Ratansi Muljii Fountain was built in 1894 and was designed by F.W. Stevens.

It is the
experimental Indo-Saracenic style.Ratansi Mulji, a Bhatia freight broker,erected this structure in
the memory of his deceasond son,Dharamsi,who died prematurely at the age of fifteen because
of TB or plague.
The fountain stands at the junction of the Mint Road and the Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg(Frere
Road).
The design work of the fountain began in 1892.Stevens in collaboration with sculptor John
Griffiths planned the foundation thoroughly in 1892. Warden and company executed it. The
fountain comprises three elements. A sculpture boy is at the apex.The second level has a round
domed octagonal pavilion with an octa-style colonnade that stands above a shallow basin. Then
there is another octa-style colonnade that stands on a base above the lowest levellarge pool.
A series of four miniature domes and equidistant pavilions are seen around the pool.Two of
them contained drinking water fountains for the public,while the larger pool offered water to
the animals. A number of jets of water,some emanating from elephant’s trunk,other from lion’s
head,etc. must have then added beauty to the structure. The lower basin and troughs for
animals and the steps and base of the central portion are crafted in blue basalt stone. White
marble is used for the upper basin.It is supported by polished red granite columns with white
moulded base and carved caps. The elephants’ projecting heads with their trunks spouting
water are seen. Blue polished Abardeen granite columns with moulded and carved caps and
bases support the white dome.John Griffiths,who was the former principal of J.J. School of art ,
under his guidance,made the artistic details of the fountain. Mr.H.M Birdwood,member of
Municipal Council,on 8th of Janurary 1894,performed the opening ceremony. The cost of the
structure was Rs.23,000/-. The fountain is located opposite the Fort Market and hence when
functional, the water of this fountain must have been a boon to both animals and human
beings.

The term fountain includes ornamental and drinking fountains.The drinking fountains are
popularly called pyaavs in Indian language. Pyaavs can be sub-divided in those for human
drinking and animal drinking. Those pyaavs that catered to the purpose of providing water for
animals were called troughs.Both the ornamental and drinking water fountains serve two
different purposes. The ornamental ones are a symbol of beautification either in the
frameworkof city planning or in the private compounds of a mansion,hospital or a prayer
house.

Many fountains came up in the city subsequently. Presently,there are found forty-eight
fountains in the city of the pre-independence period. The idea of erection of fountains in the
city of Bombay took root during the governorship of sir bartle frere (1862-1867). The drinking
fountains are the memorabilia as water chairities. Though In the overall town-planning of
Bombay,especially ornamental fountains created their own artistic space. They even play a key
role when it comes to urban planning the city.
BHATIA FAMILY( THE ONES WHO MADE MUMBAI AND THIS FOUNTAIN)
The Bhatia community had migrated to Mumbai during the 18th century from Kutch &
Saurashtra in modern Gujarat & Rajasthan. Historical records indicate that this community had
its roots in Bhatia a town in Multan. They claimed to be Yadu Vanshi Kshatriyas who ruled over
that region.
For various reasons,the community then migrated to Mathura,Allahabad,Haridwar,and to many
other places in northern India. But records point out that they had finally returned to Jaisalmer.
In fact, the famous Jaisalmer fort was constructed by a Bhatia rulerin 1156 AD.When Allaudin
Khilji attacked Jaisalmer in 1306 A.D , the Bhatias migrated to Kutch and the aforesaid
mentioned regions.

It is interesting to observe their trail of migrations, because it was once remarked that the
Bhatias from “an equestarian order,came to be converted into a commercial order.”

While in Kutch and its surrounding enclaves many of the Bhatias were engaged in
trade.Later,some of them went to Muscat and South Africa.They constructed and possessed
several sailing boats. They were so involved in trading activities that they developed a port in
Mandvi,Kutch.
But it was Bombay that attracted the attention of the Bhatias.They foresaw in its natural harbor
tremendous opportunities for growth.Moreover at that time the East India Company was
transforming the face of Bombay.
Thus, we have Jivraj Baloo,the first Bhatia to arrive in Bombay in 1770 AD. Thereafter, waves of
Bhatia population journeyed to Bombay and settled near the port and market places in South
Bombay.

