blessed with hindsight 2.0: Flora of Mumbai

One immediate recall for the word 'Flora' in Mumbai /Bombay is the Flora Fountain.

Its history can be traced to the 1860's a part of the then Governor Bartle Frere's efforts at municipal improvements for the city. Frere's efforts, though worlds apart, were contemporary to the City Beautiful Movement in the United States which saw some of its greatest expressions in the Chicago World's Fair. The Flora Fountain was erected at the exact place where the Church gate (named after St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai ) stood before its demolition along with the Mumbai Fort. It was constructed by the Agri–Horticultural Society of Western India, out of a donation by Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh. Designed by R. Norman Shaw, it was sculpted in imported Portland stone by James Forsythe. Originally named after Frere, the name was changed before the fountain was unveiled as Flora Fountain, named after Flora- a Roman Goddess of flowers and the season of spring whose statue adorns the top of the fountain.

Correctly speaking, ‘Flora’ (with Capital F) and ‘flora’ (with small f) are different words. Flora represents the botanical composition of a region that gives the occurrence of species of plant material (varieties, cultivars etc. not included). "flora" is part of the phrase “flora and fauna’ usually used to depict / state the occurrence of plant and animal life.(note:‘Vegetation’ is the physical Character of plant form (tree, shrub, grass etc). Tree Shrub Grass etc are Habits of the specimen).

The following pictures speak about the evolution of the urban space and character around the Flora Fountain. Apart from street furniture like railings, light poles, horticultural representatives of the "Flora" have also undergone changes, while Flora continues to survey the everchanging landscape beneath her gaze.