Legacy of the Maidans
It is 5 PM and Mumbai’s Fort is bustling with activity. The blazing sun is going down and as the scorching heat falls, throngs of people start making their way back home from work. And right in the middle of the city’s iconic Oval Maidan, young cricketers stir up a little dust-storm. With intersecting pitches and virtual boundaries, players from different teams run into each other, and some of the passers-by become a small part of their game as they attempt to dodge or catch an incoming ball. Take a walk through this legendary ground on any day, and you can easily witness several matches being played at the same time, making it both bizarre yet exhilarating!
The famous maidans of south Mumbai were once a part of a large stretch of open space called the Esplanade in the early 19th century, meant for military use. Once the Fort walls that surrounded the city were demolished, the Esplanade became prime property, and saw the rise of numerous majestic buildings that stand tall even today. The open spaces that remained in between were divided into four distinct sections: Cross and Azad maidans in the North, Oval at the centre and Cooperage in the south, making them the evening recreational zones for the residents; and truly, these maidans have seen it all. From the days of pitching tents and parades, to the nascent days of cricket between the British and Indians and protests for independence, it has finally evolved to be the hallowed grounds for training in cricket. While Oval and Cross Maidan formally have 6 and 9 pitches respectively, the 25 acre Azad Maidan boasts 22 pitches!
With the stunning Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus overlooking the Azad Maidan and the grand Gothic and Art Deco buildings flanking the Oval Maidan, these fields draw in people of various ages, even from the fringes of the city. Unlike expensive private clubs, these maidans are open to the public, and you will always find cricket lovers from all over the city flitting in with their scruffy set of stumps, a taped up bat, a battered ball and an enthusiasm to play. 24 year old Mahesh, a resident of Vile Parle finds himself coming all the way till Oval Maidan on his free days. “Even as a kid, I used to love playing cricket and would do so every day after school. I stayed in a small village near Hyderabad, and my happiest memories are of me playing cricket with my friends on a ground by a large pond. So, when I moved to Mumbai at the age of 21, I had to continue doing so.” Today with a group of over 40, Mahesh coordinates with his friends over Whatsapp and never hesitates to travel all the way for a sporty evening. “Sometimes we even play for money. Each team usually chips in and bets about Rs. 5000, and the winner of the match gets to take it all. On the days we win, the team ends up having a small party with our earnings and on the days we lose, we don’t really feel bad because we get to have a lot of fun!” says Mahesh.
On the other end of the spectrum, is Ujjwal Kumar, a professional coach with Aarey Bhaskar Academy in Goregaon. “I love cricket and I have played this sport for over 16 years. I used to come to these very Maidans as a child to practice and now I bring my students here for both tournaments and friendly matches.” Coaching children of ages 12 to 19 years, Ujjwal talks about their enthusiasm, “These kids make their way here from the outskirts of Mumbai, and never want to let go of any opportunity of playing their favourite sport. The only time they do stop playing is during their school exams and during monsoons. And it is not just us from the suburbs who come down here for the matches. Even the schools around this area schedule their tournaments, both football and cricket on these fields.”
If you believe that the maidan is busy on the weekdays, then wait till you witness the grounds on the weekends! Filled to the brim, if you take an aerial shot of the ground, when nearly all the pitches are in use, you’d think there was some intricate yet absurd game being played. The familiar sight of both formal and informal matches with overlapping boundaries and players jostling for room, makes these maidans not only a space for recreation, but a representation of Mumbai’s odd sense of order within chaos. And even as the players leave at nightfall and the dust settles on the ground, the sheer joy these grounds ignite keep blowing in the wind.
