In South Mumbai, Horniman Circle Gardens represent a
green territory amidst the soaring buildings. This large park sprawls in
an area of 10,101 sq m, in the Fort district. It is encircled by the
office complexes lodging the leading banks of India. Horniman Circle
Garden overlooks the prominent landmark of the city, the Asiatic Society
of Bombay. Designed on the lines of London's Park Crescent, the garden
has a neoclassical porch, with a small park, well planned walkways and
rows of trees.
This area was called Bombay Greens till the 18th century. Intended to
be a large town square, with impressive structures, in the heart of the
walled city, Bombay Greens was renamed Elphinstone Circle after Lord
Elphinstone, the Governor in those times. As per the chronological
accounts, the region became a landfill of coconut shells and garbage by
the year 1842. Thanks to Charles Forjett, a Police Commissioner, he
thought of renovating the greens into a circle bounded by buildings.
Lord Elphinstone and Sir Bartle Frère, the Governors, supported
the idea of Charles. In 1869, the restoration work was started and it
was completed in 1872. The garden was festooned by an ornamental
fountain that was located in its heart. Later, deco iron pipes design, a
piece of modern art replaced the fountain. After country's independence
in 1947, the area was christened Horniman Circle Gardens after Benjamin
Horniman, who was a pro-freedom editor of the 'Bombay Chronicle'.
In the pre-independence era, the garden was a preferred hangout of the
Parsi community. Every evening, a band used to perform there. One of the
most dynamic urban design settlements in Mumbai, Horniman Circle gardens
has numerous novel structures from the British Colonial period.
Nowadays, the laudable works of restoration by Horniman Circle Garden
Trust and Horniman Circle Association are maintaining this vestige of
the former times.
