Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reopens Bhau Daji Lad Museum after four years

The wealth of a city is judged not by the number of impressive buildings or the rich people who inhabit it it is judged by the existence and flourishing of cultural institutions like museums And museums like the Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum make ours greatrdquo With this reassuring statement the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis reopened the Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum BDL after nearly four years of being shut due to extensive repair and maintenance work as well as the pandemicThe Dr Bhau Daji City Museum is located in the Veermata Jijamata Udyan complex which also houses the Byculla zooArriving on the dot of 11 am on Wednesday the chief ministerrsquos inspiring speech lit up a wellattended function outdoors on the east side of the museum It was layered with references to Indiarsquos rich cultural history and heritage and the need to celebrate it through such institutions He reminded the audience of how the Indian subcontinent was blessed with historic sites like Mohenjodaro and Rakhigarhi adding that if one were to explore deeper countless sites would be found across its length and breadth making it much more important to support such institutions and their role in preserving our rare treasures and artefacts Fadnavis also hailed Dr Bhau Daji Ladrsquos role in the cultural and societal renaissance of the city explaining why the museum is named after this visionaryCM Devendra Fadnavis announcing the reopening of the BDL museum in BycullaUshering in proceedings at the cityrsquos oldest museum Bhushan Gagrani IAS municipal commissioner of Mumbai cited an interesting anecdote recalling a visit from 2017 with the chief minister to the prestigious State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg Russia ldquoOur CM had wished that we too have similar museums with priceless exhibits Now with the reopening of Dr Bhau Daji Lad City Museum we can realise such visionsrdquo With R3 crore of support from the BMC for the successful completion of this project the important landmark is now open to the public to experience and enjoy thanks to the personal attention from GagraniHonourable guests included Mangal Prabhat Lodha minister of skill development and entrepreneurship Government of Maharashtra Milind Deora member of Rajya Sabha Rajhans Singh MLC Amit Saini AMC Eastern Suburbs Ashwini Joshi AMC City and Tasneem Mehta managing trustee and honorary director BDL Previously the guests were given a walkthrough of the newly restored space by conservation architect Vikas Dilawari who had overseen the project with his team and associates Also in attendance were representatives of the cityrsquos art and cultural community including Sabyasachi Mukherjee director general CSMVS Brinda Miller honorary chairperson Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and artist Bachi Karkaria senior journalist Rajan Jayakar collector philanthropist and advocate and JeanMarc SeacutereacuteCharlet Consul General of FranceVikas Dilawari and Tasneem MehtaSpeaking about the reopening Mehta shared ldquoWe are keen to populate the itinerary with immersive exhibitions that will encourage Mumbaikars and tourists alike to visit the museum and thus encourage a greater appreciation of the arts The reopening is a great gift for the cityrdquo Dilawari added ldquoThis project was possible thanks to the tireless efforts of all involved Itrsquos a milestone in the illustrious history of a treasured city iconrdquo The museum will be open to the public starting today Check bdlmuseum for timings and upcoming eventsBhushan Gagrani BMC chiefDid you knowThe museum established in 1872 is the third oldest in India Indian Museum Kolkata 1814 and the Government Museum of Chennai 1851 popularly known as the Madras Museum are the oldest and second oldest respectivelyDr Bhau Daji LadThe museum was renamed after Dr Ramachandra Vitthal Lad In November 1975 Dr Lad was an Indian physician Sanskrit scholar and an antiquarian He served as the sheriff of Bombay for two terms from 1869 to 1871 For his contribution in the making of modern Mumbai a road and a museum are named after him