A cannon call

A cannon at Elephanta Island. Pic Courtesy/Directorate of Archaeology and Museums

There are many cannons located across Mumbai. At some point in history, this object was of utmost importance and today, most of them lie discarded. If you look at the history of the city, guns played a huge role in the establishment of the British Empire in India and it has changed the history of the Subcontinent in many ways," says Dr Tejas Garge, director at Directorate of Archaeology and Museums. This is why it's important to learn about their history and significance, he points out.

Tejas Garge

Tomorrow, through a virtual session hosted by the Maritime Mumbai Museum Society (MMMS), in collaboration with the Museum Society of Mumbai (MSM) and the Bombay Local History Society, Garge will take attendees through the history of these objects. The talk will touch upon the research found through a survey conducted two years ago by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums that documented 27 cannons, the positions of which can offer insight into defence methods and their significance in the history of the city. "On Elephanta Island, there are huge nine-metre long cannons, which not many people know about. People visit the caves but don't look at these guns. In Carnac Bunder, there's even a cannon that's worshipped by the locals as a deity. That's also an interesting aspect in terms of how the secondary use of these cannons can be seen in certain places," adds Garge.

The session will explore such unique instances across the city, while also giving participants a look into aspects like the amount of gunpowder needed for these objects back in the day, construction of these structures, and what's left of them on the ground. Towards the end, Garge will follow up the session with a Q&A round. "This is geared towards Mumbaikars who are interested to know facts about their city's rich past. It is to also create awareness about and preserve the heritage," he says.

On: Tomorrow, 4 pm
Log on to: Zoom