In news– Recently the Prime Minister of India has inaugurated ‘Kranti Gatha’ , a newly created Gallery of Indian Revolutionaries inside the underground British – era bunker at Raj Bhavan Mumbai. He also inaugurated the newly reconstructed ‘Jal Bhushan’, the residence and office of the Governor of Maharashtra.
About ‘Kranti Gatha’-
- It has been created in the bunker that was discovered below Raj Bhavan in 2016 by the then Governor of Maharashtra N Vidyasagar Rao.
- It is a tribute to the known and unknown revolutionaries of the Indian freedom movement.
- It has been created under the guidance of historian and writer Dr Vikram Sampath with assistance from the South Central Zonal Cultural Centre, Nagpur.
- It is being dedicated in the year when India is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
- It also commemorates many revolutionaries from Maharashtra from the First War of Independence in 1857 to the Naval uprising in Mumbai in 1946.
- In this Vasudev Balwant Phadke, Chafekar brothers, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Veer Savarkar, Babarao Savarkar, Krantiguru Lahuji Salve, Anant Laxman Kanhere, Rajguru, Madam Bhikaji Cama feature prominently.
- The story of the armed struggle against British rule from Maharashtra – then part of the Bombay State – is shown here through sculptures, rare photographs and murals.
- The first armed revolutionary organization ‘Abhinav Bharat’ and the Prati Sarkar self-rule movement of Satara-Sangli region of 1940s also figure in the Gallery.
- It also includes useful pictorial information about many tribal revolutionaries drawn by school children.
- A scene of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has also been created in this hall.
Built before the First World War, the bunker was used by the British to store arms and ammunition. The bunker has 13 rooms of various sizes and the different cells in it were known as ‘Shell Store’, ‘Gun Shell‘, Cartridge Store, Shell Lift, Central Artillery Room, Workshop etc. The bunker was found to have a proper drainage system as well as clean air and natural light. A virtual reality museum was inaugurated in this bunker by President Ramnath Kovind on 18 August 2019. However, many rooms in the 13-room bunker were empty.
About Jal Bhushan-
- ‘Jal Bhushan’ has a history of at least 200 years.
- Mountstuart Elphinstone, the Governor of Mumbai, built a small bungalow called ‘Pretty Cottage’ on Malabar Hill between 1820 and 1825 and the structure ‘Jalbhushan’ stands on this place.
- Since the relocation of the Government House at Malabar Hill in 1885, it has housed the residence of the British Governor of the erstwhile Bombay State, the Governor of Bombay after independence and the Governor of Maharashtra after the formation of the State in 1960.
- It was decided to construct a new building at this place as the old structure was found unsafe for dwelling.
- The new ‘Jalbhushan’ architecture preserves the salient heritage features of the old architecture.
Source: PIB