As per the census report 1881, the entire Bombay has 9417 Bhatias.Gradually the Bhatias
moved towards the Western and Eastern suburbs of Bombay.
While in Bombay , the Bhatias proved to be a pioneering indigenous group of contributing
greatly towards the growth and progress of Bombay.
In the economic,sphere their contribution was magnanimous.Some of the leading industrial
luminaries of Bombay in the 18th and 19th centuries respectively,were a galaxy of Bhatias like
Jivraj Baloo, Goculdas Tejpal,Lakshmidas Khimji, the Morarjees,Khataus and Vissanjis.
Their works and several ventures provided employement opportunities for numerous workers.
It is this factor that enabled Bombay to emerge as the premier industrial city and port-city of
India.

Bhatias have always thought if community development, right from education to medical
institutions. During the 18th century the city of Bombay was in sheer need of water charity and
hence this could have been the thought behind building this fabulous structure which stands at
a junction playing the role of a land mark and traffic island in the present time.

COMPARISON ALL OVER THE WORLD

The history of fountains stretches back thousands of years, to ancient Crete and Greece, where
fountains were fundamental building blocks of early urban life. People came to some and filled
up jugs of water, while others were basically public sculptures that incorporated moving water.
But it wasn't until the second half of the 19th century that anyone thought of building a
fountain specifically for individual people to drink water on the go. In 1859, a group of wealthy
Londoners, responding to outbreaks of cholera spread by filthy water, formed a group called
the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain Association, dedicated to the construction of public
drinking fountains in the city using private funds. At the time, many poor people got their water
from private companies that hauled it directly from the Thames, which was increasingly
polluted by human waste and other effluvia of city life. Free, filtered water was a major boon.
The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain Association opened its first drinking fountain in April
1859 -- and thousands gathered to watch it be turned on. The drinking fountain was so popular
that the association opened hundreds more across the U.K. in the decades that followed. By
1879, there were almost 800 drinking fountains in London alone. Many of the fountains also
included accommodations for watering horses, cows and dogs. In 1867, the name of the group
was changed to the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association to
acknowledge this part of the mission.

Though the look of the large edifice housing fountains varied across the decades and from place
to place, the central mechanism was remarkably consistent. It featured three main
components: A spigot that sent out a continual stream of fresh water, a basin for collecting the
water, and a metal cup, attached by chain to the edifice, that was kept in the basin of water.
Thirsty passers-by would grab the metal cup and drink it dry, then put it back into the basin of
water.

Around the turn of the 20th century, health advocates realized that was a terrible idea. The first
major figure to speak out against the so-called common cup was Massachusetts Institute of
Technology professor William T. Sedgwick, but other public health thinkers followed over the
next decade, publishing studies demonstrating that common cups were capable of spreading
disease. "Ban The Cup" campaigns convinced almost every state to pass laws between 1909 and
1912 making common cups illegal.
The proprietors of public drinking fountains sought alternate ways of dispensing water. One
popular solution was to replace the permanent cup with disposable paper cups, which were
invented in 1907. That way, water fountain patrons could still enjoy the same satisfying drinking
process they always had, without spreading disease.
More often, though, they installed what were then called "sanitary drinking fountains," which
required no cup at all. Though these had existed at least since 1900, they only became
widespread after the "Ban the Cup" movement took hold. Sanitary drinking fountains came in
various shapes and sizes, but most early ones featured a spigot that shot a jet of water straight
into the air, like a miniature geyser.

In recent years, various forces -- including Peter Gleick, not to mention the EPA -- have tried to
reverse the movement against drinking fountains. They argue that the consumption of bottled
water is wasteful, on several levels, and that we should embrace drinking fountains as a more
sustainable, economic alternative. Some have proposed installing new, better drinking
fountains, such as the one pictured above in London's Hyde Park, as a way to encourage their
use. There's even an app that helps people find drinking fountains in public places. It's too early
to say whether these efforts will succeed. But if the last 150 years have shown anything, it's
that drinking fountains are resilient