Flora Fountain

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Located in one of the most heaving areas of the Mumbai city and delimited by huge and imposing colonial buildings, Flora Fountain was completed in the year 1864, to memorialize the melancholy of those martyrs who sacrificed their life in the creation of Maharashtra State. Due to the reason for which it had been built, the fountain was later renamed as the Hutatma Chowk or Martyr's Square. Flora Fountain has a wonderful statue of Flora - the Roman Goddess of Flowers, on top.

Situated in the Fort, business district of South Bombay, it is now counted amongst the heritage structures of the city. The outlay of constructing Flora Fountain, in those times, came to somewhere approximately 47,000 rupees or 9000 pounds sterling. The building of the fountain was begun at the control of the Agri-Horticultural society of Western India. The funds for the same came from the contribution received by the society from Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh.

R. Norman Shaw takes the credit for the designing of the Flora Fountain, while the great compliments for the sculptural loveliness go to James Forsythe. Portland stone was largely imported for the edifice of the fountain. The early 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 induction of the fountain. The neighborhood around the square comprises of all the main banks, including the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).