Page 41 - The Tale of Two Fountains

THE TALE OF TWO FOUNTAINS
The Fitzgerald fountain was also a drinking fountain or ‘pyaav’ but on a much bigger scale. Jona has some memories of people drinking wa- ter from the gargoyles. Most drinking fountains were located on tram routes, traffic junctions, markets, public squares and parks where people movement or footfall was predominant.
Many of these rich Parsi industrialists and busi- nessmen were well connected with the Brtish and prospered during the colonial period. There were also Parsi politicians like Dadabhai Naoro- ji who helped India in obtaining Independence. It was years ago when walking through the Re- gents Park in London, near the middle of the Broad Walk footpath, we came across a gran- ite and marble drinking fountain beautifully carved in gothic style. For a moment on a hot summer’s day, we thought we were in a park in Bombay! But no, it was a park in London. This handsome drinking fountain in Sicilian marble and red Aberdeen granite was presented by Sir Cowasji Jehangir in 1869 as thanks for the pro- tection offered to him and his fellow country- men under British Rule in India. The fountain is also known as the ‘Ready Money fountain’ and is now a Grade II listed structure. The fountain was unveiled by Princess Mary of Teck, later to become Queen Mary, wife of King George V. Jona did recall seeing a drinking fountain in a similar gothic style in white sandstone donated by the same Parsi philanthropist standing out- side Crawford Market in Mumbai.
We are pleased to know that the Municipal Cor- poration of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has started a programme of identifying and surveying these drinking fountains which have been an intrinsic part of the city’s cultural and social life. We also understand that the restoration of some of these structures is already underway.
Until our research started taking shape, Jona never imagined that the Fitzgerald Fountain
Ready Money Fountain, Regents Park
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Crawford Market Fountain