FLORA FOUNTAIN

It is the very heart of Mumbai, circumscribed by majestic colonial buildings, proud sentinels of a bygone era. Flora, the Roman goddess of flora, has her pretty alabaster face continually blackened by grime and pollution. The area around the Flora fountain, erected in 1864, is now called Hutatma Chowk or Martyr's Square, to honor those who died so that the state of Maharashtra could be born. Street vendors, horns and traffic add to the chaotic aspect of the place, but Flora manages to keep its serenity.