This year, Mumbai landmark The Royal Opera House marks 110 years since its establishment in 1916 and ten years since its restoration and reopening in October 2016.
Owned by the Royal Family of Gondal since the 1950s, the Royal Opera House continues to be preserved as an architectural and cultural landmark under the stewardship of the family, alongside Honorary Director Ashish Doshi. After remaining closed for 25 years, India’s only surviving opera house reopened in 2016 following an extensive restoration that revived its architectural splendor and renewed its role as a home for the arts. The restoration earned an Award of Merit at the 2017 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
According to a note, "Founded and chaired by Mrs. Madhu Ruia, Avid Learning has led the programming at the Royal Opera House, under the curatorial leadership of SVP, Essar Group, CEO, Avid Learning, and Asad Lalljee. Through a multidisciplinary, genre-agnostic curation spanning music, dance, theatre, literature, contemporary art, and conversations, Avid Learning has brought together artists and audiences, reaffirming the Opera House’s place in Mumbai’s cultural life as a vibrant meeting ground for artistic expression and experimentation.
As we mark these twin milestones, we celebrate both the Opera House’s rich legacy and its continuing evolution alongside the city. Looking ahead, the Opera House remains a space where generations meet, artistic disciplines intersect, and new voices, ideas and creative expressions find a home.
"The Opera House’s revival reflects the possibilities of sustaining heritage through meaningful cultural engagement while embracing new ideas and innovations. As emerging technologies transform the ways in which we experience art, our digital anniversary celebrations offer new perspectives on its legacy. Through a series of tributes, we revisit the art forms presented on its stage, highlight its architectural details, and celebrate the artists and audiences who have shaped its journey through their reflections and testimonials."
