National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, INTACH Greater Mumbai Chapter, and
Avid Learning present ‘Motifs, Materials, and Makers of Indo-Gothic
Architecture.’
In the second half of the 19th century, Bombay
boldly positioned itself as Urbs Prima in Indis—the First City of India.
The Victorian Gothic architectural expression evolved into a distinctly
localized style now known as Bombay Gothic. In 2018, this extraordinary
ensemble of Victorian Gothic was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
affirming Mumbai’s place on the global cultural map.
From the soaring Rajabai Clock Tower to the
monumental Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the stately Bombay High
Court, these landmarks speak a unique architectural language shaped by the
local climate, materials, and sensibilities. This thought-provoking
conversation brings together historians, conservationists, designers, and
creative practitioners who will explore pertinent questions such as: Who were
the key players behind this architectural moment? What does this Indo-Gothic
vocabulary reveal about the aspirations of Bombay’s public life? And how might
this heritage help us rethink ideas of modernity and identity today?
Join us as we journey through stone and story to
rediscover the layered legacies that continue to define Mumbai’s urban
imagination.
Kamalika Bose is the founder of Heritage Synergies India, a Mumbai-based practice — specialising in built and cultural heritage conservation, museum design and curation. She has worked on community-oriented urban conservation, restoration and adaptive reuse in historic cities. As an urban historian, she has published extensively, lectured and conducted educational workshops on historic architectural styles that shape our cities, A Fulbright Scholar with a Master’s in Historic Preservation Planning from Cornell University, she has represented India at distinguished cultural forums, taught at leading institutions and authored five books. Kamalika was Assistant Professor at CEPT University, Ahmedabad from 2008-15. She is a recipient of the Society of Architectural Historians & Getty International Fellowship (2016), the European Union’s Global Cultural Leadership Programme (2018) and the French Ministry of Culture’s international training program Séjour Culture (2018). Kamalika is an expert member of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Shared Built Heritage and a visiting faculty at Jnanapravaha. Kamalika is also a Curatorial & Design Consultant, for museum and cultural heritage projects, and a member of the Museum Society of Mumbai and Maritime Mumbai Museum Society.
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Adil Dholakia, is a conservation architect and researcher who specializes in community engagement via heritage management, conservation, and development activities within rural and urban precincts. The practices’ research and NGO arm attempts to investigate the inherent linkages between the heritage environment and the intangible attributes to socio-cultural-economic-ecological frameworks. He holds a double master's degree in urban design, heritage conservation and restoration from Brandenburg Technical University in Germany and Alexandria University in Egypt. With operations spanning across India, Germany & Egypt, fostering a cross-cultural exchanges of expertise, resources, and technology. This collaboration enables innovative approaches to heritage conservation, cultural preservation, and civic architecture.
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Dr Manjiri Kamat is Professor at the Department of History, University of Mumbai and was formerly Associate Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Head, Department of History, University of Mumbai. She holds M.Phil and Ph.D degrees in History from the University of Cambridge. Her most recent publication is Bombay Before Mumbai: Essays in Honour of Jim Masselos, co-edited with Prashant Kidambi and Rachel Dwyer. She has edited Mumbai Past and Present: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges. Dr Kamat is Member of the Board of Trustees of the CSMVS Museum, Ambassador for the Association of Commonwealth Universities at University of Mumbai, Member of the General Commitee at the Cambridge Society, Bombay and Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
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Sanaeya is a conservation architect, academician, and researcher specializing in architectural conservation, urban design, and heritage management. She holds an MA in Conservation Studies from the University of York, UK, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Mumbai. With over 19 years of experience in India and the UK, she has worked on prestigious projects, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Ajanta Caves, Mahabodhi Temple, and the Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai, and most recently the CSMT (Victoria Terminus). Currently an Assistant Professor and Programme Coordinator at KRVIA for the master's programme in Urban Design and Urban Conservation, India, she plays a key role in curriculum development, research integration, and conservation studies. Her research focuses on urban heritage conservation, sustainability, and energy efficiency in historic buildings, with publications on topics like policy-practice gaps, the role of historic buildings in the circular economy, and heritage resilience. She actively presents at international conferences and contributes to academic discourse through journals and editorial roles. Through active engagement in both fields, she bridges academia and practice, advocating the preservation of cultural heritage through policy, education, and architectural interventions.
Read moreBuilding of the Urbs Prima
Urbs Prima in Indis translates to the first city of India. It is engraved on the winged statue located on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building. The city underwent a major transformation from the 1850s to the 1920s during the surge in the cotton, opium, and spice trade, a significant phase of construction in Bombay, driven by both British colonial interests and the generosity of wealthy Indian residents of the city. Multiple spectacular public and government buildings were built in the Bombay-Gothic style of architecture in the Southern end of Mumbai. In 1857, the construction of the Bombay High Court, the Bombay University began, and the JJ School of Art was founded in the same year. The Victoria Terminus building, completed in 1887, the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market, completed in 1869, the David Sassoon Library, the Rajabai Clock Tower and the Elphinstone College are also built in this Indo Gothic style.
Makers Of Mumbai’s Prestigious Buildings
The metamorphosis of Bombay as the first megacity of India during the 19th century was crucial for the aspirations of the British, merchants, traders and migrants of the city. Consequently, institutions such as Elphinstone College, the Bombay University and establishments like the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market received funding from prominent figures like Sir Cowasji Jehangir, who played a crucial role in advancing education in the city. Similarly, the JJ School of Art was established with contributions from Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy, reflecting a growing commitment among Indian elites to support cultural and educational development. Similarly, donations for the Rajabai Clock Tower were made by Premchand Roychand, popularly known as the Cotton King in Mumbai. This spirit of philanthropy not only contributed to the establishment of educational institutions but also led to the creation of many iconic structures throughout South Mumbai. Government buildings, galleries, institutions, fountains, and clock towers that grace this area today stand as testaments to the vision and generosity of Mumbai's influential families during this transformative period. These contributions have left an indelible mark on the city's architectural landscape, blending colonial aspirations with local pride and identity.
Major contributions to the Indo-Gothic style of architecture included the designs by F W Stevens of the Victoria Terminus building, now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the present-day Western Railway headquarters of the Bombay Municipal Corporation and the Bombay High Court, and George Gilbert Scott's architectural designs for the Rajabai Clock Tower and the Bombay University.
Motifs and Materials of the Bombay Buildings
The architecture of the Indo-Gothic heritage buildings, positioned in the Southern end of Mumbai, used a wide range of materials, which are a mix of locally sourced and imported materials, including the Kurla stone seen in the major parts of the Rajabai Clock tower, the yellow malad stone used in the Victoria Terminus Building, the David Sassoon Library, the BMC headquarter building along with use grey basalt, red sandstone from Vasai, soft white Porbundar stone, and Burma teakwood at multiple places. The unique motifs and design elements including the flora and fauna carvings on stone, the tapering conical and pyramid-shaped structures at the top of the building called the spires, stained glass windows with multiple foils, the domes, the lattices, the strange yet quaint gargoyles and some buildings with distinctive elements like sculptures of human figures inspired by the communities of Bombay all add to the distinct identity of these buildings of Bombay.
