Oval Maidan In Mumbai

The Oval Maidan is a large Grade I recreational ground situated in South Mumbai, India. It is named because of its oval shape and is situated just south of Churchgate. It is a popular recreation ground and most popular sports being played there are cricket and football (soccer). The ground measures 22 acres (0.089 km²) in area. The government does not allow rallies in the maidan.

Describing Mumbai, without the mention of Cricket is almost impossible. Despite the scarcity of time and place, people in Mumbai beat all odds to play Cricket and cheer for the very famous Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, who call Mumbai their home. Thus, many parks are created in Mumbai taking in view this craze for Cricket in India. These parks are known as Maidans', which literally mean playing fields. Many popular sports and international games are hosted on these playing fields. One such popular playing field is indeed the Oval Maidan in Mumbai , which not only hosts sporting activities but also serves as a major tourist attraction for Mumbai.

Till 1997, the ground was owned and run by the state government and was very poorly maintained. It was frequented by beggars, prostitutes and drug peddlers. Finally in 1997 a public charitable trust set up by the residents of the area, namely the OCRA (Oval-Cooperage Residents Association) was formed which petitioned the Maharashtra government to maintain the Oval maidan. The Maharashtra government did not respond to the petition, leading the group to take it to the Bombay High Court. The Court ruled in their favour, forcing the government to either maintain the maidan or hand it over to ORCA. The ground was subsequently handed over to the ORCA.
The ORCA then went about fencing the ground and building a jogging course around the periphery. A lane which cut through the diameter of the ground was metalled to facilitate a smoother thoroughfare.

The oval Maidan in Mumbai is the best-known sporting ground in the city. It is a very popular Grade I recreational ground that covers the hosting of many national and International games. Many popular sports can be played comfortably on the ground due to the availability of excellent facilities. Besides being a place of work for many enthusiastic sportsmen, the oval maidan is also considered as a very popular tourist attraction .
Thus, travelers in search of Mumbai's weakness for sports need to visit the Oval Maidan to get the complete picture