India » Kolkata » Places To See In Kolkata » Netaji Indoor Stadium
Netaji Indoor Stadium |
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Location:Near Eden Gardens
Time to Visit: 10 A.M.-5.30 P.M.
Preferred Timings: 10 A.M.-12 P.M. & 3 P.M.-5 P.M.
Admission Fee: Nil
How to Reach: The stadium being centrally located, local Buses and metered taxis are readily available from various parts of the city.
Photography / Video charges: Nil.
Nearest Railway Station: Howrah.
Nearest Metro Station: Maidan.
Nearest Functional Metro Station: Maidan.
Nearest International Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
Time required for sightseeing: Half an hour.
Nearby Tourist Attractions: Maidan, Eden Gardens, Gareer Math, Akashbani Bhawan.
Detailed Content of Netaji Indoor Stadium
The Netaji Indoor stadium located strategically on a stretch beside the magnificent Eden Gardens is the first truly international standard indoor stadium of Eastern India. It was built way back in 1975, primarily as a venue for the prestigious World Table Tennis Championship. Subsequently, many new facilities were added, thereby further enhancing its reputation as a premier venue for other indoor games like badminton, basketball and volleyball to name just a few.
The state-of-the-art stadium also houses the office of West Bengal Chess Association located at Room No - 28 & 29. A well stocked chess library has been set up which is much preferred by the chess fraternity of Kolkata. In the age of IT, the game of chess too has become computerized and to keep pace with technology, the West Bengal Chess Association has set up a computerized Chess Center at the stadium premises. Training courses are regularly conducted whereby the latest strategies in the game of chess are imparted to the eager and enthusiastic chess buffs.
The stadium of late has got a new swanky look, thanks to the recent WTA Sunfeast Open Tennis Tournament which was a great success with top tennis stars performing at this magnificent venue. The roof has been repaired, the floor has undergone change and the air-conditioning system too has been upgraded to bring it at par with international standards.
This magnificent stadium which has a capacity to hold 12,000 spectators is more in demand by non-sporting event management companies to conduct high profile exhibitions and spectacular high voltage Bollywood style entertainment.
The indoor stadium drew worldwide attention as the venue of the funeral ceremony of Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa whose body was brought to the Netaji Indoor Stadium by pall bearers of the Indian Army to the sentimental strains of Rabindra Nath Tagore's songs.
The Mass was conducted by Cardinal Angelo Sodano who had come as the representative of the Vatican state and was attended by several heads of state and government representatives. For three hours, the Netaji Indoor Stadium and an international television audience of millions watched the final rites.
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