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A fountain in the Raikhand area of Ahmedabad, built 104 years ago by Dr Byramji Hormasjee Nanavatty and his wife Dhanbai in memory of their son Phiroze who died at the young age of 19, is to be restored. The heritage fountain with a unique design is of historic value and will be refurbished by the heritage department, reported Ahmedabad Mirror (AM) on March 14, 2016. Located in Victoria Garden, it was handed over to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to maintain.
Built of stone, the fountain has carvings of children on it. The face of a male carved in the middle of the stand of the fountain is believed to be that of Phiroze, though there is no proof to substantiate this, mentions AM. It also has two marble plaques which have eulogies dedicated to Phiroze in English and Gujarati. A verse from the Bible which reads: "Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away” is also inscribed on the piece, notes AM.
"Over the years the fountain has suffered severe wear and tear. Now that the road outside the garden has been widened, the fountain is visible from the main road. So, we decided to restore it to its former glory (in the hope that it) will become a major crowd puller,” said Amit Patel, additional city engineer (Heritage), of the AMC. Though somewhat damaged, the fountain is structurally sound, Bharti Patel, assistant city engineer (heritage), who will supervise the restoration process, informed AM, adding "we will restore the fountain in a traditional manner using Dhrangadhra stones. We will also get it chemically cleaned to restore its original beauty.”
"Phiroze’s death left Byramji and his wife heartbroken. But they decided to ensure that his memory would live on,” Aspy Bharucha, whose mother was a cousin of Phiroze shared with AM. The relative also informed the newspaper that Phiroze, nicknamed Ball, died on December 26, 1910. Byramji was the first gynecologist in Ahmedabad to get a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS), a reputed degree from England. The couple also had two daughters, Frenny and Bachoo, a doctor, both of whom were philanthropists.
The Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayet (APP) expressed happiness at the move and thanked the AMC for its initiative, reported AM.  Porus Karanjawalla, former APP trustee, kindly arranged for photographs of the fountain at Parsiana’s request.