Flora Fountain

Flora Fountainis a Fountain located at theHutatma Chowkis an ornamentally sculpted architectural heritage monument located at the southern end of the historicDadabhai Naoroji Road,at theFortbusiness district in the heart ofSouth Mumbai,Mumbai,India.Flora Fountain, built in 1864, depicts the Roman goddessFlora.It was built at a total cost of Rs. 47,000, or 9,000 pounds sterling, a large sum in those days.

Flora Fountain
Flora Fountain
Location within India Flora Fountain (Maharashtra) Flora Fountain (Mumbai)
General information
Architectural style	Neo Classical andGothicRevival
Town or city	Mumbai
Country	India
Coordinates	18.9325°N 72.8317°E/18.9325; 72.8317
Completed	1864
Cost	Rs 47000 (9000 pounds sterling)
Client	Maharashtra
Technical details
Structural system	Sculpted in importedPortland stone
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Richard Norman Shaw
Engineer	James Forsythe

History

Main article:Fort (Mumbai precinct)

Photograph of Flora Fountain taken prior to 1904

The fountain originally intended for the Victoria Gardens, is now surmounted by the figure of Plenty ( "Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries." ). History of the Flora Fountain is traced to the time when the Old Mumbai Fort was demolished in 1860 as part of the then Governor, SirBartle Frère's efforts to improve civic sanitation (municipal improvements) and the urban space requirements of the growing city. Prior to this demolition, the Fort had been built between 1686 and 1743 by the British East India Company with three gates (the Apollo Gate, theChurch Gateand the Bazaar Gate), amoat,esplanade,level open spaces on its western fringe (to control fires) and residences. A small road called the Hornby Road, named after the then Governor of Bombay (Mumbai) between 1771 AD and 1784 AD, also existed at the old Fort area.Consequent to the demolitions, the Hornby road was widened into a broad avenue and on its western side commercial plots were developed to build new commercial buildings in Neo Classical and Gothic Revival designs. The Dadabhai Naoroji Road (D. N. Road), developed into a veritable sight of colonial splendor withCrawford Marketlinked to theChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminusanchoring the northern end and the Flora Fountain, forming the southern end of the Mile Long Road.

The Flora Fountain was erected at the exact place where the Church gate (named afterSt. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai) stood before its demolition along with the Mumbai Fort. It was constructed by the Agri–Horticultural Society of Western India, out of a donation of Rs 20,000 by Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh. Designed byRichard Norman Shaw,it was sculpted in importedPortland stoneby James Forsythe. A white coat ofoil painthas to some extent marred the antiquity of the structure. The fountain was originally to be named after SirBartle Frère,theGovernor of Bombayat the time, whose progressive policy had resulted in many of the great public buildings of Mumbai.However, the name was changed before the fountain was unveiled as Flora Fountain, named afterFlora,a Roman Goddess of flowers and the season of spring; her majestic and prettyPortland stonestatue adorns the top of the fountain. The four corners of the fountain have four life-sized female mythological figures carrying foliage to represent the four seasons.

The fountain was originally intended to be built at theJijamata UdyaanatBycullabut, in 1908, the grass plot and thepalmtrees that had camouflaged the fountain were cleared for creating space for pedestrians and horse–traffic between thetramlines and thekerbof the fountain.

Hutatma chowk

Further information:Hutatma Chowk

The Hutatma memorial with the Flora Fountain, in the background

From the time the Flora Fountain was built in 1864 and until 1960, the chowk (square) where five streets meet (hence, also known as thePiccadilly Circusof Mumbai) and the fountain stands now, was named as the Flora Fountain area. But in 1960, to commemorate the people who laid their lives in the turbulent birth ofMaharashtraState at the square, it was renamed as theHutatma Chowkwith a stone statue bearing a pair of torch-holding patriots. The Flora Fountain, surrounded by theBritishVictorian eraheritage buildings, is very much part of the chowk and has been declared a heritage structure and it continues to charm visitors with its beauty and with its spray of water. It sits well alongside the Hutatma statue which adorns the chowk. (Picture depicts the two structures).It was the decision of theMaharashtra Legislative Assemblythat recommended to theGovernment to take necessary steps to erect as early as possible a memorial at Flora Fountain in Bombay in commemoration of the sacrifices of the persons who died on the police firing at Flora Fountain in Bombay in the month of November 1955.

Nostalgia

Flora Fountain

Nostalgic writing by acricketer,an unnamed resident of Mumbai who played street cricket in front of the fountain in his youth, reads that the fountain at the centre of the Mumbai city evokes feelings:

The Centres of the world are well etched in the mind: theNew York City'sTime Squareand theParis'sChamps-Élysées,London'sPiccadilly Circus.Even now I feel a curious magic about Mumbai's Flora Fountain. We called it the heart of the city and so it was.

Poetic expression

ApoeminMarathi languageby Niranajan Bhagat translated toEnglishextols the beauty of the Flora Fountain thus:

A Glass and concrete jungle;
In its midst always
Quiet, comely,
With hope filled face,
she stands
Flora
A dream of spring in her matchless eyes,
holding in both hands stone flowers.
About her, in all corners,
Iron butterflies fly round and round

And lifeless insects play

Gallery

• 
  Flora Fountain in Hutatma Chowk
• 
  The Flora Fountain, c. 1905
• 
  Flora Fountain area, pre World War I
• 
  Traffic stream at Flora Fountain at night
• 
  Fountain in action at night
• 
  Flora Fountain at Hutatma Chowk
• 
  Goddess Flora in Flora Fountain
• 
  Panoramic view of Flora Fountain

External links

• 360° Panorama