How India’s only opera house became a hub for diverse cultural activities

Mumbai’s Royal Opera House has had quite a dramatic life. Conceived in 1908 by Maurice Bandmann (a well-known entertainer from Kolkata) and Jehangir Framji Karaka, who headed a coal-broking firm, the grand edifice was inaugurated in 1911 by King George V and completed in 1916. Once celebrated as Mumbai’s cultural crown jewel, it gradually suffered neglect and lay in ruins.

And, finally, in 1991, India’s only surviving opera house shut down. In 2010, its restoration was commissioned by Jyotendrasingji of the erstwhile royal family of Gondal in Gujarat, which has owned the Royal Opera House since the 1950s. The work was entrusted to conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, who, over six years, gave the building a new lease of life while retaining much of its original structure and architectural grandeur, including the side balconies and exquisite ceilings.

It accommodates 575 seats across three levels — Royal Stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Balcony.