Shaheed Minar

This tall fluted column rises from the northern edge of the Maidan and was originally erected in the 1820s to honour a British military commander. Renamed after independence to commemorate the martyrs of India's freedom struggle, it blends Egyptian, Syrian and Turkish architectural motifs across its shaft and capital. Standing roughly 48 metres high, it long served as a rallying point for political meetings on the open grounds below. Visitors can occasionally climb its internal stair for views over central Kolkata's parks and skyline.