Asiatic Society of Mumbai Town Hall




The Asiatic Society of Mumbai Town Hall or Town Hall Mumbai is a Neoclassical building located in the Fort locality of South Mumbai. It houses The Asiatic Society of Mumbai, State Central Library and a museum, the head office of the Directorate of Libraries Maharashtra State, Maharashtra State Women's Council, the Additional Controller of Stamps Office and a post office.

History

In 1811, the plan for construction began. Initially, the construction of the Town Hall could not be completed because of the lack of funds and only the library and museum were built after raising an amount of Rs.10,000 through a lottery, by the 'Literary Society of Bombay'. These funds were not enough for the entire construction, therefore the society had to approach the government for more funds. 10 years later, in 1833, the construction of the Town Hall was finally complete.

Architecture

The building was designed by Colonel Thomas Cowper of the Bombay Engineers. The construction of the town hall building was completed in the year 1833. The architectural style of the building is Neoclassical Architecture that came into existence in the 18th Century.

Structure

The structure has a height of 100 feet and a span of 200 feet. It was inspired by Greek and Roman styles of architecture. There is a flight of 30 steps leading to the entrance of the Town Hall. The entrance of the building is adorned with a Grecian portico and 8 impressive Doric styled pillars. The entire construction was made of stones brought from England and was beautifully designed in a Neo-classical fashion. Within the building, the floors are covered in ancient wood, the staircases are spiral and the terraces are adorned with beautiful wrought iron. The hall boasts of a collection of remarkable marble statues of Indian patrons of the 19th century.
There is also a flagpole on the building on which the Indian National Flag is hoisted on the 15th of August and 26th of January, every year.

Significance

The Asiatic Society of Mumbai Town Hall is a classified heritage structure. Sir John Malcolm, Governor of Mumbai in 1930 said, "It is the most magnificent structure that taste and munificence combined have as yet erected in India".
There are many ancient manuscripts in Persian, Prakrit, Urdu and Sanskrit along with other treasures safely preserved in the hall. Dante's first issue of Inferno is one of the most precious treasures at the Town Hall.
This grand structure is
f is along the Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg in the prime business district ofprecinctt area of South Mumbai overlooking the Horniman Circle Gardens and the Reserve Bank of India.