Flora
Fountain was built in the year 1864, to commemorate the memory of those
martyrs who laid their life in the formation of Maharashtra State. Owing
to the purpose for which it had been built, the fountain was later
renamed as the Hutatma Chowk or Martyr's Square. It is situated in one
of the most congested areas of the Mumbai city. Surrounded by huge and
impressive colonial buildings on all the sides, Flora Fountain has a
magnificent statue of Flora - the Roman Goddess of Flowers, on top.Further adorning the fountain are two stone patriots bearing a touch. Located in the Fort 'business' district of South Bombay, it is now counted amongst the heritage structures of the city. The cost of constructing Flora Fountain, in those times, came to somewhere around 47,000 rupees or 9000 pounds sterling. The construction of the fountain was started at the behest of the Agri-Horticultural society of Western India. The funds for the same came from the donation received by the society from Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh.
The credit for the designing of the Flora Fountain goes to R. Norman Shaw, while the accolades for the sculptural beauty go to James Forsythe. Portland stone was especially imported for the construction of the fountain. The initial name of the fountain was not 'Flora Fountain'. Infact, it was named after Sir Bartle Frère, the then Governor of Bombay. The name 'Flora Fountain' was given just before the inauguration of the fountain. The area around the square comprises of all the major banks, along with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
