Dome

Distant view with the surrounding gardens of palms and formal flower beds; The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), formerly Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, is the main museum in Mumbai, situated in 3 acres of gardens. It was founded by prominent citizens of Bombay, with the help of the government, to commemorate the visit of the then prince of Wales (later George V), who laid the "cornerstone" in 1905, although work was not begun until 1909. Wittet, who later designed the Gateway of India, won a design competition for the Indo-Saracenic style building. The huge tiled concrete dome is based on the Golconda Fort, and the inner vaulting arches on those at the Gol Gumbaz (Bahmani tombs) in Bijapur; the building is three stories with a four storey courtyard capped by the central dome. There are other Mughal, Maratha and Jain architectural references throughout. The museum was extended in 1937 and renovated in 2008. It was renamed in 1995 for Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire, at the same time Bombay was renamed Mumbai. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.oxfordartonline.com/ (accessed 4/9/2015)