Travel

Asiatic Society of Mumbai – The 1804 Established Iconic Town Hall

- By Anamika Mishra

Tracing its origin to the literary society of Bombay, Asiatic Society of Mumbai was founded by Sir James Mackintosh in 1804 though the construction of this town hall was completed in 1933. This iconic library stands tall in the fort area of Mumbai.

We have seen this building in so many Hindi movies and advertisements. This beautiful building went under restoration and renovation. It is now open for publish to visit, although photography is not allowed inside. But yes, you can always visit the library.

Asiatic Society of Mumbai – The 1804 Established Iconic Town Hall

The aim to establish this society was to promote useful knowledge, especially related to Asia and to conserve literature, culture and oriental arts.

Mumbai has a lot of beautiful colonial buildings especially in the fort and Colaba zone.

Currently, this beautiful building is a house of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, the State Central Library and a Museum, Head Office of Directorate of Libraries Maharashtra State, Maharashtra State Women’s Council, Additional Controller of Stamps Office, and a Post Office.

What I really love about this beautiful building is that it looks straight out of an old classical English novel. Not just the exterior but also interior, it looks surreal. The high-rise chandeliers, the gold-motifs on the roof, the white marble statue of the founder, traditional wooden book shelves and wood table-chair set with lamps on it, this place is a paradise for books, history and architecture lovers.

Being an author and a reader, I just love books and libraries. In every city I go, if there is an old library, I try to visit it the library.

I found this photo on wikipedia and couldn’t resist sharing this here. It just added up the beautiful of this post. What say?

So, if you too love visiting old buildings and libraries that I highly recommend you to visit this one!

FAQ

Timings to visit Asiatic Society Library: Monday to Saturday – 10:30 am to 6:30 pm / Sunday closed

Membership:

1500 per person for Resident membership (Annual)
15,000 per person for Resident membership (Lifetime)
60 per person for Reader member
500 per person for Annual subscription
Person who donates Rs.1,50,000/- can become a Patron Life Member and one who donates Rs.5,00,000/- can become Donor Life Member if they opt for it.

Entry fee: There is no entry fee to visit the library, photography/videography not allowed