Mumbai’s Fitzgerald Fountain at the Metro Cinema junction at Dhobi Talao, which has been recently restored, had an identical twin in the historic town of Northampton in England. The two identical cast iron fountains were made in a Northampton foundry during the Victorian era when the cast-iron industry was manufacturing some inspiring and remarkable products. These forty-five feet high jet and drinking fountains are considered to be among the greatest achievements in cast iron engineering, and formed unique landmarks in their public realms five thousand miles apart. At our Online Talk #FitzgeraldsJourney, two Northamptonians of Indian origin, Arun and Jyotsna Kotnis, will speak on the journey of these fountains to their destinations, and the fascinating social and cultural connectivity between Northampton and Mumbai.

About the speakers:

Arun Kotnis, Chartered Town Planner and Architect, is a Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. An Urban Designer, he was Head of Design and Conservation at Northampton Borough Council before embarking on his consultancy service. He has led on several planning and design projects including “Civitas” promoted by the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment and pioneered by HRH Prince Charles. Arun is a Trustee of the house in Northampton designed by the world famous Scottish Architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Jyotsna works as a Presenter/Broadcast Journalist with BBC Radio Northampton and has worked for BBC for over thirty-five years. She was a Magistrate on the Northampton Bench for twenty-four years and was awarded an MBE by her Majesty the Queen in 2011 for her services to the community.