A look at the newly restored Ruttonsee Mulji fountain, built by a father for his son.

The Ruttonsee Mulji Memorial is a stone fountain built in the Indo-Saracenic style, and situated at the junction of the PD’Mello Road (Old Frere) and the Mint Road. This fountain was built by a Bhatia merchant to honor the memory of his 15-year-old son Dharamsee who had died at 15.

A marble plaque on the side facing the Asiatic Library—another plaque on the opposite side (facing the Mint) has a similar inscription in Gujarati—which proclaims, “This fountain was erected by Ruttonsee Muljee Esquire, in memory of his late and only son Dharamsee whose statue crowns the structure. The fountain was presented to the corporation of this city for the benefit of the public on 8th Jan 1894.”

“ The fountain was erected 120 years ago by businessman-philanthropist Ruttonsee Mulji Esquire, in memory of his late and only son Dharamsee.”

HISTORY OF THE FOUNTAIN

The fountain was designed by thewell-known 19th century architect,Frederick William Stevens, and thesculptor was John Griffiths, the headof Sir JJ School of Art, which was thenknown as Bombay School of Art.In Mumbai, like in other Indian cities,fountains were erected in memory ofimportant people or to commemoratean event. Benefactors of the city often

donated drinking water fountains which were either free standing structures or were combined with drinking water troughs for horses or cattle. There are many other significant fountains at different city squares like Flora fountain, Wellington Fountain, Emerson designed fountain at Crawford Market, and a fountain in the courtyard of the BMC office. However, the Ruttonsee Mulji Memorial fountain stands out because of the architectural style that it is built in. Indo-Saracenic was a style createdby the British in an effort to merge the British and Indian sensibilities. Also, in this case, the sponsor was an Indian businessman and the fountain was located in the native quarters of the Fort area.

TOWNSCAPE

The Ruttonsee Mulji Memorial fountain is located strategically at the intersection of three significant roads, namely the Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Mint Road and Pherozshah Mehta Road. It is also in the vicinity of the Fort market and was set in a traffic island or a roundabout. The sculpture of the boy atop the fountain looks southwards in the direction of the Town hall area and thereby the White Town (i.e. the European Quarter). Interestingly, the sculptures that incorporate British/European figures like Queen Victoria, Flora Fountain, and others face northwards, i.e. the native town.

ARCHITECTURE

The Indo-Saracenic style incorporated elements such as oriental domes, forming cupolas and chatris, chajjas, minarets, use of jali, local flora and fauna, and animal sculptures. It is an interesting composition featuring a large circular trough with four cardinal points that feature four miniature domed pavilions, which then start ascending vertically in a pyramidal fashion. There is an octagonal drum at the centre with trough and a domed octagonal pavilion; the dome features the statue of a boy reading a book. The fountain had provision for drinking water from two troughsnamely East and West and North and South trough was for animals.

TYPOLOGY

The fountain is composed of three major elements. The fountain is atop with a sculpture of the boy, with a book in his hand, facing the Asiatic Library at the apex. Below him, a rounded domed octagonal pavilion, with an octa-style colonnade, stands above a shallow basin on the second level, and another octastyle colonnade stands on a base above a large pool on the lowest level.

Around the pool there are a series of four miniature-domed pavilions, equidistant from one another. Two of these contain drinking fountains for the public, while the lower trough, which is larger, offered water to animals. There are 9 jets of water at the top-most cupola; 8 radiate out to the lower trough.

TYPOLOGY

The fountain is composed of three major elements. The fountain is atop with a sculpture of the boy, with a book in his hand, facing the Asiatic Library at the apex. Below him, a rounded domed octagonal pavilion, with an octa-style colonnade, stands above a shallow basin on the second level, and another octastyle colonnade stands on a base above a large pool on the lowest level.

Around the pool there are a series of four miniature-domed pavilions, equidistant from one another. Two of these contain drinking fountains for the public, while the lower trough, which is larger, offered water to animals. There are 9 jets of water at the top-most cupola; 8 radiate out to the lower trough.

PRIOR TO RESTORATION

The fountain has been in a non-operative state for the last few decades and subsequently has fallen into disrepair. Many of the ornate elements are missing or damaged. The busts of these animal water spouts have been defaced over time.

Earlier uninformed interventions have caused the construction of an RCC slab covering the ground trough and subsequently this has been filled with refuse. The stones were painted upon in different layers of paint too. The trough was used as residence by squatters.

CURRENT STATE

With careful investigations and trials on Flora Fountain’s water engineering, we could crack the redundant water engineering repairs. The other important aspect was to restore the aesthetics of the monument by repairing the missing and damaged elements and cleaning the monument to expose its original surfaces. These were done by traditional stone craftsmen using stone materials. Moreover, it is ideal to restore the landscaping and the immediate vicinity of the monument provided there are caretakers or permanent security staff to look after it as the vandalism level is fairly high.

“GBF played a key role in bringing the poor condition of the Ruttonsee Mulji fountain to the attention of the BMC Authorities, including then Corporator Mr. Ganesh Sanap. We are glad that these efforts paid off and the BMC restored this proud Bhatia monument to its original glory.”