One of the most important landmarks in Mumbai is the Hutatma Chowk / Flora Fountain area. A major square and traffic junction, it is surrounded by vintage buildings, arcades and tree lined walkways. In the centre of the square is the iconic Flora Fountain dedicated to the Roman Goddess Flora. Next to it is the Hutatma Statue.
Directly to the north of the fountain, there is a tall triangular stone building. It is a most fascinating structure. With its towers and turrets, it resembles a fairytale castle. On the front façade of the structure, it says: Oriental Buildings.
This place was originally the site of the Cathedral High School. Later it was acquired by the Oriental Life Assurance Company and remodelled into the current iconic structure. The architect of the building was Frederick William Stevens, who had also designed the CSMT Railway Station Building and the BMC Building.
The structure of Oriental Buildings is amongst the architect’s most admired works. The main tower in the centre has a tiled pyramidal roof with a wrought-iron roof cresting at the top. The rest of the structure has a lot of stunning turrets and spirelets.
One of the most fascinating features of this building is the fact that on the main tower, near the top, there are roundels of famous figures from history. On the front side, there are three roundels. At the centre is William Shakespeare. The other two are believed to be Socrates and Plato. There are other figures too, on the roundels located on the other sides of the tower.
It is very fascinating to note this feature of the building, which displays legendary historical figures keeping a watch over this square in the heart of Mumbai.
Source: www.atlasobscura.com
