An old limestone arch stands over a lane in Mumbai’s Cumballa Hill area, at the point where Bomanji Petit Lane meets Bhulabhai Desai Road. The lane leads toward the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital.
The hospital’s foundation stone was laid in 1907 by Sir George Clarke, then Governor of Mumbai. During that period, the hospital played an important role in the city’s outbreak of bubonic plague.
The arch is believed to have been built during the early years of the 20th century. When the hospital operated as a plague hospital, it marked the facility’s boundary and separated patients from the rest of the city.
Its ornate columns feature artistic, horse-shaped brackets. These elements may have carried a symbolic purpose, possibly intended to ward off evil energies.
Today, the structure serves as a reminder of Mumbai’s older heritage architecture and of the built features that once contributed to the city’s cultural identity.
Sources: Atlas Obscura.