Shivaji Park is one of Mumbai's most important open spaces, and along with Azad Maidan in South Mumbai, is also of immense historical value because of the nature and amount of political gatherings it has harboured in pre and post independence Mumbai. Its name is in homage to the legendary warrior king of the region, Chatrapati Shivaji. An interesting fact to note is that the park has been so named in the days of British India, with the then British authorities in Mumbai acknowledging the greatness of Shivaji, the reverence he commands amongst the local Marathi population, and who in his time had also challenged the growing British power in India.

If one notices the statue of Shivaji adorning this maidan (ground), it is surprising to note that this is one of the very few statues of Shivaji that is depicted without him having drawn out his sword. Instead. Shivaji is shown leading the way with his arm outstreatched. A creation of around the 1950s or 60s, this statue is a rare (and some may say absurd) example of the so-called pacifist policies of the then state government of Maharashtra, in independent India. It was considered a sensitive issue by the then government, to let this statue depict the confrontationist posture of Shivaji, who's sword had struck terror at the heart of the mighty Mughal empire under emperor Aurangazeb. This was justified under the pretext that the new independent India was a peace-loving nation. But no one seemed to have bothered that this decision ammounted to the dilution of true history.

But still, this minor detail has not taken away anything from the continuing reverence of Shivaji's name, even in present times.

Im modern times, one relates Shivaji Park more with being the cradle of Indian cricket, with it's innumerable cricket academies having sprung up international quality players for India. The two biggest names being Sunil Gavaskar, and Sachin Tendulkar, who is currently regarded by many as the best batsman in the world.