The original elephant, after which Elephanta Island was named by the Portuguese, is displayed outside Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum. The statue was originally at Rajabunder jetty on the south shore of Elephanta Island, formerly referred to as Gharapuri. In 1987, UNESCO declared Elephanta Island a World Heritage Site for its collection of Hindu cave temples.
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum was designed by William Tracey in the Neo-Palladian style that originated in Italy. From 2003–08, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in collaboration with the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation undertook extensive refurbishment of the building.
Victoria and Albert Museum opened on 2 May 1872 and was named in honor of Queen Victoria (1819–1901) and her consort, Prince Albert (1819–61). In 1975, the museum was renamed in honor of Dr. Bhau Daji Lad (1824-74), a Sanskrit scholar and polymath, who was the first Indian sheriff of Mumbai and played a key role in the establishment of the museum.
The David Sassoon Clock Tower was constructed by Messrs. Scott, McClelland and Co., who also completed the Victoria and Albert Museum after its architect William Tracey died. In both buildings, they used the Neo-Palladian style, lending architectural uniformity in the buildings. The ensemble of buildings at Jijamata Udyan, which includes the triple-arched gateway, are the only buildings in Mumbai where the Palladian architectural style was used.
Detail of arch and keystone with panels of Minto tiles and dressings of Blashfield's terracotta from Stamford, Lincolnshire. The David Sassoon Clock Tower is built from Porbandar stone, which was used in many public buildings of Mumbai, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, Bombay High Court, and Crawford Market.
Seal (Rajmudra) of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the base of the Jijamata memorial. The Sanskrit text is as follows:
प्रतिपच्चन्द्रलेखेव वर्धिष्णुर्विश्ववन्दिता |
शाहसूनो: शिवस्यैषा मुद्रा भद्राय राजते ||
Translated in English:
This seal of Shivaji, the son of Shahaji, increasing in size like the moon of Pratipada (the first day after the moonless night), revered by the world, reigns for good.
On 1st November 1858, Queen Victoria was proclaimed Queen of India from the Town Hall steps. It was decided in a meeting of Mumbai citizens that the first public institution should be a museum to honor the new Queen, with the botanical gardens attached to it. Governor Sir Bartle Frere laid the foundation stone for the museum on 19th November 1862.
The David Sassoon Clock Tower originally stood outside the gates of Victoria Garden, by the side of the main road, then known as Parel Road (now BR Ambedkar Road). In 1926, during the widening of the road, the clock tower was dismantled brick by brick and reconstructed at its present location. During shifting, the earlier alignment was retained, and the successful relocation of the structure set a good example of sensitive heritage conservation.
In 1864, during an attempt to remove the statue from Elephanta Island, it broke into small fragments. The broken parts were brought to Victoria Gardens and reassembled by Sir George Birdwood, the Victoria and Albert Museum curator. The statue was placed outside the museum in 1914, making it one of the oldest artifacts displayed at the museum.
The David Sassoon Clock Tower is 67 feet high and has clocks facing the cardinal directions. The clocks are provided with four patent opal glass dials, each measuring four feet in diameter. Unlike other clock towers in Mumbai, which have mostly stopped functioning, the clocks of this clock tower are all in working condition.