Azad Maidan (formerly known as ''Bombay Gymkhana Maidan'') is a triangular-shaped maidan (sports ground) in the city of

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It is located on of land near the

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), also known sometimes as Victoria Terminus (VT), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The ter ...

station. It is a regular venue for inter-school cricket matches. The name ''Azad'' means "liberty" in Persian. The ground is known for its

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

pitches, for protest meetings, and for political rallies. The

Bombay Gymkhana The Bombay Gymkhana, established in 1875, is a premier private members' club in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located at the triangular end of Azad Maidan in the Fort area of South Mumbai and is in close proximity of Chhatrapati Shivaji ...

clubhouse was built in 1875, at the southern end of the maidan. Every year, Sunni Annual Ijtema is held at Azad Maidan.

History

The vast expanses of land of the Oval Maidan, Azad Maidan, Cooperage Ground and Cross Maidan until the early 20th century formed the area known as Esplanade.

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

addressed the largest ever political meeting at Azad Maidan in December 1931.

Cricket

The ground hosts twenty-two cricket pitches. The cricket pitches at the ground have produced many international cricketers. On 20 November 2013, Prithvi Shaw created history with 546 runs and in 1987

Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who List of India national cricket captains#Men's cricket, captained the Indian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketer ...

and Vinod Kambli shared a huge 664 run record partnership during a ''Harris Shield'' school match at Azad Maidan. In 2009,

Sarfaraz Khan Sarfarāz Khān ( 1700 – 29 April 1740), born ''Mīrza Asadullāh'', was a Nawab of Bengal. Sarfaraz Khan's maternal grandfather, Nawab Murshid Quli Khan of Bengal (Bengal, Bihar and Orissa) nominated him as the direct heir to him as there ...

scored 439 runs in a Harris Shield match at Azad Maidan. Azad Maidan plays host to a number of cricket matches throughout the year, including Inter-School and Club matches.

Other notable events

CM swearing-in ceremony

Mumbai's Azad Maidan, a historic ground known for hosting major political and public events, will witness yet another significant moment 05-12-2024 at 5:30 PM. The iconic venue, synonymous with freedom struggles and mass gatherings, continues to be a symbol of democratic traditions as it prepares to host the swearing-in ceremony amidst grand arrangements and tight security.

References

Maidans in India Year of establishment missing {{India-sports-venue-stub

History

Cricket

Other notable events

CM swearing-in ceremony

See also

References