Flora Fountain, Mumbai
About :
Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh donated this landmark
structure Flora Fountain. Built in 1864, it
was made of imported Poland stone and is located
close to the church gate of the old (now vanished)
British fort. Flora is the Roman Goddess of
Flowers, her pretty alabaster face continually
assaulted by grime and pollution. It stands
at a busy five-point intersection in the heart
of the commercial Fort area. The Flora Fountain
was erected by the Agri-Horticultural society
of Western India. It was originally meant
to be named after Sir Bartle Frere, then governor
of Bombay. However, the name was changed before
the fountain was unveiled. It stood in the
center of the town as it then was, but now
this area is the heart of the business district
of the town. This is the very heart of Mumbai,
circumscribed by stately colonial buildings
standing like proud old sentinels of a bygone
era. Next to her are a pair of torch bearing
stone patriots that rise from the Martyrs
Memorial nearby. Flora Fountain is now called
Hutatma Chowk or Martyr's Square to honour
those who died in the tumultuous birth of
Maharashtra State. All around the square sit
Mumbai's infamous vendors selling just about
everything under the blazing tropical sun
- from cheap nylon saris to herbal remedies.
Tooting horns and traffic complete the chaotic
picture, but through it all Flora manages
to retain her serene composure.
Attractions
Within a radius of two miles of the Fountain
are some of the most interesting institutions
and building of Bombay - the University, the
old Secretariat, and the famous Gateway of
India. Near the fountain is the High Court,
the highest court of law in the State, completed
in 1879 and is in the Venetian Gothic style
characteristic of all Bombay's public buildings
put up in the 19th century. It has two pinnacles
with the statues of Justice and Mercy. Across
the road, on Veer Nariman Road, is the Central
Telegraph Office. On the left (down a shady
avenue adjoining a sports field known as the
Oval) one comes to the old Secretariat. Built
in 1874, it is in the same style of architecture
as the High Court.
Special Attraction
It remains an important downtown landmark
in Mumbai's business centre. Vendors sit all
around the square selling just about everything
in the scorching heat. Noise pollution due
to heavy traffic completes the chaotic picture.
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