Swati Deshpande

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MUMBAI: A ground floor court room in the Bombay high court will on Saturday take Prime Minister Narendra
Modi back to 1900.
The seeming time travel, complete with the very high-back ornate chair that judges then sat upon to dispense
justice, the original candle stands with engraved glass casing and a manual cloth fan hanging from the ceiling
to beat the city heat is an achievement of months of labour put in by advocate Rajan Jayakar. The Prime
Minister would be inaugurating the first of its kind high court museum of the Bombay high court in the state.
Court room number 17, once an actual court room is now where the museum would be permanently housed.
The idea originated from Chief Justice Mohit Shah who gave the go ahead a year ago putting the Museum
project in motion said Jayakar on Friday to TOI as he helped workers place an original copy of the HC charter
of 1872 in place, a rare exhibit. "I decided to create a model court room of 1900 because around that time,
electricity and typewriters made their entry into the system.'' An eye for detail led him on a three-month search
to Mumbai's one-stop-antique-shop Chor Bazaar where he found four identical wooden-blade fans from the
period. He had the gas-lit 'glass handis' which were the lights back then, hanging from the high ceiling. The
flooring is also a replica of the patterned heritage tiles which were imported from a small village in England. For
the museum they are of a make-in-India variety.
A unique feature of the museum is a cannon dating back to 1850 left behind after the Fort of Bombay was
demolished in 1864. Jayakar hunted for its original stand and found one, again in Chor Bazaar. The museum
will take the PM and every one interested in the rich history of the high court through the various stages of its
making. When Jayakar worked on the HC museum in Madras, he found the original copy of the Mayor's court
charter with a gaping hole in it. Undeterred, he found the text of the deed and used online editing tools to make
its replica to put it on display. The deed by which King George II of 1753 established what were called the
Mayor's court.
An original wig, a silver mace and other judicial paraphernalia along with an original roll of the attorney's
enrollment since 1924 will all be on display. The name of eminent jurist Nana Palkhivala along with his
signature when he joined the bar in 1944 is on the roll. A brief glimpse into former judges and prominent
lawyers of that era would also be on display.
As Bombay developed a presidency like Calcutta and Madras, the East India Co thought of having separate
system for Bombay and a court called the Supreme Court came into being that replaced the Recorder's court in
1823. in 1861, the English Parliament passed the high court Act authorising the Crown to issue separate
charters to establish high courtsin Presidency towns of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. Queen Victoria issued a
charter on June 26, 1862 that established the Bombay high court.
Along with the history of the HC, visitors can also view a collection of photos of Gothic Victorian buildings built
after 1865. The pictures are from Jayakar's personal collection and shows the Fort Area, built literally on what
was the rampart or the water moat area around it. The last of the Victorian era building is the City Improvement
Trust office of 1904 which is where the ENT hospital is now housed, near the VSNL building.
The museum housed next to a real-time court room where each day litigants line up for verdicts in a modernday court room drama, brings a slice of judicial life from over 150 years ago, a must visit for history buffs.
building is the
Hc is on te rampart or the water moat of the fort. All building a which came in the Victorian era which came
around it. Last building g was te city improved
Hc is on te rampart or the water moat of the fort. All building a which came in the Victorian era which came
around it. Last building g was te city improved
Dnt trust off ice in 1904 which is now the Ent hospital.
Portraits of judges are here. Gothic buildings. After 1865
Dnt trust off ice in 1904 which is now the Ent hospital.
Portraits of judges are here. Gothic buildings. After 1865

Original charters of 1824. Supreme Court of Bombay. Bombay hc charter 1862.

In te six months was focused in.
Infrastructure by pwd and displays by dosplay house.
Victorian buildings from my personal collection.
is an achievement iles from Bhatat tiles made k look like heritage
Created a model court room of 1900 becauS Round that time electricity and typewriter came to the hc
Am shooting what was there before 190 and what came after
Cloth fan. For light. Handia. Lifting was was has. Table lighting with candles. So put original candle stand from
high court. Lamps hanging from chor bazaar. Fans with wooden blade from chor bazaar same like of that
period.
Original antique fans. Court furniture
1878 hc
Judges chair.
Cannon gum 1850 fort of Bombay demolished in 1864. Guns dumped. Original tans fr chor bazaar I hunted
for it for three months
Putting up original charters. For viewing. When a p shah wa in madras. Mayura court charter c'mon to
Bombay madras and Calcutta.
Original chatter there I hit ha a hole. I found the text of the charter. Filled it up and did a copy the. Photocopy
Recorders court.
George the 3rd. By grace of god. Established it in 1797. Letters patent king george 3.
King george 2 of 1753 established mayors court.
The
Hc is on te rampart or the water moat of the fort. All building a which came in the Victorian era which came
around it. Last building g was te city improved
Dnt trust off ice in 1904 which is now the Ent hospital.
Portraits of judges are here. Gothic buildings. After 1865
Original charters of 1824. Supreme Court of Bombay. Bombay hc charter 1862.
In te six months was focused in.
Infrastructure by pwd and displays by dosplay house.
Victorian buildings from my personal collection.