In Mumbai’s Cumballa Hill area, there is a really old arch over a lane. The lane goes towards The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital.
The foundation stone of the hospital was laid in 1907 by Sir George Clarke, the then Governor of Mumbai. The hospital played a very important role during the outburst of the bubonic plague in Mumbai during that era.
It is believed that this arch was built sometime during the early years of the 20th century. Back in the day, when the hospital served as a plague hospital, the arch marked the boundary of the hospital, isolating the plague patients from the rest of the city. The artistic horse shaped brackets on the arch’s ornate columns may have been designed symbolically to ward off evil energies.
The arch is a reminder of old heritage architecture which once gave a distinct identity to the culture of the city.