Fodor's Expert Review The Maidan

Maidan, the green lungs of the city, and loved and prized by its people, stretches from the governor's house in the north to the National Library in the south, the Hooghly in the west, and the iconic Victoria Memorial in the east. The historic fields were created when the forests around the water bodies in the area were cleared out for the British army stationed at Fort William. The Maidan is now home to cricket fields, Eden Gardens, clubhouses of popular football (soccer) leagues, stadiums, monuments, statues of both British generals and Indian leaders, and a racecourse. Mornings see fitness enthusiasts and sports teams take to the grounds, while evenings are for families and couples enjoying the pony rides and fountains.