Royal Opera House, also known
as Opera House in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), is India's
only surviving opera house. Situated on Charni Road, near Girgaum Chowpatti beach, the
adjective ‘Royal’ was prefixed to ‘Opera House’ to reflect the fact that its
foundation stone was laid during the British Raj in 1909,
and King George V inaugurated the building in 1911 while the building was still
under construction. Work on the Royal Opera House was completed in 1912,
although additions were made to the building up to 1915. After years of
neglect following its closure in 1993, restoration work started in 2008.
The Royal Opera House was conceived in 1908 by
Maurice Bandmann, a famous entertainer from Calcutta, and Jehangir Framji
Karaka, who headed a coal brokers’ firm. A baroque design incorporating a blend
of European and Indian detailing was chosen for the structure. A long frontage
was created to let carriages drive up to the entrance. Twenty-six rows of boxes
behind the stalls were put up for the best view of the stage. The ceiling was
constructed to enable even those in the gallery to hear every word uttered by
the performers.
It was built with exquisite Italian marble on a
leased land close to the Kennedy and Sandhurst bridges. A pair of unique
crystal chandeliers, called the ‘Sans Souci’ were donated by the David Sassoon family. The
chandeliers, which were earlier located in the Sassoon mansion, were shifted to
the foyer of the opera house. At the main entrance, the dome is segmented into
eight different parts "as a tribute to poets, dramatists, novelists,
literati and people from art and culture."
Maharaja of Gondal - For Representation only
Inaugurated in 1912, the Opera House was acquired
in 1952 by Maharaja Bhojrajsingh of Gondal, Gujarat [Today]. The Maharaja took
the property on a 999-year lease and attempted to run it as a self-sustaining
commercial enterprise.
