Royal Opera House in Mumbai celebrates a decade of restoration

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The Royal Opera House, Mumbai, which is India’s only surviving opera house, celebrated a decade of its restoration and reopening, highlighting the 110-year-old building’s architectural heritage through visual storytelling and live music.

Addressing a gathering during the celebrations on Friday, Director of the Royal Opera House, Ashish Doshi said the vision and commitment of the royal family of Gondal had made the restoration of the opera house possible.

The Royal Opera House was conceived in 1908, inaugurated in 1911 by King George V, and eventually completed in 1916.

The design incorporated a blend of European and Indian detailing. The property has been owned by the royal family of Gondal since 1952 and was restored by conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah under the leadership of Maharaja Jyotendrasinhji in 2016.

The iconic building is among the last remaining Baroque structures in the city.

The restored facilities feature a 575-seater three-level auditorium with an orchestra pit and state of the art technological upgradations, including acoustics, stagecraft, lighting and air-conditioning, alongside retaining the old world charm of the proscenium stage, the royal boxes and magnificent regal chandeliers.

Other enhancements to the venue include a motorized screen, co-axial ceiling speaker system, four-zone volume control and all-round Wi-Fi access.

Doshi also acknowledged the contribution of Maharaja Himanshusinhji of the erstwhile princely state of Gondal in Gujarat for his support in ensuring smooth operation of this institution.

Lauding the curator Asad Lalljee, Doshi said he has been instrumental in transforming the heritage venue into a vibrant hub of contemporary and classical arts.

The celebrations opened with a projection mapping experience by Floating Canvas Company, transforming the historic architecture of the Opera House through light, image and sound.

This was followed by a performance by Tabla & Sons, bringing together the traditions of Indian classical music, Bollywood and contemporary fusion. The ensemble combined eight tablas with live drums and percussion, sitar, flute, guitars and six vocalists.

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