Shahid Minar

Dominating the upper Maidan near Esplanade bus station, Shahid Minar is a 48m-tall round-topped hollow column commemorating martyrs of the Indian Independence Movement, though it had originally been built in 1828 to commemorate a British military commander named David Ochterlony. It's no longer possible to climb the upper ramparts of the tower. Circus performers, political firebrands and dealers in mystic medicines frequently entertain crowds around the column's base. Things pick up at this flea market especially on Saturday afternoons.