Shapla Square, Fountain and sculpture in Motijheel, Bangladesh
Shapla Square is an open public space in the Motijheel business district of Dhaka, dominated by a large stone water lily sculpture mounted on a raised platform. A fountain surrounds the base of the sculpture, and the whole structure sits at a busy road junction where several major streets meet.
The square was developed after Bangladesh's independence in 1971, on ground that had served as a mass grave during the Liberation War. The monument was built to mark that history and give the site a public identity after the conflict ended.
The water lily is the national flower of Bangladesh, and seeing it rendered in stone at the center of the capital's business district gives the square a particular weight. The name Shapla is the Bengali word for water lily, a plant deeply woven into everyday life and imagery across the country.
The square sits at one of Motijheel's main junctions and can be reached on foot from most parts of the business district. Visiting early in the morning or in the evening gives a clearer view of the sculpture, as midday traffic tends to make the surroundings very busy.
The petals of the stone water lily are angled so that water from the fountain flows along their surfaces before falling, giving the impression that the flower itself is releasing the water. At night, when the fountain is lit, the effect is quite different from what visitors see during the day.
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