Shaheed Minar (Ochterlony Monument)

Shaheed Minar stands at the north end of the Maidan near Esplanade and Dufferin Road in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It was built in 1828 as the Ochterlony Monument to commemorate Major General Sir David Ochterlony, a British East India Company officer who led forces in the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-1816, and who was also associated with campaigns in northern India. The column is about 48 metres tall, or roughly 157 feet, and was designed by J. P. Parker, mixing styles in a way that is unusual: the base is Egyptian, the column is Syrian, and the dome is Turkish, which has been described as a deliberate combination of three architectural traditions. A spiral staircase of about 218 steps climbs the shaft to a viewing gallery. After independence the tower was renamed Shaheed Minar, meaning martyrs' monument, in 1969, in memory of those who died in the freedom struggle, and a plaque was added. The Minar has been the site of major political gatherings. In 1931 the Indian National Congress held a large meeting here, and Left parties and others have held rallies at its foot, making it a symbol of public protest in the city. The column is made of brick and plastered, and it has been repainted and repaired over time. Access to the interior and the stairs has been limited for safety, so most visitors view the monument from the road or the Maidan. It lies close to the Esplanade bus terminus and the Curzon Park area, and is easy to reach by metro.