The birth and growth of marine activities in the islands of Bombay nearly overlapped with the evolution of the city. The timeline of Bombay’s rising fortunes as an international port city of repute is also closely linked to many achievements that transpired within the Dockyard precinct. Bombay's dockyard has charted a continuous growth curve — from a modest ship-building facility in 1735 to the coveted status as the most important dockyard east of the Suez and now as the largest naval refitting and repair organisation in South East Asia. What did it take to set up the first Dry Dock of Asia? Who were the Dockyard's illustrious shipbuilders who crafted pioneering sail-ships that charted global waters and fought important sea battles? How did Bombay's Dockyard literally sustain the British Empire globally? At our Online Talk #DockyardDiaries, heritage consultant Kamalika Bose highlights stories associated with the transformation of Bombay's natural harbour into a busy marine precinct, and strings a tale of this fascinating legacy of Bombay's maritime heritage.

About the speaker

Kamalika Bose is the founder of Heritage Synergies India, a Mumbai-based consultancy — bridging practice, research and education. Her work lies at the intersection of built and cultural heritage, museum design and curation, writing and teaching. She has worked on community-oriented urban conservation and adaptive reuse initiatives in historic Indian cities. She is also a Curatorial & Museum Design Consultant, working on upcoming new museums and exhibitions in India. Kamalika completed her Master in Historic Preservation Planning from Cornell University as a Fulbright Scholar and is the author of five books. She has conceptualised and curated the Naval Dockyard Legacy Gallery (2021) in Mumbai.