The Asiatic Society of Mumbai occupies the Town Hall — a Greek Revival masterpiece of 30 Doric columns completed in 1833 that is one of the finest neoclassical buildings in India and the oldest surviving public building in Mumbai. The Town Hall houses a library of over 100,000 volumes including rare Sanskrit manuscripts, the original manuscript of Dante's 'Divine Comedy' (one of only two copies in the world), and a collection of Greek and Roman coins.
The 30 steps leading up to the portico are one of Mumbai's most recognisable film locations — featured in countless Bollywood scenes — and the view from the top looking across Horniman Circle to the Dutch-gabled buildings that surround the gardens is one of the best survivals of colonial Bombay urbanism. The library is open to visitors on request, and the reading room with its marble busts and colonial-era furniture is a time capsule of 19th-century intellectual life.
Verified Facts
The Town Hall was completed in 1833 with 30 Doric columns
It houses one of only two surviving copies of Dante's Divine Comedy manuscript
The library holds over 100,000 volumes
It is the oldest surviving public building in Mumbai
Get walking directions
Horniman Circle, Mumbai, 400001, India
