Horniman Circle Gardens is a huge park of Mumbai,
which sprawls over an area of 10.101 sq m. It is located in the Fort
District of South Mumbai. The park is situated amidst premier banks and
was initially known as Bombay Greens. Horniman Circle Garden dates back
to the 18th Century, when it was laid down with the purpose of providing
an open space to the locals living in the walled city area. Since the
garden has been planted with trees of every season; it blossoms with
lush greenery throughout the year.
Beautifully constructed and meticulously planned sidewalks surround it
from all the sides. Horniman Circle Garden was renamed for the first
time when it was given the name of Elphinstone Circle, after Lord
Elphinstone (the then Governor). With time, the condition of the garden
deteriorated and it started becoming a ground for dumping debris. It was
only at the hands of Charles Forjett, the then Police Commissioner, that
efforts were put in to restore the long-lost glory of the Horniman
Circle Gardens.
For the purpose, he gathered support from other people too, like Lord
Mountstuart Elphinstone and Sir Bartle Frère. With the arrival of
the year 1872, the garden was completely overhauled and given a new look
altogether. However, its name continued to be Elphinstone Circle only.
The name 'Horniman Circle Gardens' was accorded to the garden after
India's independence. It was named as such in the honor of Benjamin
Horniman, a pro-freedom editor of the Bombay Chronicle.
The garden has been designed keeping in mind the Park Crescent of
London. The neoclassical arcade of Horniman Circle Gardens is situated
bang opposite a small park. Apart from a park, the complex comprises of
a Historic Asiatic Society Library also. There is a circular assembly of
buildings in the park, adding to its splendor. The design and
architecture of the garden, along with the buildings situated within its
premises, remind one of the colonial era. Presently, Horniman Circle
Garden is being managed by the Horniman Circle Garden Trust.
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