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Mumbai痴 Circle of life…..Hemen Kapadia
Here is one beautiful natural paradise (read as green), which stands out in the concrete jungle that surrounds the BSE. The Horniman Circle Garden, a rather welcome cluster of grass and greens, is surrounded by some of the bigger banks of the country and is spread over 12,081 square yards. It is actually a replica of the Park Crescent in London and has a neo-classical colonnade that faces a park and overlooks the town hall.
In the 18th century, this area was known as Cotton Green, which was primarily meant to be an open space in a walled city and had well laid out walkways with trees planted all around. It was planned to be a large town square with inspiring structures. However, by 1,842, the area had become a dump full of garbage and coconut shells.
But for the pioneering efforts of one man, Mr Charles Forjett, who renovated the greens into a circle surrounded by buildings. In 1863, Forjett conceived and inaugurated the project of converting the old and dusty Cotton Greens into something better and he was warmly supported by Lord Elphinstone and Sir Bartle Frere.
The municipal commissioners bought the entire plot and resold it at a considerable profit after constructing buildings in lots to English business firms and by the end of 1865 � two years after Forjett had proposed the scheme � the buildings were completed and ready for occupation.
So popular was Forjett that people cried openly when he went back to England in 1885 and even had a street named after him � Forjett Street (originally Forjett Hills) � located between Nana Chowk and Tardeo.
Later, this was renamed as Elphinstone Circle after the Governor of Bombay at that time, Lord Elphinstone. In fact, there were two governors by the name Elphinstone, the first one being Mountstuart Elphinstone (between 1819-1827) and the second was his nephew Lord John Elphinstone who was the governor in the 1840s (since 1842). History seems to point towards the latter after whom the garden had been named since he had completely supported Forjett痴 proposal for the resurrection so to speak of the erstwhile Cotton Green.
Restoration work (read as foundation) for the garden started in 1869 and was completed in 1872. The garden was festooned by an ornamental fountain which was located right in the centre but later this was replaced by a piece of modern art which was made up of deco iron pipes design. Two beautiful statues (priceless artwork) were badly damaged by political activists in 1965 and were finally shifted to the 遷ijamata Garden�.
In earlier times (read as before the independence), the Horniman Circle Garden was a favourite with the Parsi community and there used to be a musical band, which would perform at the garden every evening. The current naming ceremony took place in 1969 as a tribute to Mr Benjamin Guy Horniman (whose office was located in the 閃umbai Samachar� building), the Irish pro-freedom editor of the 腺ombay Chronicle� who had earlier been deported for his steadfast support of the 全atyagraha�.
Just outside the garden is the legendary banyan tree, which is the root cause (literally speaking) of the BSE when just 22 stock brokers started trading under this tree in 1851, which finally led to 318 brokers forming the BSE in 1875.
Currently being managed by the Horniman Circle Garden Trust, the garden hosts the annual Sufi music festival 然uhaniyat� and is also one of the venues of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
* Entrance to the Horniman Circle Garden. It was the banyan tree inside this garden under which 22 stock brokers had started trading in 1851 thus leading to formation of the BSE
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