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| Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya |
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“Mani Bhavan in Mumbai will ever remain a precious memory to all those who visited it on many on occasion when Gandhiji used to stay there. I am glad therefore that it is being converted into a Gandhi memorial.” – Jawaharlal Nehru |
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| December 28, 1931, a frustrated Gandhi returned to Mumbai after attending a Round Table Conference with the British in London. Having discussed the discouraging situation with the Congress Working Committee, he decided to launch the Civil Disobedience Movement for Swaraj or self-rule. The time was midnight and it was the last day of year 1931. Early morning of January 4, 1932, Gandhiji was in his tent on the terrace of Mani Bhavan when he was arrested and jailed… |
| Mani Bhavan has witnessed plenty of history in the making. It was the place from where Gandhiji launched Satyagraha (the policy of non-violent resistance) against the Rowlatt Act in 1919, and the place he undertook a historic fast in 1921 to restore peace in Mumbai after disturbances broke out in wake of the Prince of Wales’ visit. In 1930, it was from Mani Bhavan that he gave a call to the country to observe January 26 as Independence Day and to solemnly pledge to win Independence through self-sacrifice and self-suffering. |
| Mani Bhavan was also the place where Gandhiji learnt spinning and carding from a carder who passed by everyday. On Kasturba’s suggestion, it was here he first took goat’s milk for his deteriorating health… Mani Bhavan was where Gandhiji lived, exchanged news and views with his colleagues, inspired his followers and won over the nation to his cherished ideals of Non-Violence and Truth. In its sparely unadorned rooms, in his everyday belongings preserved here, it seems as if you can invoke the spirit of Gandhiji even today… |
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| Monetary Museum |
| Set up by the country’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, in 2004 |
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The story of money comes alive in the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Museum, first of its kind in the country. Here, you can see how money has changed in shape. Size and material over the ages, from the early barter system to coins, to present-day bank notes and e-money. |
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| India was one of the earliest issuers of coins in the world. From the ancient punch-marked coins dating to the 6th century BC through the Medieval Period, the Prince States and Regional Powers, the Indo-European companies and British India Coinage, to the commemorative coins of the Indian democratic republic-these coins not only served as the medium of exchange, but also tell the story of the rise and fall of empires. The journey from coins to paper money reveals how society began to accept symbolic tokens of money instead of metallic coins. Paper money was first issued in the late 18th century. The Museum display begins with early 19th century notes issued by private banks and three Presidency Banks of Bengal, Mumbai and Chennai (which were later merged to form the Imperial Bank, now known as the State Bank of India). Again, the changing paper money including graphic symbols of national sovereignty and the country’s economic and social development tells the story of the evolving Indian Republic. |
| A section on ‘RBI and You’ offers a glimpse of the function of the central bank of the country, its role in the economy, and how it touches the day-to-day life of the common man. And if you’ve wondered about the personalities behind the signatures on the notes you handle daily, here’s where you can get to know more about them! |
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| Ballad Bunder Gatehouse Navy Museum |
| How Mumbai grew around the harbour… |
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The Naval authorities have dedicated the Ballard Bunder Gatehouse Navy Museum to the city of Mumbai – it depicts tales of how its citizens contributed to the evolution of the city. The story of how Mumbai grew around its harbour is presented through a display of rare archival |
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| pictures and accompanying narrative. The role of the Indian Navy is also aptly manifest in the display. |
| The Gatehouse was built in 1920 as a commemorative portal to the altered alignment of the harbour upon creation of the erstwhile Ballard Pier as envisaged in the planned development of Ballard Estate. George Wittet, Chief Architect of the Bombay Port Trust, visualized Ballard Estate in Neo-Classical style, similar to contemporary business districts in Europe. The Gatehouse befits the architectural style of Ballard Estate and shares its design and detail with the contemporary triple gatehouse of the Green Gate opening onto the eastern waterfront. |
| Over the years, the Ballard Bunder Gatehouse fell into disuse and, subsequent to its inclusion in the Naval Dockyard, lay virtually obscured behind the high security wall. In 2002, it was adapted as an internal department office. But, appreciating the importance of this structure in the Ballard Estate Precinct, the Naval Dockyard authority restored the Gatehouse in mid-2004, and converted it into a museum for public viewing. |
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