Horniman circle is filled with history and culture

Words by Bhavika Thakkar and photographs by Kruti Dalal.

There’s a plaque inside the Horniman Circle Gardens that tells you about its history. Did you know that the area where it stands was earlier known as Old Bombay Green and that the circle itself was known as Elphinstone Circle? Or that the buildings around the circle were regulated to strict architectural controls of fenestration, form and skyline?  Me neither. This plaque is the handiwork of septuagenarian Shirin Bharucha who fiercely champions the cause of open spaces and gardens in South Mumbai. She is one of the trustees of the O.V.A.L Trust, which is responsible for the restoration of Oval Maidan and Cross Maidan. She looks after these spaces like they were her own, lovingly and with exacting standards.

Horniman Circle Gardens has now, for the past year, been taken over by the MCGM, but one walk around the premise and you can see evidence of Shirin’s hard work in every corner. There is a community centre, a reading corner for students, a performance centre in the form of a raised plinth, a children’s corner and a partial underground toilet, all of which are open to everyone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. The next time you’re walking through Horniman Circle Gardens, enjoying its lush greenery and peaceful calm right in the middle of Mumbai’s noisy business district, take a minute to read the plaque and think about Shirin. Who knows, you might be inspired to be kinder to the city you call home.

 — By arrangement with TheCityStory.com