Description

Initially named the 'Aukland Circus Garden', its name was changed to Eden Gardens owing to several inspirations. Not only was it named after General Aukland's sisters, but its makers were hugely inspired by Eden Garden from the Bible as well. This stadium had played host to a plenty of matches, atleast six out of which have seen a turnover of about 100,000 people. The first Test match here was held in 1934, while the first One-Day International was held in 1987.

The first matches to be played here under artificial lighting were the Hero Cup knockout matches. Several cricketing records have been made and smashed here, including The most runs in Test Matches (V.V.S. Laxman, 1217 runs), The most runs in ODIs (Sachin Tendulkar, 496 runs), and the highest ever ODI individual (Rohit Sharma, 264 runs) to name a few.

Initially, the capacity of the stadium was 40,000 only. Major renovations were undertaken in order to increase its capacity to over 100,000 and upgrade the facilities available in preparations for the 1987 World Cup. The roof was constructed in such a manner that maximum coverage was provided with minimum support. A geometrically accurate roof was created over a fairly irregular stadium in a very limited time frame, which makes this stadium an unlikely engineering spectacle. The new Eden Garden matches the standards required for hosting first class international cricket under the ICC rules.

One would not e wrong in saying that Eden Garden has stood witness to some of the most iconic matches in cricketing history. Some of the most thrilling matches in the history of this stadium.

India v/s England, 1962: After a long period of 27 years, India's first ever victory against England in a test match came in the year 1962, when the host country won the match by 182 runs. India v/s West Indies, 1975: This was another one of India's legendary wins against a strong opponent team. This was the third test in a 5 - match series between the two countries and India won the same by a margin of 85 runs. With legends such as Sir Andy Roberts, Bernard Julien, Roy Fredericks and Lance Gibbs in the West Indies team, this match was a huge boost to the Indian team's confidence. However, India could not win the series and West Indies went home with a 2 - 1 victory. This match marked the end of an era as it was cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar's last test match in Kolkata and second last career - wise.

More Details

Home of cricket in Kolkata, The Eden Gardens is a beautiful, well-maintained cricket stadium located in Kolkata's B. B. D. Bagh area, near State Secretariat and Calcutta High Court. It was established in the year 1864 and was laid by Governor- General Auckland, who named the gardens and the cricket ground after his sisters Emily and Fanny Eden.

Stretched over 50 acres, this cricket stadium has the capacity to seat about 66,349 people and is the second largest stadiums in the world. When it is not hosting some of the most nail-biting sporting events, Eden Gardens also doubles up as a quaint destination for nature lovers.

The verdant pathways of Eden Gardens are shaded by huge mahogany, mango and banyan trees that make it a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the marvels of nature. There is also a three-storeyed Burmese Pagoda in red and golden yellow that was brought here by Lord Dalhousie. Eden Gardens Stadium plays host to many sports, most importantly cricket, which takes place lies right across the garden. Extremely popular as a sporting destination, it regularly hosts one day, test and T20 matchesPresently it is the home turf of IPL Team Kolkata Knight Riders and the regional Bengal Cricket Team. Eden Garden is also known to host several Association Matches. You can visit the stadium when no matches are being held. In order to do so, you need permission from CAB or Cricket Association of Bengal.

Highlights:Evening hours are the best time to visit this place. The weather is pleasant throughout the year, so you can plan a visit here whenever it suits you.You can visit the stadium when no matches are being held. In order to do so, you need permission from CAB or Cricket Association of Bengal. You can only visit and spectate the stadium not play in it.Located on Strand Road, it can be easily reached by taking a cab or riding on the local bus available from all the major areas in the city. The nearest metro station From Eden Gardens is Park Street and lies about a 15-minute walk away from Park Street.

Distance from Kolkata Airport: The distance between Kolkata Airport (CCU) and Eden Gardens (historical) is 14 km.

Entrance fee: The entrance ticket price of this place is the official matche fee.

Timing: 09:00 AM - 06:00 PM.

Location: Bbd Bagh, Kolkata, West Bengal 700021.