Last Updated on June 3, 2023 by Ellen
Don’t miss the Nehru Centre in Mumbai for a look at Indian culture past, present, and future. The Nehru Centre is one of the sites I’ve most enjoyed about this mega city during our stay.
You probably have already thought about the main tourist hot spots: The Gateway of India, the Gandhi Museum, the Taj Hotel, Marine Drive, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link Bridge, the Elephanta Caves, and more.
I’m here to tell you: before all of those sites, you can get a good foundation of the country’s cultural significance at the Nehru Centre in Mumbai.
Nehru Centre in Mumbai
Located in the Worli district, the Centre was a perfect place to escape monsoon rain during our September visit. It serves as a testament to Jawaharlal Nehru — India’s first prime minister after independence from Britain, and dear friend of Mahatma Gandhi.
“Discovery of India”
Western schools do not focus on the ancient cultures of the East. Perhaps this is why I learned so much from The “Discovery of India” section at the Nehru Centre in Mumbai. I would have needed at least four hours to take it all in.
For $2 each, we took the audio tour. You need at least one hour for the audio tour, preferably 90 minutes. Even with the audio tour, there is so much information you could stand at each of the 23 audio stations and take several additional minutes at each stop to read about Indian history.
Ancient Indians gifted the world with the oldest astronomy, and the decimal system we still use today. If I had learned these facts in school, I surely didn’t recall them. The ancient Happaran civilization had the world’s most advanced drainage and sewerage system of the time. Additionally, I learned so much about the Vedas, Jainism, Hinduism, and how Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Jews – all got along without issue for centuries.
The Discovery of India exhibition is a gem for learning the cultural foundations of the country today.
(Pictures of the exhibition are not allowed.)
Bonus: Art of today
Downstairs on the ground floor of the tower, young artists of today exhibit their paintings and other artwork. We met several talented young artists and enjoyed briefly talking with them.
Nehru Centre Planetarium
Across from the tower is the Nehru Centre Planetarium. I delighted in our time there, as well! The program began with a short lecture on the known planets by an Indian scientist, and questions were encouraged at the conclusion of the talk.
Next, the audience moved through the halls past exhibits about the planets into the planetarium.
Seated inside, the audience viewed constellations in Mumbai’s night sky. This was followed by a short film entitled “Biology of the Universe.” It was terrific!
No matter the country, the culture, the religion — we all share our humanity.
As the Centre website states, the site reflects Nehru’s “compassion for humanity, his concern for human beings and his undying passion to lift them to the greatest and highest purpose.”
You can’t go wrong with a vision like that.
Find more information on the Nehru Centre’s website.
Thanks for reading, Don’t miss Nehru Centre in Mumbai.
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