary exhibition of sculptural embellishments.

“These embellishments range from thematic, symbolic iconography to representations of key public figures, both Indian and British, that jointly created the city’s economic fabric, that made it a magnet for myriad commercial endeavours, supported by multiple communities of entrepreneurs, professionals, labourers, all intermeshed internally and externally networked across the oceans with multiple nations in diverse initiatives,” he said.

This photographic walk focusses upon the sculptures on both public and private buildings, explaining their architecture, socio-economic and political context, hinging upon modern Mumbai’s evolution, catapulted to international destiny by both serendipity as well as intentional and industrious efforts of its populace involved in trading, banking, shipping, mills and civic governance.

Some of the building tops that would be covered in the virtual tour are Crawford Market, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, CSMT, Churchgate, Bombay High Court, University of Mumbai, Regal Cinema, Institute of Science, Wellington Fountain, Elphinstone College, Sassoon Library, New India Assurance, Marshall Building, Port House, MacKinnon Mackenzie, Construction House, Kamani Chambers, Mulji Fountain, Laxmi Building, Western Building, Onlooker Building and Canada Building.

The quiz is brought together by Venkatesh and Raamesh GR and Pravin Subramanian, who while specialising in their own areas of expertise, have come together to deliver a unique, multi-dimensional content in the quiz, that focusses on the tangible, intangible and natural heritage of Mumbai metropolitan region.