Restoration of Mumbai's heritage structures - big and small - requires a combination of sensitivity, aesthetics and a scientific approach by the experts at hand. Flora Fountain gets our thumbs up on all three counts
The shroud had been lifted, literally. Nearly six months after the long-overdue restoration work at Flora Fountain had commenced, we stepped behind the four-sided veil that covered the landmark, to enter a mini universe of stone and scaffolding in the middle of bustling Fort. Here, experts and their teams were sweating it out under the unforgiving April sun, working in sync to ensure that this magnificent fusion of water, architecture and sculpture is restored to its past glory.
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Yours truly couldn't believe the opportunity that greeted us. Somewhere, the movie buff in us imagined that were on the sets of an Indiana Jones sequel, right here in Mumbai. As we made our way up the temporary ladder to examine each level, we soaked in the curious bytes and anecdotes shared by conservation architect Vikas Dilawari on the science and logistics of how Mumbai's most recognised fountain came into shape and form. Pointing to etchings, he mentioned how slabs of imported Portland stone with unique markings were shipped to the city, like Lego blocks, and assembled here. The design was by Robert Norman Shaw, a famous Scottish architect while James Forsythe sculpted it. By now, the blaring horns emanating from traffic, high decibel levels, and din from the four sides of the fountain had all magically faded away; we were in the midst of a real heritage lesson, many feet above the ground.
Finally, when we came face to face with Lady Flora - well, not exactly - considering the statue is at least seven feet high - the sense of history stoked our mind and imagination. We took a moment there. Flora's face, despite being weathered by nearly 150 monsoons, merciless summers and unspeakable levels of pollution in one of the city's busiest junctions, exhibited calmness and a mesmeric gaze as she watched over proceedings.
We looked around. On autopilot, the collective enthusiasm and energy to restore this remarkable piece of Mumbai's urban landscape was applause-worthy. During the walkthrough, we were witness to alarming examples of neglect; conservators revealed that nearly eight layers of paint had been recklessly applied to her façades over the decades, as part of attempts to 'beautify' the fountain. This, they rued, were all shocking examples of being misinformed on heritage conservation. Elements had been damaged or gone missing, including details on the four statues below Flora. The reassuring part, thankfully, was that this comprehensive restoration would ensure that no stone would be left unturned (pun intended) to sensitively treat it, by using the best available scientific methods, overseen by experts. We spotted welcoming signs along the way, like the aesthetic fixing of chipped portions using Porbander stone, since it came closest to Portland. The water works were sorted out, and marbling was complete at the lowest level of the structure. Back on terra firma, we looked back one last time at her magnificence.
It made us smile. And we're pretty sure Lady Flora is also smiling. She is, after all, in safe hands.
mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
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