Flora Fountain

The view of Flora Fountain faces Churchgate railway station, with a double turret of the Central Telegraph Office and the revolving restaurant of the Ambassador Hotel visible in the background. Flora Fountain was installed in 1869 at the intersection of Dadabhai Naoroji Road, Mahatma Gandhi Road, and Veer Nariman Road.

Historically, the circular shape of Flora Fountain acted like a roundabout for vehicular traffic. It is a prominent landmark in the Fort's heritage precinct, surrounded by several historical structures such as the Central Telegraph Office, Oriental Building, Ismail Building, Yusuf Building, and Mulla House.

The Flora Fountain has a total of 64 sprouts located on the sides and corners. A basin around the base collects the water, and a circular pool collects the overflow, which then recycles through a complex internal plumbing system. The abundant water and the care of the feminine nurturer represent the theme of life blossoming.

Sir Bartle Frere laid out plans to restructure Bombay along the newly laid out east-west axis (from Town Hall to Churchgate Station) and the north-south axis (from CSMT to Gateway of India).

The Flora Fountain was designed and executed entirely in England and transported via ship to India. The fountain is named after Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the spring season. The goddess statue stands atop the fountain.

The fountain's four corners feature four allegorical female figures representing the four seasons. Dorset, England, quarries fine Portland stone for the Flora Fountain. Richard Norman Shaw (1831–1912) designed it, while James Forsythe sculpted it.

Flora Fountain has life-size statues of the allegorical figures representing the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These figures are seated on thrones placed on the four corners of the fountain. They are depicted wearing the stola, the traditional garment worn by Roman women, corresponding to the toga that was worn by Roman men.

Over time, these figures deteriorated and suffered damage from exposure. In this statue, for example, the left hand was missing. During its restoration, craftsmen meticulously studied old photographs to re-model the missing hand. Using Porbandar stone, craftsmen created replicas and fixed the hand with stainless steel.

Over the course of its 150-year existence, the Flora Fountain has deteriorated due to exposure to the elements and pollution from vehicular emissions, a result of its location at a busy traffic intersection. Not only had the Portland stone turned dark, but the fountain was leaking. Under the supervision of architect Vikas Dilawari, BMC and INTACH undertook major restoration work in 2017.

The Esplanade Fee Fund Committee raised funds to build the fountain, totaling a substantial Rs. 47,000 at the time. Seth Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh contributed about half of the funds, personally contributing Rs. 20,500. Seth Cursetjee Furdoonji Parekh, a member of the Parsi Panchayat, was a well-known shipbuilding baron, and his ships traded with Europe and China.

Basins in the Flora Fountains are a favorite place for birds to cool down in the hot summer months, and hundreds of pigeons use the fountain daily. As a result, layers of bird droppings collect on the fountain surface. The acidic bird droppings not only damage the stone surface but also make the fountain look dirty. Periodically, cleaning teams deploy to maintain the fountain's cleanliness.

The Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India commissioned the Flora Fountain, initially planning to install it at the Jijamata Udyan (formerly Victoria Garden) in Byculla. However, the Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India later changed the fountain's location to just outside the former church gate, creating new space by filling the moat that surrounded the Fort walls.

During its 2017 restoration, Flora Fountain suffered damage and leakage that interfered with the water flow. Architect Vikas Dilawari led the restoration team, which had to remove concrete to locate and map the internal plumbing. When they reopened the fountain in 2019, they enlisted the services of Burjoor Framji & Co., the city's oldest plumbers, to repair the damaged plumbing.

Flora Fountain shares the intersection of Dadabhai Naoroji Road, Mahatma Gandhi Road, and Veer Nariman Road with the “Martyr with a Flame” memorial, which was added in 1961, and the intersection was renamed Hutatma Chowk in memory of those who were martyred during the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement (Movement for United Maharashtra).

A commemorative plaque at Hutatma Chowk honors the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement. On May 1, 1960, the killing of protestors by police garnered significant public support for the movement and led to the creation of separate Marathi-speaking Maharashtra state and Gujarati-speaking Gujarat state.

The marble memorial at Hutatma Chowk honors the martyrs who lost their lives on November 21, 1955, when security forces opened fire on demonstrators at Flora Fountain during the agitation for the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement (Movement for United Maharashtra).

At Hutatma Chowk, the marble memorial bears the names of 106 martyrs.