Shaheed Minar, Kolkata

For other uses, see Shahid Minar.
Shaheed Minar

The Shaheed Minar as seen from the Brigade Grounds.
Former names Ochterlony Monument
অক্টারলোনি মনুমেন্ট
General information
Status Used as a monument and owned by the Government of West Bengal.
Type Monument
Architectural style Foundation based on: Egyptian,
Column of: Syrian,
Cupola of: Turkish
Location Kolkata Maidan
Address 11, Rani Rashmoni Avenue
Town or city Kolkata, West Bengal
Country India
Coordinates 22°33′46″N 88°20′57″E / 22.56286°N 88.34923°E / 22.56286; 88.34923Coordinates: 22°33′46″N 88°20′57″E / 22.56286°N 88.34923°E / 22.56286; 88.34923
Construction started 1825
Completed 1828
Renovated 2011-present
Owner Government of West Bengal
Height 48 m (157 ft)
Design and construction
Other designers J.P. Parker

The Shaheed Minar (Bengali: শহীদ মিনার Shôhid Minar; English: Martyrs' Monument), formerly known as the Ochterlony Monument (Bengali: অক্টারলোনি মনুমেন্ট), is a monument in Kolkata that was erected in 1828 in memory of Major-general Sir David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India Company, to commemorate both his successful defense of Delhi against the Marathas in 1804 and the victory of the East India Company’s armed forces over the Gurkhas in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The monument was constructed in his memory. It was designed by J.P. Parker and paid for from public funds.[1]

In August 1969, it was rededicated to the memory of the martyrs of the Indian freedom movement and hence renamed the "Shahid Minar," which means "martyrs' monument" in both Bengali and Hindi, by the then United Front Government in memory of the martyrs of the Indian independence movement. The present government has decided to illuminate the tower during evenings and allow visitors to the top. The last persons who went up there were former governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and his family.[1][2][3]

Features

An old photo of Shaheed Minar (standing tall at right).

Entitled as the "Cloud kissing Monument" by Mark Twain, the Shaheed Minar is located at Esplanade in central Kolkata in the north east facet of the Maidan the tower is 48 m (157 ft) high. It has a foundation based on the Egyptian style.[4] The column is a combination of styles with a classical fluted column, a Syrian upper portion and a Turkish dome.[4] It has two balconies at the top. The top floor of the minar is accessible by a serpentine staircase, a total of 223 steps.[1][3][4] It has a total of 218 steps until the top of the tower.[4][5]

View of the Sahid Minar.

The monument was erected by Burn & Company.[6]

Shahid Minar Maidan

The vast field to the south of Shaheed Minar, is known as the Shaheed Minar Maidan or the Brigade Ground. It has a history of holding political rallies and fairs.[4] The first political meeting on the ground, was presided over by Rabindranath Tagore to condemn the killing of a youth in Hijli by the British in 1931.[3][4] The central bus terminus of the city is around the monument.[1]

Public use

In 1997, a tourist jumped off the lower balcony of the monument.[4] Since then if one wished to climb the steps of the monument, he or she had to acquire police permission.[4] They had to submit address proof and photo ID at the Lalbazar Police Headquarters, while tourists who are not from Calcutta had to submit documents from their hotel and foreigners had to submit a passport copy.[4]

The monument offers a bird's eye view of the city, and is similar to the London Eye.[4] The government has planned to open the monument to the public, after the renovation work is completed. The renovation work was started in late 2011 and will be completed in two phases. The first phase is scheduled to be completed by June 15, 2012, and is told to cost about ₹50 lakhs.[4] It will also take in account illuminating the monument, both from inside and outside and also giving the monument a fresh coat of paint. While, in the second phase a temporary folding stage will be set up at the foot of the 48 meters tall monument,[4] to avoid congestion at the Dorina Crossing, at time of rallies.

After the work is completed, both tourists and locals will have access to the top of the monument. Stalls selling, souvenirs (such as key rings, miniature replicas, postcards, etc. as seen in every tourist sites) will also be set up just in front of the monument, while the pathways leading to it will be cleaned and decorated with flowering plants.[4]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shaheed Minar, Kolkata.

References

Kolkata/Esplanade travel guide from Wikivoyage

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/21/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.