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In 1909, [[H.E.A. Cotton]] wrote,{{quote|The great Maidan presents a most refreshing appearance to the eye, the heavy night dew, even in the hot season, keeping the grass green. Many of the fine trees with which it was once studded were blown down in the cyclone of 1864. But they have not been allowed to remain without successors, and the handsome avenues across the Maidan still constitute the chief glory of Calcutta. Dotting the wide expanse are a number of fine tanks, from which the inhabitants were content in former days to obtain their water-supply.<ref name = "Cotton220">Cotton, H.E.A., pp. 220–221.</ref>}} | In 1909, [[H.E.A. Cotton]] wrote,{{quote|The great Maidan presents a most refreshing appearance to the eye, the heavy night dew, even in the hot season, keeping the grass green. Many of the fine trees with which it was once studded were blown down in the cyclone of 1864. But they have not been allowed to remain without successors, and the handsome avenues across the Maidan still constitute the chief glory of Calcutta. Dotting the wide expanse are a number of fine tanks, from which the inhabitants were content in former days to obtain their water-supply.<ref name = "Cotton220">Cotton, H.E.A., pp. 220–221.</ref>}} | ||
In Bengali, the maidan is called 'Garh-er maath'. 'Garh', in Bengali, means fort and its meaning literally translates to the 'fort's ground'. | |||
[[File:Grand field day at Calcutta.jpg|thumb|180px|Grand field day on the ground, 1847]] | [[File:Grand field day at Calcutta.jpg|thumb|180px|Grand field day on the ground, 1847]] | ||
==Around the Maidan== | ==Around the Maidan== | ||
[[File:Shahid Minar Kolkata Arnab Dutta 2011.jpg|thumb|[[Shaheed Minar, Kolkata|Octerlony Monument (renamed Shaheed Minar)]]]] | [[File:Shahid Minar Kolkata Arnab Dutta 2011.jpg|thumb|[[Shaheed Minar, Kolkata|Octerlony Monument (renamed Shaheed Minar)]]]] | ||
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==Statues== | ==Statues== | ||
[[File:Footballstatuekolmaidan.jpg|thumb|Statue of [[Gostho Pal]] at Maidan]] | [[File:Footballstatuekolmaidan.jpg|thumb|left|Statue of [[Gostho Pal]] at Maidan]] | ||
[[File:King Edward VII Arch VictoriaMemorial Kolkata closeShot.JPG|thumbnail|left|The King Edward | [[File:King Edward VII Arch VictoriaMemorial Kolkata closeShot.JPG|thumbnail|left|The King Edward VII Arch near the Victoria Memorial]] | ||
The Maidan was dotted with statues of British governor generals and other eminent personalities of the British Raj, including [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|Lord Curzon]], [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|Kitchener]], [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Roberts]], [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto|Minto]], [[Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook|Northbrook]], [[Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning|Canning]] and others who had known Kolkata well. Two or three of them were erected in the first few years of Indian independence in 1947; it was not until 1983 that the last 16 were removed.<ref>Moorhouse, Geoffrey, ''Calcutta, the City Revealed'', first published 1971, Penguin Books 1986 edition, p. 227, {{ISBN|0-14-009557-8}} | The Maidan was dotted with statues of British governor generals and other eminent personalities of the British Raj, including [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|Lord Curzon]], [[Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|Kitchener]], [[Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts|Roberts]], [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto|Minto]], [[Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook|Northbrook]], [[Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning|Canning]] and others who had known Kolkata well. Two or three of them were erected in the first few years of Indian independence in 1947; it was not until 1983 that the last 16 were removed.<ref>Moorhouse, Geoffrey, ''Calcutta, the City Revealed'', first published 1971, Penguin Books 1986 edition, p. 227, {{ISBN|0-14-009557-8}}</ref> | ||
==Events== | ==Events== | ||
===Political rallies=== | ===Political rallies=== | ||
Geoffrey Moorhouse in 1978 presents a vivid description of a [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] (CPI(M)) rally on the Maidan: | Geoffrey Moorhouse in 1978 presents a vivid description of a [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] (CPI(M)) rally on the Maidan: | ||
{{quote|They generally start about tea time, they rarely finish before nine o’clock… they are masterly exhibitions of organisation… The platform is high so that everyone on it will be visible at a great distance, and it is large enough to accommodate twenty or thirty… it is illuminated with spotlights, it flutters with red flags, and it has huge red backcloth upon which Lenin is straining resolutely forward from a thicket of banners. Everything is perfectly under control… as they sit there upon the ground, row after attentive row of them, a brigade of young women to the fore… distantly across the Maidan people have climbed trees and others are packed standing on top of the Esplanade tram shelters… there must be a hundred thousand here altogether… the leaders come through the guard of honour to the platform…it is only when [[Promode Dasgupta]] and [[Hare Krishna Konar]] are having their say… theirs is the oratory that sends men delirious with dreams, that can set a rabble to a march of destruction… when the speeches are done, the leaders begin to sing the [[Internationale]]… all over the crowd torches are swiftly lit and held high in flaring salute…<ref>Moorhouse, Geoffrey, pp. 154-155</ref>}} | {{quote|They generally start about tea time, they rarely finish before nine o’clock… they are masterly exhibitions of organisation… The platform is high so that everyone on it will be visible at a great distance, and it is large enough to accommodate twenty or thirty… it is illuminated with spotlights, it flutters with red flags, and it has huge red backcloth upon which Lenin is straining resolutely forward from a thicket of banners. Everything is perfectly under control… as they sit there upon the ground, row after attentive row of them, a brigade of young women to the fore… distantly across the Maidan people have climbed trees and others are packed standing on top of the Esplanade tram shelters… there must be a hundred thousand here altogether… the leaders come through the guard of honour to the platform…it is only when [[Promode Dasgupta]] and [[Hare Krishna Konar]] are having their say… theirs is the oratory that sends men delirious with dreams, that can set a rabble to a march of destruction… when the speeches are done, the leaders begin to sing the [[Internationale]]… all over the crowd torches are swiftly lit and held high in flaring salute…<ref>Moorhouse, Geoffrey, pp. 154-155</ref>}} | ||
===Book fair controversy=== | ===Book fair controversy=== | ||