ABC Wednesday - M for Museum!

Barely a stone's throw from the Gateway of India is the CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ VASTU SANGRAHALAYA (Formerly known as: THE PRINCE OF WALES MUSEUM OF WESTERN INDIA), a magnificent structure, built in a confluence of Gothic and Moorish styles, and crowned by a sparkling white dome.
In the early years of the twentieth century, some prominent citizens of Bombay decided to set up a Museum with the help of the government to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales.
On March 1, 1907, the then government of Bombay handed over to the museum committee a spot of land known as the "Crescent Site", situated at the southern end of the present Mahatma Gandhi Road. After an open competition for the design, George Wittet was commissioned to design the Museum building in 1909.
The construction work was concluded in 1914, but the structure was converted to a military hospital for the period of World War I. The full-fledged museum was inaugurated by Lady Lloyd in 1923.
Its façade is made of yellow and blue stones, mined from the Bombay region. It has an assortment of details from different Indian styles like small spherical cupolas on towers, saracenic arches with Muslim jalis as fillers, semi-open verandahs and jharokhas (windows) of Rajputs. Its dome has been designed deliberately, so as to append variety in the skyline and make a landmark at ground level.

For fascinating representations of the letter M from around the world click Here