Town Hall (Asiatic Society Library)

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Sight Address : Town Hall (Asiatic Society Library),Fort Area, South Mumbai, 400001.Edit

Detail InformationEdit

The Town Hall-Asiatic Library is a popular architecture of Mumbai. It is the oldest library in Mumbai. Located near the Horniman Circle Town Hall, it is a huge and magnificent building in white texture. With its old parquet floors, spiral staircases, wrought iron loggias, and exquisite marble statues of forgotten city fathers, the colonnaded Town Hall is perhaps the most regal and elegant of Mumbai’s heritage buildings. Further the importance of the library not just lies in the number the library accommodates but also for the rich content one can get to read. The Town Hall Library is a grand stay, and honour for the Asiatic Society. The collection at the Town Hall Asiatic Society has been gradually being replenished by donations from members, starting 25 March 1784, when Henri Richardson gifted the Society, seven Persian manuscripts. It houses a library with a collection of 800,000 antique volumes. One of them is a priceless first edition copy of Dante’s “Inferno”. There is also an impressive numismatic collection of over 1,000 ancient coins and a rare gold mohur belonging to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. One needs permission to look at these treasures, but the public library is open to all and usually draws a large number of senior citizens who pore over the local newspapers in the fading grandeur of its reading room.

Town Hall (Asiatic Society Library)

HistoryEdit

The library of the Society has over a hundred thousand books out of which 15,000 are classified as rare and valuable. It also has priceless artifacts and over 3,000 ancient manuscripts in Persian, Sanskrit and Prakrit, mostly on paper but some on palm leaf. The numismatic collection of 11,829 coins includes a gold coin of Kumaragupta I, a rare gold mohur of Akbar and coins issued by Shivaji. Its map collection comprises 1300 maps.
The collection of the Society include:
One of only two known original copies of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
The manuscript of Vasupujyacharita (1242), a Sanskrit text on the life of the Jain Tirthankara Vasupujya.
The manscript of Shahnama of Firdausi (1853), written in Persian.
The Aranyakaparvan (16th century) manuscript contains illustrated text from the Mahabharat and is written in Sanskrit.
Five Buddhist caskets excavated in the ancient port town of Sopara near the suburb of Nala Sopara.

Must SeeEdit

Attraction.

Visiting TimeEdit

10:30am- 5:30pm (Monday to Saturday).

Closed OnEdit

Sunday.

Best Season to VisitEdit

October to March.

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning , Afternoon , Evening.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

N.A.

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.

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Guide Required : No Edit

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Dress Code (If Any) : No Edit

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Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Metered taxis are a useful mode of transport in Mumbai. Since they are metered, they are economical and also relatively comfortable. However night fares are more expensive and charts for calculating fares are available online. It might be sensible to use one particular taxi throughout the stay, as most taxi drivers have mobile phones they can be contacted easily. While the regular tariff is Rs 14 per km, the night charges is around Rs 18 per km. Private taxi services are also available and they ply according to the government rates. Some of the main operators are – Meru Taxis- Contact No (+91 2240520100), Mumbai taxi- Contact No (+91 2244224422), International airport cabs Contact No (+91 228366767), Domestic airport cabs-Contact No (+91 226152257), Classic taxi service- Contact No (+91 93711067115).

Bus : BEST bus services are second most extensive intra city transport system. Mumbai has an excellent road transportation system. State owned buses connect Mumbai to all neighbouring points. Many Deluxe and Super Deluxe buses are available to travel in and out of the city. Bus fare is about Rs 3 to 4 per kilometer.

Train : Mumbai is the headquarters of Indian railway system. Chhatrapati Shivaji Railway Station is the major one which connects all most parts of Indian cities to Mumbai. Other railway stations in Mumbai are Dadar and Kurla, and Churchgate. Suburban railway is the backbone of the transport system. Three main railway lines connect most of the city. Trains are always on time and economical, however they might be crowded in peak hours. The basic fare may range from 5 INR to 100 INR. The trains run from 4 am to 1pm, and there are trains arriving at the station every five minutes. It is also advisable to take care of valuables even in the first class section. Rush hour constitutes office timings from 8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 7pm. The travel er should avoid the rush hour. Women travellers can make use of the separate women compartments and they might be less crowded than the general compartments.

Air : Mumbai has its own domestic and international airport, known as Chatrapati Shivaji international airport , Located 30 km from centre of the city, Nariman Point and 4 km from the domestic terminal of Santa Cruz, this airport operates 24X7. Almost all airlines provide services to Mumbai. Mumbai is well connected to all major cities in India and also connected to many cities abroad including Singapore, New York, Bangok, Hong Kong and to many gulf cities. Taxi and Autorickshws is easily available from airport to City. Inquiry number for domestic airport – 26264145/26264000. Airlines no. GoAir- Tel.No:55420082, Jet Airways- Tel.No:22823275, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd- Tel.No:56499393 Ph No: 011-3295126. Air India -Ph: 91 22 2279 6666, Air Sahara- Ph No: (022) 22836000, (022) 56981111.

Others : Auto richshaws: The auto rickshaws of Mumbai are the most common means of transport and are cheap also. they charge Rs 9 for the first 1.6 km and Rs 5 for km covered afterwards. The night charge is 25% more of the total charge. However, one needs to be careful as these auto rickshaws use longer routes in order to increase their fare amount.

Things to CarryEdit

It is advisable to take lots of drinkable water with you from Mumbai itself. And also camera.

Safety / WarningEdit

All Travellers should be absolutely careful about their handbags and mobile phones.
For women, where available, use women’s only areas/compartments on public transportation. Never ride in the general men’s compartment.
If not taking a prepaid taxi or a metered taxi/rickshaw, negotiate the fare before taking off.