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History
Maidan is the largest open ground of Kolkata. The 400-hectare large ground is located in the heart of the city and stretches all the way from Chowringhee and Park Street in the east to Hooghly River and Strand Road in the West.
After the Black Hole Tragedy and a year after the win of the British East India Company in the Battle of Plassey, the British started the construction of Fort William in the year 1758 in the centre of the village, Gobindapur. The villagers were compensated and were given land in Taltala, Kumartuli and Shovabazar. The construction of Fort William was concluded in 1773. There was a tiger haunted forest that cut the village of Chowringhee off from the rest of the villages and settlements, and this forest was cleared giving access to and from the village to the rest of the villages. This cleared out land that connected the villages and led to expansion during the British Rule came to be known as Maidan. The Maidan was a hub for Europeans with all the activities taking place in this lush green, and airy open field.
The Maidan is nearly 3 kms length from north to south. The southern area of this field has the Kolkata Race Course and the Victoria Memorial adjoining it while the north end of the field gives you a spectacular view of the Raj Bhawan (Governor’s House). Almost all the political campaigns and other political activities take place here. The famous cricket stadium, Eden Gardens is situated on the Maidan. Besides the many parks located on the field, there are many other tourist sites around the area, including the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, the oldest Golf Club outside Great Britian. Mohun Bagan, Press Club, Kennel Club, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting are some of the many clubhouses surrounding the Maidan.
There are also a number of statues that adorn the Maidan, including statues of British governor-generals and other British personalities like Lord Curzon, Canning, Northbrook, Minto, Roberts and Kitchner. There are statues of Indian personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Pritilata Waddedar among others. The Maidan was initially also developed as a parade ground.
The Maidan is highly valued by the people of Kolkata and it is greatly admired by outsiders. This is where most of the residents and visitors of Kolkata come to unwind and relax on weekends and holidays. Due to the pollution in the area especially after functions and other political activities, there have been many cleaning and environmental control policies undertaken by the army and the government, in order to restore this heritage of Kolkata.
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Best time to visit
The best time to visit the Maidan is between October and March. The weather is pleasant and cool and you can sit out and relax in the field and have a good time. Summers and monsoon could make it difficult to be out in the open, because of the heat and the rains.
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Trivia
Maidan literally means ‘open ground,’ making it a very apt name for this largest open urban park of Kolkata.
The Maidan is the pride and glory of Kolkata and it has several major tourist attraction located in its vicinity.
It was originally named 'The Esplanade' by the British, but retained its name Maidan since then.
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Timing
The Maidan is open for visitors anytime during the day.
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Travel Tools
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