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The massive building of Bombay High Court lies on the northeastern side of the Oval Maidan. It follows the Victorian Neo-Gothic style of architecture and was constructed by Col. James A. Fuller of the Royal Engineers. The building was completed in 1878 and is 562 feet (171 m) long and 187 feet (57 m) wide. The central part of the western side is an elevated section flanked by two octagonal towers. The towers are crowned with the statues of Justice and Mercy. The Bombay High Court is best viewed and photographed from the Oval Maidan.
The Bombay High Court is the high court of the states of Maharashtra and Goa in India, and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It is seated primarily at Mumbai, also known as Bombay, and is one of the oldest high courts in India. The High Court has circuit benches at Nagpur, Aurangabad and Kolhapur in Maharashtra and at Porvorim in Goa.
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The convocation hall of the University of Mumbai, built between 1869 and 1874. Designed by Londoner Sir George Gilbert Scott who never visited Bombay, the building is named after Cowasji Jehangir Readymoney who funded the construction. The building contains a circular stained glass window at the front with designs of the Zodiac signs, and a semi-circular chancel at the back.
Similar to the Big Ben of London, the tower was built in a fusion of Venetian and Gothic styles. It is built out of the locally available buff-coloured Kurla stone. The tower has one of the best-stained glass windows in the city. The ground floor has two side rooms, each measuring 140 m². The tower forms a carriage porch 2.4 m², and a spiral staircase vestibule of 2.6 m². The tower, over the carriage porch, has a square form up to the gallery at the top of the first level which is at a height of 20.7 m from the ground. The form changes from a square to an octagon and the height from this gallery to the top of the tower is 36 m and the third stage to the top of the finial is 28.7 m, thus making a total height of 85 m. It chimes every 15 minutes. The Rajabai Clock Tower is best viewed and photographed from the Oval Maidan.
Flora Fountain is an ornamental fountain dedicated to the Roman Goddess Flora. The walls of the Bombay Fort were demolished in 1862 and the gate leading to the church was replaced by the Flora Fountain in 1864. It was built at a cost of ₹64,000 or £9,000. The Flora Fountain is surrounded by several Victorian-era buildings. In 1960, the square was renamed "Hutatma Chowk" (Martyr's Square) in memory of the people who laid their lives during the birth of the state of Maharashtra. Next to the Flora Fountain stands a stone statue in memory of the martyrs. The statue consists of a pair of martyrs holding a torch.
The oldest Zoroastrian temple in Mumbai, built in 1709. It has a fortress-like structure.
A large urban open space in the heart of Mumbai. It covers an area of and is oval in shape and hence the name Oval Maidan. It is a recreational ground with cricket and football being the most popular sports. The ground is also used by morning and evening walkers. The park is maintained by the Oval-Cooperage Residents Association, and all sorts of functions, picnics and political rallies are banned in the park. The park has been fenced off and a jogging track added along the inner periphery. A paved lane cut through the diameter of the ground to facilitate a smoother thoroughfare. On the northern side of the Oval Maidan lies the Western Railway Office. The eastern side is flanked by the Old Secretariat Building, Rajabai Clock Tower of Mumbai University and the Bombay High Court. The eastern side of the Oval Maidan is lined with a series of Art Deco buildings.
formerly Watson's Hotel
It was once one of the most posh hotels in the area, now in a pathetic condition due to negligence. There's a popular myth that Jamsetji Tata was refused entry to the hotel and he went on to build the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel near the Gateway of India. However, there's no evidence behind this story, and it's mainly shared to highlight his success stories.