The Shaheed Minar is a monument in Kolkata that was erected in...

The Shaheed Minar 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 Marathasin 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. On 9 August 1969 it was rededicated to the memory of the martyrs of the Indian freedom movement and renamed the “Shaheed Minar,” which means “martyrs’ monument” in both Bengaliand Hindi. Entitled as the "Cloud kissing Monument" by Mark Twain, the Shaheed Minar is located at Esplanadein central Kolkata in the north east facet of the Maidan the tower is 48 metres (157 ft) high. It has a foundation based on the Egyptian style. The column is a combination of styles with a classical fluted column, a Syrian upper portion, and a Turkish dome. It has two balconies at the top. The top floor of the minar is accessible by a serpentine staircase, a total of 223 steps. It has a total of 218 steps until the top of the tower. 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 being the site of political rallies and fairs. 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. The central bus terminus of the city is around the monument. The monument offers a bird’s-eye view of the city, and is similar to the London Eye. by Famous Places in India

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