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"With limited resources but limitless determination, we have worked quietly but steadily to keep this Society not just alive, but vibrant and relevant,” said Dr Pheroza Godrej, chairperson, at the diamond jubilee celebrations of The Museum Society of Mumbai (MSM) on May 29, 2025. "We at Museum Society are a committee of volunteers — ordinary individuals brought together by a shared passion for preserving and promoting our heritage,” she added.
Held at the Premchand Roychand Gallery of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly Prince of Wales Museum), the celebration was well attended by the city’s cultural set. Godrej chronicled the history of the Museum Society, set up in 1963 as a cultural conduit between the citizens and the Museum. "Although this celebration comes two years later than planned, the joy, pride and gratitude we feel today is undiminished. If anything, the delay has given us all the more reason to reflect deeply on our journey and accomplishments,” she added.
Top, from l: Dr Pheroza Godrej, Cyrus Guzder, Amitabh Singh, Simran Kaur and
Dr Sabyasachi Mukherjee releasing book;
inset: special postal cover; above: section of the audience
A commemorative book, Celebrating a Diamond: The Museum Society of Mumbai: 60 Years of Legacy and Learning edited by Meher Marfatia and Dr Shefali Balsari-Shah was released on the occasion. The Museum’s director general Dr Sabyasachi Mukherjee "has been a tremendous source of strength for me… our mentor and friend, providing guidance on various academic and cultural matters… With his leadership, we have successfully executed numerous engaging collaborative programs,” Godrej said in her speech, a copy of which was shared with the magazine at Parsiana’s request. Mukherjee, highlighting the close association, noted that for 60 years the MSM has worked closely with the 103-year-old Museum.
A special postal cover was released by Amitabh Singh, chief postmaster general, Maharashtra Circle and Simran Kaur, director postal services, in the presence of Godrej, Cyrus Guzder, chairman, Museum board of trustees and Mukherjee. Singh’s desire to open a postal museum in Bombay was received with enthusiasm, noted mid-day (MD) on May 31.
The evening concluded with a talk on India’s maritime legacies, "Trade, Treaties and the Triumph, Maritime Currents of India’s Western Seaboard,” by Kamalika Bose.
Sherene Vakil