Purely out of habit, and buoyed, of course, by an undying love for all things that spell heritage, this journalist has almost always looked out for interesting faces and figurines that grace our monumental structures, gates and buildings while on taxi and bus rides across the city. And, on most occasions, the faces on these walls have left one with more of a frown on the face.u00a0Take the faces of many great minds that can be spotted on the outer façade of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus offices — most noteworthy of all being the driving force and architect par excellence of the Central Railway headquarters —Frederick William Stevens.

It makes for a sorry picture, putting it mildly. Hours of fine sculpture and artistry that went into creating picture-perfect replicas of these visionaries have gone to naught. Walk down Dr DN Road, towards Flora Fountain, and the sordid story gets grimmer. Rapidly losing its charm and any sense of recognition, due to poor upkeep, and the city’s harsh tropical weather, most of the detailing on these walls and buildings cease to exist — it has either been chipped off, crumbled away or been defaced, completely.