“If we are to preserve culture, we must continue to create it.”
Johan Huizinga
Shivaji Park Katta – Where Sports meet Culture
Culture. A constant evolving way of life for a people of an area, geographical or otherwise. Once, only classical performances were culture, so was evening high tea and theatre. And in a populous country like India, hanging out with friends at an open ground counted as a culture too. So emerged Katta, a platform or bench around a tree or walled periphery. A meeting place for people to talk and exchange ideas and gossip too!
Shivaji Park is an iconic recreation ground in Dadar West Mumbai, existing since 1925. Calling it a ground is an insult, as it represents what Mumbai’s cultural fabric stands for. A pride for the Maratha king, Chhatrapati Shivaji, and the cradle of sports.
The Katta
Shivaji Park is the largest open ground in Mumbai, with an outer circumference of 1.17 kms (0.73 miles). A low boundary wall runs along this periphery lined with trees which makes the Katta. The oval perimeter allows for distinct groups to claim a portion of the Katta as their own. If the northeast is for the senior ladies, the senior gentlemen stake claim to the northern wall. Families populate the eastern edge, whereas the southern and western by the youth.
Two temples line this boundary, the ubiquitous Ganesh temple and one of Kaali, within the premises of the Bengal Club. The club has one of the most popular Durga Pooja celebrations in Mumbai.
Sports – A Culture
Shivaji Park is the mecca of Indian cricket. The rite of passage for every cricketer worth his or her salt is through it. Its finest and most famous is no less than the God of cricket – Sachin Tendulkar. But again, these 28 acres are not just about cricket. It is the training ground for the indigenous sports of Mallakhamb and Kabaddi. Athletes, marathoners, and yoga enthusiasts also claim the park as their own.
Open air gymnasiums and clubs, play areas for children, and a small enclosure unique to Mumbai – a senior citizens’ garden, all find a place at Shivaji Park. The outer enclosure of the ground boasts of a memorial for Swatantra Veer (freedom fighter) Savarkar and the Olympic sized Mahatma Gandhi swimming pool.
Sports and socialising apart, it is the pride of Maharashtra. The Republic Day parade happens in all its glory, so do political rallies and religious processions. During Diwali, the entire circumference is lit up for over 10 days. The monsoons see an umbrella selfie point and the corn-cob seller around the park. With street food at every turn, and recreation for all age groups, Shivaji Park is the heart-beat of every Mumbai citizen and remains the real -life equivalent of social media.
