It is serendipitous that in its 101st year, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS; formerly Prince of Wales Museum) boasts of a refurbished art conservation centre, underling the belief that preservation is as integral a cog as acquisition for a museum to exist and thrive. The upgraded Citi-CSMVS Conservation and Research Centre located in the eastern wing of the building is 4,000 sq-ft large and brightly lit. “Welcome to our new home,” smiles Nikhil Ramesh, in-charge curator, Conservation Section. It’s tough to miss a panel of touch screens in the corridor, which we learn will be at the centre of the interactive section where visitors can watch the department at work. “We want visitors to realise that conservation can be a career path. It’s nascent in India, and this centre can become a hub to encourage its popularity among talent across faculties.” 

The main hub resembles a worker-bee colony; lab-coated conservators and restorers, and master rafoogars or darners are busy, reviving antique objects, artworks and textiles, each piece holding a fascinating backstory.