Flora Fountain and Hutatma Chowk

Until the 1860s, Bombay was enclosed by walls. Right here stood one of its gates, Church Gate, so called because it led to St Thomas's church. Governor Bartle Frere had the walls pulled down and opened the city westwards, towards the Esplanade and the sea.

1A fountain that changed its name

On the site of the gate, this fountain of Portland stone was raised in 1864, with the Roman goddess Flora on top. It was designed by Richard Norman Shaw and carved by James Forsythe. It was paid for by the Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India, thanks to a donation of 20,000 rupees from Cursetjee Fardoonjee Parekh. It was meant to be called the Frere Fountain, in honour of the governor, but before its unveiling it was given the name of the goddess of flowers.

2The martyrs' square

After independence, Bombay was the focus of a long struggle: the Samyukta Maharashtra movement demanded a state for Marathi speakers with Bombay as its capital. In November 1955 the police opened fire on demonstrators here, and over the following years more than a hundred people died in the protests. On 1 May 1960 the state of Maharashtra was born, with Bombay as its capital, and the square was renamed Hutatma Chowk, 'Martyrs' Square'.

A Victorian fountain and a memorial of independent India share the same crossroads.

3What to look for

• The figure of Flora crowning the fountain.
• The Hutatma Chowk memorial, with its flame.
• The stone buildings facing the square: the Victorian Fort.