The story of British Bombay begins with one solitary European structure, the former Manor House of the Portuguese landlord of Bombaim, Garcia da Orta, which was quickly rechristened Bombay Castle. Seen here in the exhibition through the Dutch clergyman Phillipus Baldaeus’ view from the 1670s, the entire fort of Bombay was centered around this one structure. The...
On April 1st, 2022, the Urban Heritage Committee, along with the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, opened the Map Exhibition at the Durbar Hall for a month-long showcase of rare maps of Mumbai spanning 300 years. It was a wellattended event with Rotarians, media, donors and interested parties coming together. Prof. Vispi Balaporia, President of ASM, and...
Last year, Rotary Club of Bombay collaborated with MCGM on the Mumbai Billboard-Bus shelter project. The project was helmed by RCB’s Urban Heritage Committee and Priyasri Art Gallery. MCGM recently published a coffee table book on the same and it was released by Mayor Kishori Pednekar at her office last week. RCB’s Rtn. Priyasri Patodia...
Director-in-charge: Rtn. Jamshed Banaji Chair: Rtn. Samir Chinai Co-Chair: Rtn. Anita Patel Members: PP Sonya Mehta, Rtn. Aditya Somani, Rtn. Ashok Jatia, Rtn. Aziz Jhaveri, Rtn. Rhea Bhumgara, Rtn. Ptn. Sandra Merchant, Rtn. Ptn. Yasmin Divecha, Rtn. Ptn. Arzan Soonawalla Continuing Our Heritage Efforts We are excited that the Asiatic Society Library has acquired new equipment for the Hermes Cartographic...
BY ANDRÉ J.J. BAPTISTA (PHD) ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORY, CULTURE AND ARCHAEOLOGY THE TALK LOCATED THE HISTORY OF THE BASSEIN FORT, JUST NORTH OF MUMBAI, INTO THE LARGER NARRATIVE OF PORTUGUESE CONQUEST, RULE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE WEST COAST OF INDIA, PARTICULARLY THE NORTH KONKAN. André began with a political history of Bassein or Vasai from Bahadur Shah...
Director-in-charge: Rtn. Peter Born Chairperson: Rtn. Natasha Treasurywala Vice-Chairperson: Rtn. Anita Patel Committee members: President Preeti Mehta, PE Rtn. Framroze Mehta, PP Rtn. (Dr.) Sonya Mehta, Rtn. Aditya Somani, Rtn. Ashok Jatia, Rtn. Aziz Javeri, Rtn. Manjeet Kriplani, Rtn. Jamshed Banaji, Rtn. Rhea Bhumgara, Rtn. Ptn. Sandra Merchant, Rtn. Ptn. Arnaz Soonawalla, Rtn. Ptn. Yasmin Divecha This past year,...
AT the meeting on September 3rd, 2019, Rtn. Sheila Bulchandani’s granddaughter Samira appealed to the audience to Adopt-A-Book at the Asiatic Library. The initiative was started by our Club’s Urban Heritage Committee four years ago. Samira explained that a shortage of funds at the Asiatic resulted in the inability to restore and preserve old manuscripts and...
The Rotary Club of Bombay has been actively invested in the Asiatic Society of Mumbai through its many funding and reno vation interventions. For the first time in its 215-year-old history, a woman has been appointed as the president of the Society. The announcement of 77-year-old Vispi Balaporia’s appointment was made on Saturday after she reportedly...
Director-in-charge: Rtn. Homi Katgara Chairperson: Rtn. Natasha Treasurywala Co-Chairperson: Rtn. Anita Patel Committee Members: Rtn. Aditya Somani, PP Rtn. (Dr.) Sonya Mehta, Rtn. Ashok Jatia, Rtn. Munna Javeri, Rtn. Manjeet Kripalani, Rtn. Ptn. Sandra Merchant, Rtn. Jamshed Banaji, Rtn. Rhea Bhumgara, Rtn. Ptn. Arnaz Soonawalla, Rtn. Ptn. Yasmin Divecha, Rtn. Fali Mehta, PE Rtn. Preeti Mehta Projects Completed: Durbar Hall office...
The Urban Heritage Committee is proud to bring you Love Letters, one of the longest running plays in history, starring Shernaz Patel and Rajit Kapur at the Asiatic Library’s Durbar Hall on Friday, April 26, 2019. Donor passes are available with the Rotary office at Rs 2,000 per pass. DID YOU KNOW? Playwriter A. R. Gurney...
The Urban Heritage Committee organised a wonderful evening of music, featuring acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Richard X Bennett at the Durbar Hall of the Asiatic Library on January 18, 2019. The concert was well attended by a select audience of about 80 guests. Richard, a New York-based musician has headlined in Mumbai at the...
By Alpana Lath Sawai The institution makes itself more accessible by carefully preserving and digitising its catalogue, revamping its reading rooms and offering novel ways to engage with the public Deep in the bowels of Fort, hidden in plain sight, stands The Asiatic Society of Mumbai, one of Mumbai’s most popular selfie points. There are always...