Mumbai: Restored Fitzgerald fountain to be thrown open for public soon

Fitzgerald fountain

After three years of restoration work, Minister Aaditya Thackeray inaugurated the historic Fitzgerald fountain at Vasudev Balwant Phadke Chowk near Metro cinema at CST on Sunday. The main features of the sculpture are a 40-feet-high fountain and a seven-feet-high lamp.

The BMC had started restoring the fountain in 2018. However, it soon realised that 200 parts were missing and consequently, a restoration team comprising 150 experts and staff, prepared a detailed design. Following this, moulds were cast for replicas of the missing pieces after extensive research.

The lamp's designs were found in the drawings of another identical fountain erected in Northamptonshire in 1863 and built in the Eagle Foundry. Using the drawings, a lamp was made out of aluminium.

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The 40-feet-tall structure went through extensive restoration for over a year-and-a-half at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan at Byculla and is likely to be thrown open soon after the bollards and informative plaques are put up at the viewing gallery.

"After a lot of effort, work on the fountain has been completed. While the work was completed three months ago, its inauguration got delayed owing to the pandemic. Soon it will be open for public viewing," said an official.