Art Gallery and Museum Walk

Slow Wanderings

Faculty Co-ordinator : Tamal Mitra

Kankana Choudhary

As we waited outside Jehangir Art Gallery, Tamal shared his early memories and stories about the place.

As we waited for the Jehangir Art Gallery to open, Tamal told us about his early impressions, his first visits, and the memories that connected him to the gallery. As we moved inside, we saw the ongoing exhibition about cultural and folk art. After spending some time engaging and exchanging thoughts about the exhibition, we moved forward, having an interesting conversation about the different art galleries, private and public. After a good munching break, we walked to our next spot, which was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, a museum nearby. There we spent a lot of time exploring its many sections and key exhibits, such as the only hand-painted portrait of Shivaji Maharaj and intricate miniature depictions of Aurangzeb’s court. A highlight for me was the museum’s new extension in Mumbai, offering a layered view of the city through displays on chawl housing, koliwada settlements, Bollywood costumes, the dabbawala network, and Mumbai’s vibrant food culture.

The walk was more than just a visit to two institutions; it provided us with a better understanding and relevance of these spaces through observation, reading, and, most importantly, Tamal's stories, history, and insight into how these cultural spaces help us see and understand the city and its context in new ways.