<p>The historic Shivaji Park at Dadar in Mumbai, will now formally be known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park. </p>.<p>The proposal to rename the mammoth ground, which has a long association with Maharashtra's politics and Indian cricket, was approved by the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation, on the birth anniversary celebrations of the legendary Maratha warrior.</p>.<p>On one side of the park, there is a grand statue of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a Ganesh temple called Udyan Ganesh and a small memorial of the late Balasaheb Thackeray.</p>.<p>It is the same ground where legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar took his first cricket lessons.</p>.<p>The park is also important to the Shiv Sena.</p>.<p>"Shiv Sena and Shivaji Park go together," says veteran political analyst and writer Prakash Akolkar, adding that for decades, Balasaheb addressed the annual Dassera rally in this ground.</p>.<p>The bust of late Meenatai Thackeray, popularly called Masaheb, is on one edge of the ground.</p>.<p>In 1995, when the Shiv Sena-BJP came to power, Manohar Joshi and late Gopinath Munde were sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively from here.</p>.<p>In November 2019, Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the chief minister in the same ground.</p>.<p>During the freedom movement, the park was a focal point of Samyukta Maharashtra Chalval (consolidated Maharashtra) movement.</p>.<p>"Shivaji Park, cricket and politics go together," said storyteller, journalist and author Ketan Vaidya of Musafir Walks. </p>.<p>Besides Thackeray, several leaders including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Congress President Sonia Gandhi also addressed rallies here.</p>
<p>The historic Shivaji Park at Dadar in Mumbai, will now formally be known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park. </p>.<p>The proposal to rename the mammoth ground, which has a long association with Maharashtra's politics and Indian cricket, was approved by the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation, on the birth anniversary celebrations of the legendary Maratha warrior.</p>.<p>On one side of the park, there is a grand statue of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a Ganesh temple called Udyan Ganesh and a small memorial of the late Balasaheb Thackeray.</p>.<p>It is the same ground where legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar took his first cricket lessons.</p>.<p>The park is also important to the Shiv Sena.</p>.<p>"Shiv Sena and Shivaji Park go together," says veteran political analyst and writer Prakash Akolkar, adding that for decades, Balasaheb addressed the annual Dassera rally in this ground.</p>.<p>The bust of late Meenatai Thackeray, popularly called Masaheb, is on one edge of the ground.</p>.<p>In 1995, when the Shiv Sena-BJP came to power, Manohar Joshi and late Gopinath Munde were sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively from here.</p>.<p>In November 2019, Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the chief minister in the same ground.</p>.<p>During the freedom movement, the park was a focal point of Samyukta Maharashtra Chalval (consolidated Maharashtra) movement.</p>.<p>"Shivaji Park, cricket and politics go together," said storyteller, journalist and author Ketan Vaidya of Musafir Walks. </p>.<p>Besides Thackeray, several leaders including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Congress President Sonia Gandhi also addressed rallies here.</p>
