Hutatma Chowk

An ode to Maharashtra's forefathers

Word to the wise: Hutatma Chowk translates to "Martyr's Square".
Noteworthy for: The square's heritage-listed Flora Fountain portrays the Roman Goddess of spring - Flora.

Originally known as Flora Fountain after the ornate water feature built here in the 19th century, this lovely square in Mumbai's financial district surrounded by Raj-era buildings was given its current moniker after a peaceful demonstration in 1960 turned into a bloodbath as police opened fire, resulting in more than 100 deaths.
The Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti, or United Maharashtra Committee, led the call in the 1950s for the creation of a separate Marathi-speaking state separate from the then-bilingual State of Bombay, with Bombay (now Mumbai) as its capital. Commemorated by a statue, 'Martyr with a Flame' in Hutatma Chowk, the deaths of these campaigners were a major impetus for the divison of the old state of Bombay, now known respectively as Maharashtra and Gujarat.