Notable citizens of Mumbai who played a leading role in the establishment of Jijamata Bhonsle Udyan include Jagannath Shankarshet, David Sassoon, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad, George Birdwood, and Sir Jamsetji Jeejeebhoy. The garden was named after Queen Victoria to mark the transfer of power from the East India Company directly to the British Crown (in 1858).
The Agri Horticultural Society had first started a botanical garden at Sewri, but it didn't catch on. The garden became popular after the site shifted to Byculla. The garden started as a repository of exotic plants, herbs and trees, which the British had collected from Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar, China, Sri Lanka, India and other British colonies.
The 35-foot-tall Frere Temple was designed by William Tracey, an engineer of the Public Works Department who also designed the Victoria and Albert Museum (Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum) and the triple-arched gateway at the entrance to the Garden. The temple cost ₹ 42,000, which was raised through public subscription. The central part of the rotunda is open to the sky.
This statue of Jijabai Bhonsle and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as a young boy was installed at Jijamata Udyan in 1992. The statues are made of pure bronze and are around 9 feet high. In 2022, a copper meghdambari (royal umbrella) was placed over the statue by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation at a cost of ₹43 lakhs.
Marble bust of Sheth Hargovandas Jeevandas, who sponsored the bandstand at Jijamata Udyan. He belonged to the Kapol Bania community and was born at Talaja, Bhavnagar, in 1874. In 1932, he started the Mahalaxmi Mills at Bhavnagar. As a businessman, Sheth Hargovandas took a leading part in public affairs and was a trustee in several charitable institutions in Mumbai.
The central allegorical figure of - Charity, grasping a sword (symbol of justice) with her right hand and sheltering a young boy holding a dove (symbol of peace). The figure is in a seated position with her head tilted towards the left.
Detail of brackets supporting the parapet, Ardeshir Dadysett pyaav. The pair of Dadysett pyaavs at Jijamata Udyan were commissioned together and are identical in design and size. They are made from the same materials, Porbander and Malad Stone.
Inscribed in English within an arched niche, the name of the pyaav and its erection for public use by Javerbai, widow of Seth Narsidas Devidas, in memory of her son Seth Samaldas Narsidas. The year of installation (1903) is mentioned at the bottom. The Gujarati translation is inscribed on the opposite face of the pyaav.