mid-day Opinion: The more the merrier

The dioramas at Mani Bhavan offer a realistic time capsule of key milestones in Mahatma Gandhi’s life. PIC/SHADAB KHAN

May 18 was International Museum Day. Leading museums in the city showcased a packed day of programming, inviting children and grown-ups to drop by to celebrate the day with fun interactions and activities. Dare we say, but it was more or less on predictable lines where they do their best to engage and educate Mumbaikars about the treasures that exist within the city. A curated feature in The Guide section of mid-day (edition dated May 18, 2026) also reminded [I hope!] readers of the city's lesser-known museums - from the Monetary Museum at the Reserve Bank of India in Fort, to the taxidermy section tucked in the green environs of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, to the recently-opened FD Alpaiwalla Museum in Khareghat Colony, the world's only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to the Parsis and Iranian Zoroastrians. In fact, it was during our visit to the Alpaiwalla Museum, when it reopened in March 2025 that stakeholders had voiced their keenness to create a planned trail, where visitors - especially schoolchildren - could visit this museum and then head to Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya nearby, for a doubly immersive experience. We thought the idea was a masterstroke.

The now-shut Ballard Bunder Gatehouse Museum was a treasure trove of Mumbai's maritime history. PIC/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

In a pleasant coincidence, or call it timing, a month later, we found ourselves at Mani Bhavan, to view the preservation of tableaux that highlight key chapters of Mahatma Gandhi's life, which were on display since 1971. The originals were painstakingly created by Sushila Gokhale-Patel and were restored by conservator Anupam Sah and his team to give the papier-mâché-plaster human mini figures and the wooden boxes a fresh lease of life. The end result was a sensitively revived gallery, and more crowds that we noticed during our time there. When we last checked, the dual museum trail seemed to have got a positive response.

Two thoughts emerged: Why are collaborations between city museums far and few? Why doesn't a diverse, cosmopolitan city like ours have more themed museums?

For the first idea, we presume, it would be a win-win for either side. For starters, such collaborations could lead to stronger knowledge partnerships among archival and preservation teams. This holds true for museums and exhibition spaces dedicated to specific ideas, and that's why the idea of a combined trail to Mani Bhavan and Alpaiwalla Museum fits like a glove.

How wonderful it would be, for example, if the Central Railway Museum collaborated with the Western Railway Heritage Gallery to create a two-halt trail to showcase both their railway histories? Mumbai is flushed with souvenirs and memorabilia when it comes to these two railway lines, so the possibilities are immense.

We can envision a similar scenario with tie-ups between the Bombay Natural History Society and the Taxidermy Centre and Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The mind goes into a tizzy imagining the fantastical world that can be brought to life [excuse the pun] for the public to savour, if these two powerhouses of natural history come together.

Memories returned of the now-shut Ballard Bunder Gatehouse Museum at Ballard Estate. This gem was a commendable effort to celebrate early Bombay's maritime history with replicas of its earliest dhows to its iconic steamships. For a city that organically grew by the sea, it's a no-brainer. The good news is that efforts are underway to finally give the city a maritime museum.

This brings us to our second point - about themed galleries and exhibition spaces. On another positive note, the Pathare Prabhus can now boast of a gallery showcasing the community at Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya. The Bhau Daji Lad Museum also has a vast collection of miniature clay models, dioramas, maps, lithographs, rare photographs and books about the people of Mumbai from the late 18th to early 20th centuries. While we continue to loosely carry the tag of ‘melting pot of cultures,' it's an opportune time to create tiny repositories of ‘discoverability', to take pride in our own people and their cultures.

Museums have a huge role to play in creating awareness. And only when such avenues are created, will it be possible for Mumbaikars to be aware of their unique multiculturalist identity.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana
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The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.