Gowalia Tank Maidan (now also known as August Kranti Maidan) is a park in central Mumbai where Mahatma Gandhi issued the Quit India speech on 8 August 1942 decreeing that the British must leave India immediately or else mass agitations would take place. The call mobilised the citizens to a huge Civil Disobedience movement as the British refused to grant independence till the War was over.
The closest suburban railway station on the Western Railway line is Grant Road.
The Gowalia Tank was initially used to bathe cows. Go - Walia comes from the marathi word Gaie (cow) Wala (owner of the cattle). The cattle owners would bring the cows to be bathed in the waters of the tank. The Maidan that exists over there presently was built over the tank, which still exists underground. Gowalia Tank was also a very prominent tram terminus. Trams would start and finish there and one could travel to the Prince of Wales Museum in one anna (six paise).
The Maidan is now a popular playground. Cricket is the popular game although the monsoon season is primarily for football and volley ball. The ground has been split into 5 smaller grounds. The largest one is the playground, with one playground for children, one garden for promenades which is frequented by senior citizens and one ground is used by the Fellowship School. The last park area houses the Smarak or martyr monument which is a white marble tower that cradles a pink lotus atop it.
A central road cuts through the maidan grounds and connects the August Kranti Road with Hughes Road. The ground connects Tejpal Road and Laburnum Road, Alexandra Road and August Kranti Road.
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