In 1879, the Governor of Bombay, Sir Richard Temple, unveiled a bronze statue of King Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, riding a black horse. London-based sculptor Sir Joseph Boehm created the statue, while Sir Albert Sassoon gifted it to the city. The striking monument eventually gave the area the name it still carries today — Kala Ghoda.
The Kala Ghoda Arts Precinct is the artistic epicentre of the city. It houses the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Jehangir Art Gallery, and the Prince of Wales Museum (CSMVS). The area also hosts the annual nine-day Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
In 1965, authorities removed the original statue from the precinct and relocated it to Byculla Zoo. The saga of Kala Ghoda appeared to end there. In 2017, however, residents and stakeholders of the area introduced a new mascot: a riderless black horse named ‘The Spirit of Kala Ghoda’.
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