Wellington Fountain

Last updated

Wellington Fountain
Wellington Fountain, Bombay.jpg
LocationColaba, Bombay, India
Coordinates 18°55′32″N72°49′57″E / 18.925594°N 72.832531°E / 18.925594; 72.832531
Area Bombay
Built1894
Architectural style(s) Neoclassical architecture
Governing bodyMCGM
OwnerMCGM
Mumbai area locator map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Wellington Fountain in Mumbai
India location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Wellington Fountain (India)

Wellington Fountain is a listed heritage structure in front of Maharashtra Police Headquarters at Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Chowk in Fort, Mumbai, which is part of Mumbai's Victorian ensemble that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was erected in 1865 to commemorate the visits of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, who came to India in 1801 and 1804. [1] [2]

The fountain is built in Neoclassical style with basalt. It has two tiers and the lower tier has eight bas reliefs depicting the duke's victories. The top tier is made out of metal and features cast iron leaves. There are Latin inscriptions on the fountain that celebrate the achievements of the duke. [3]

In 2016–17, a team led by the conservation architect Vikas Dilawari restored the fountain, and multiple layers of paint were removed from the basalt structure. [4] However, the water engineering system was intact at the time of restoration. [5] The project was funded by Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, and was awarded the Honourable Mention under the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. [1] [6]

The bas-reliefs on the lower tier depicting the achievements of the duke. Bas-reliefs on Wellington Fountain, Bombay.jpg
The bas-reliefs on the lower tier depicting the achievements of the duke.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gateway of India</span> Landmark monument in Mumbai, India

The Gateway of India is an arch-monument completed in 1924 on the waterfront of Mumbai (Bombay), India. It was erected to commemorate the landing of George V for his coronation as the Emperor of India in December 1911 at Strand Road near Wellington Fountain. He was the first British monarch to visit India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai</span> Church in Maharashtra, India

St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai, is the 300-year old cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Mumbai of the Church of North India. It is named in honour of Saint Thomas the Apostle, who is believed to have first brought Christianity to India. The cathedral is located in Horniman Circle, the historic centre of Mumbai. It is in close proximity to famous Mumbai landmarks such as Flora Fountain and Bombay House. It is the oldest church in Mumbai The Cathedral and John Connon School is run by the cathedral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vijay Goel (politician)</span> Indian politician

Vijay Goel is an Indian politician and a former Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Statistic and Implementation in the NDA government. A former Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Goel is affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He became president of the Delhi unit of the BJP in February 2013. He was elected to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Bombay Yacht Club</span> Boating association in India

The Royal Bombay Yacht Club (RBYC) is one of the premier gentlemen's clubs which was founded in 1846 in Colaba, an area of Mumbai in India. The building was designed by John Adams, who also designed the nearby Royal Alfred Sailors' Homes, and was completed in 1896.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Opera House (Mumbai)</span> Opera house in Mumbai, India

Royal Opera House, more commonly known simply as Opera House in Mumbai, is India's only surviving opera house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dadabhai Naoroji Road</span> Road in South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Dadabhai Naoroji Road (D.N.Road), a North–South commercial artery road, in the Fort business district in South Mumbai of Maharashtra, India, is the nerve centre of the city, starting from the Mahatma Phule Market ,linking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, leads to the Hutatma Chowk at the southern end of the road. This entire stretch of the road is studded with Neo–Classical and Gothic Revival buildings and parks built in the 19th century, intermingled with modern office buildings and commercial establishments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum</span> Museum in Mumbai, India

Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum is the oldest museum in Mumbai. Situated in the vicinity of Byculla Zoo, Byculla East, it was originally established in 1855 as a treasure house of the decorative and industrial arts, and was later renamed in honour of Dr. Bhau Daji Lad.

The architecture of Mumbai blends Gothic, Victorian, Art Deco, Indo-Saracenic & Contemporary architectural styles. Many buildings, structures and historical monuments remain from the colonial era. Mumbai, after Miami, has the second largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballard Bunder Gatehouse</span> Converted maritime museum in Mumbai, India

Ballar Bunder Gatehouse is a Grade I Heritage structure that has been converted into a maritime museum, located at Ballard Estate in the old Fort area of Mumbai, India. It was built in 1920 to commemorate the realignment of the harbour and is located where Ballard Pier, a small pier once existed with an approach jetty at right angles to the pier. The building was among the five entries from the Mumbai for the 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. It is one of the stops on Special tour of Museums in the city, a tour organised by BEST and MTDC as well as the Naval Dockyard Heritage Walk, conducted by the Naval Dockyard on the first Sunday of every month.

UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards are given with as the strategic purpose of UNESCO with in the region Asia Pacific. The objective is to motivate the protection of Cultural Heritage sites, which are initiated by any individual organization under private sector or institutional organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brinda Somaya</span>

Brinda Somaya is an Indian architect and urban conservationist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage structures in Mumbai</span>

Many heritage structures are found in Mumbai, India.

Haveli Dharampura, built in 1887 CE and currently owned by BJP leader Vijay Goel, is a 19th-century haveli in Chandani Chowk area of old Delhi that as awarded a special mention in UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church, Byculla</span> CNI church in Byculla, Mumbai, India

Christ Church in Byculla, Mumbai, is affiliated to the Church of North India and was built in 1833 as an Anglican church. The church's establishment has been the subject of a myth that it was built to suit the convenience of the Governor of Bombay, Mountstuart Elphinstone, who reportedly had to earlier travel from his central Bombay residence in Parel to St Thomas Cathedral in South Bombay. Elphinstone had already left India in 1829. The church was, in fact, built during the governorship of John FitzGibbon, 2nd Earl of Clare, who laid the foundation stone in July, 1832.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower</span> Clock tower in Mumbai, India

Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadia Clock Tower is a heritage structure in Fort, Mumbai, India, that was erected in 1882 using public funds as a token of appreciation for Bomanjee Hormarjee Wadi, a Parsi philanthropist who had contributed to the cause of education in the city. He was a member of the Bombay Native Education Society and on the board of Elphinstone Institution. He died on 3 July 1862.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mulji Jetha Fountain</span> Memorial fountain in Mumbai, India

Mulji Jetha Fountain is a listed heritage structure in Fort, Mumbai that was erected in 1894, following a commission by Ruttonsee Mulji, a cotton merchant who sought to commemorate the death of his only son, Dharamsi Mulji, who died aged 15 in 1889. The statue of a boy on top holding a book represents the son who loved reading. The drinking fountain was designed by architect Frederick William Stevens, and he was assisted by John Griffiths, the then principal of Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art.

Vikas Dilawari is an Indian conservation architect who has restored at-risk monuments and heritage buildings in Mumbai, including the Victoria Terminus, Rajabai Clock Tower, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Wellington Fountain and Christ Church, Byculla. 16 restoration projects carried out by his team have been recognised by the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, including the 2019 work on the Flora Fountain, which was designed by architect Richard Norman Shaw and completed in 1864.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. N. Petit Library</span> Membership library in Mumbai, India

The J. N. Petit Library is a membership library in a Grade II heritage structure in Fort, Mumbai. It was founded in 1898 by a group of Parsi students studying at Elphinstone College. Membership is open to residents of Mumbai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maharashtra Police Headquarters</span> Heritage building in Maharashtra

Maharashtra Police Headquarters building is a Grade I listed UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Mumbai that was built between 1872 and 1876, and designed by the British architect Frederick William Stevens, who also designed the Victoria Terminus. The building is often confused with Mumbai Police Headquarters, also built in Gothic Revival style, and several newspapers often carry the image of Maharashtra headquarters while reporting on the latter. The headquarters are located at Wellington Circle in Fort, and face the Wellington Fountain.

Abha Narain Lambah is an Indian conservation architect whose eponymous architectural practice has restored several of India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Ajanta Caves, Golconda Fort and Mahabodhi Temple, and Mumbai's Victorian buildings like the Crawford Market, Royal Opera House, Asiatic Society of Mumbai Town Hall and Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue.

References

  1. 1 2 "Mumbai: Colaba's 152-year-old Wellington Fountain is all brand new". mid-day. 19 February 2017.
  2. Kidambi, Prashant; Kamat, Manjiri; Dwyer, Rachel (20 October 2019). Bombay before Mumbai: Essays in Honour of Jim Masselos. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN   9789353056650 via Google Books.
  3. ""Wellington Monument," Mumbai". www.victorianweb.org.
  4. "A conversation on conservation: restoring the 152-year-old Wellington Fountain of South Mumbai". Architectural Digest India. 22 February 2017.
  5. "Wellington Fountain in south Mumbai restored to its old glory, to be unveiled this week". Hindustan Times. 17 April 2017.
  6. "UNESCO recognition for Wellington Fountain". The Hindu. PTI. 18 November 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2022.


The functional fountain with Maharashtra Police Headquarters in the background. Maharashtra Police - panoramio (2).jpg
The functional fountain with Maharashtra Police Headquarters in the background.