Ramlila Maidan

The Ramlila ground was initially a pond, which was filled up in the early 1930s

Tucked away between New Delhi Railway Station and Delhi Gate in the capital is a rectangular playground roughly thrice the size of a football field. This has been the venue for major religious festivals, political rallies, demonstrations and entertainment events since before Independence.

The ground, which can host nearly 100,000 people, has lately seen a surge in attendance. First, for Baba Ramdev’s rally against corruption in June this year, and now in support of Anna Hazare.

The playground was initially a pond, which was filled up in the early 1930s to organise Ram Lila celebrations. That’s how the place got its name. The ground witnessed several rallies during India’s freedom struggle. Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, MA Jinnah and other top leaders all addressed crowds here. The maidan also held condolence meetings after the death of India’s first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, in 1963, and then of Nehru in 1964.

The current rostrum for speakers, where Hazare is perched today, was constructed in 1962, when Queen Elizabeth visited India. Since then, it has become a permanent fixture at the south-east corner. 

The maidan again became a political hotspot in June 1975 when Jayaprakash Narayan assembled prominent opposition leaders to address a mammoth crowd calling for Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s resignation. Gandhi rejected the demands and declared the Emergency.

Lately, the ground and its gatherings have kept the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on its toes. Monsoon rains, lack of civic sense and rampant littering by the crowds have sanitation workers working in shifts at the ground.

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Arindam Mukherjee