Horniman Circle, Mumbai

Horniman Circle, Mumbai

Horniman Circle Gardens in Mumbai is a mega park in the Fort District of South Mumbai. Encompassing an area of 10.101 sq meters, the Horniman Circle Gardens is surrounded by premier banks.

Primarily known as Bombay Greens in the 18th Century, Horniman Circle Gardens was meant to be an open space in the middle of the Walled city. With well laid out walkways, the Bombay Greens had trees planted all around. Later the whole complex was renamed as Elphinstone Circle after the then Governor, Lord Elphinstone.

In the late 19th Century the condition of the park became atrocious and appeared as the dumping ground for the debris. However, the then Police Commissioner Charles Forjett resurrected the circle with active support from governors Lord Mountstuart Elphinstone and Sir Bartle Frère. By 1872, the Garden gained a new and captivating look. It was renamed after India's Independence in 1947 into Horniman Circle Gardens, after Benjamin Horniman, a pro-freedom editor of the Bombay Chronicle.

A replica of London's Park Crescent, the Horniman Circle has the neoclassical colonnade that faces a small park, flanked by the Historic Asiatic Society Library. Consisting of a circular ensemble of buildings, the Horniman Circle Gardens is one among the most dynamic urban design settlements in Mumbai with pioneering structures from British Colonial era.

Years of neglect since 1947 caused deep damage to this historic landmark of Mumbai. However, with an active citizen initiative, the Horniman Circle Gardens saw another phase of restoration. Today the Horniman Circle Garden Trust and the Horniman Circle Association are making some praiseworthy works of restoration of this colonial vestige.

One can easily reach Horniman Circle Gardens by boarding buses or trains, or by hiring autos or taxis from the city. Board a local or hire a taxi/auto or bus.