Good Maharaja Square
| Good Maharaja Square | |
|---|---|
 The garden square in 2021. | |
 | |
| Type | Garden square |
| Location | Ochota, Warsaw, Poland |
| Coordinates | 52°12′38″N 20°58′15″E / 52.210432°N 20.970909°E |
| Area | c. 3 ha |
| Created | 31 May 2012 |
The Good Maharaja Square (Polish: Skwer Dobrego Maharadży), also known as the Opacz Park (Polish: Park Opaczewski), is a garden square in Warsaw, Poland, located in the district of Ochota, between Grójecka, Opaczewska Street, and Szczęśliwicka Streets.
Name
[edit]
The Good Maharaja Square (Polish: Skwer Dobrego Maharadży) was named after Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, the Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar State in modern-day India. During the World War II, he invited 5,000 Polish refugees fleeing from the Soviet Union to settle within his state, and housed around one thousand orphaned children. He also convinced several other Indian rulers to contribute to the efforts. As such, he is referred to in Poland as the Good Maharaja (Polish: Dobry Maharadża).[1]
The name was officially given on 31 May 2012.[1] It was chosen, due to the square's proximity to the nearby school, which in 1991 housed the first reunion of the Polish children refugees from India.[2] The name was proposed to honour the requeste made by Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, to have one of streets in Warsaw named after himself.[3]
It is also alternatively referred to as the Opacz Park (Polish: Park Opaczewski), after the nearby Opaczewska Street (Polish: Ulica Opaczewska; lit. Opacz Street). It in turn was named after Opacz Wielka, a neighbourhood located to the south.[4]
In 2021, a neighbouring garden square at the intersection of Opaczewska and Białobrzeska Streets, was named the Angel Land Square (Polish: Skwer Ziemi Aniołów). The name came from Angyalföld, a neighbourhood in the 13th district of Budapest, Hungary, which has a cooperation partnership with Ochota since 1993. It was also done in gratitude to one of garden squares in the 13th district of Budapest, being named Ochota Park in 2019.[5][6]
History
[edit]On 8 September 1939, during the siege of Warsaw, Polish Armed Forces have constructed a barricade at the intersection of Opaczewska and Grójecka Streets, next to the current park. It was used as defensive position in the fight against the German Wehrmacht. It was commemorated with a monument, designed by Julian Pałka, and unveiled at the location on 12 September 1979.[7]
The garden square was renovated in the 1990s.[4] It received its name on 31 May 2012.[1] On 31 October 2014, near the intersection of Białobrzeska and Opaczewska Streets, was unveiled a marble monument dedicated to the square namesake, Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, nicknamed the Good Maharaja. It was designed by Marek Moderau.[8]
On 21 August 2024, the square was visited by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, who laid the flowers in front of the monument of Good Maharaja.[9]
Characteristics
[edit]Opacz Park is placed between both sides of Opaczewska Street, and has a form of a thin and long strach of land, between Grójecka and Szczęśliwicka Streets. It has the total area of around 3 ha. It is surrounded by midrise residential housing.[10]
Near the intersection of Białobrzeska and Opaczewska Streets, is placed a red marble monument dedicated to the square namesake, Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, nicknamed the Good Maharaja. It was designed by Marek Moderau, and consists of a sculpture of Indian lotus, a symbol from Indian religius iconography, placed on a triangular column, with inspirations in Polish, Hindi, and English.[8][11] It is around 2 m tall.[12]
The Good Maharaja Square neighbours the Angel Land Square (Polish: Skwer Ziemi Aniołów), a small garden square at the northern side of the intersection of Opaczewska and Białobrzeska Streets.[5][6]
Next to the park is placed the September Barricade Monument, commemorating a barricade that stood there during the siege of Warsaw. It consists of three large concrete sculpture, placed on both sides, and in the middle, of Grójecka Street. They depicts numerals 8-IX (8 September), the day barricade was erected, 1939, the year of the siege, and 27-IX (27 September), the day the city capitulated.[7] Additionally, at the souther side of the intersection of Opaczewska and Białobrzeska Streets, is placed a sandstone sculpture Tribute to Motherhood (Polish: W hołdzie macierzyństwu) made by unknown artist. It depicts a pregnant woman.[12]
Gallery
[edit]-
The left part of the September Barricade Monument. -
The middle part of the September Barricade Monument -
The left part of the September Barricade Monument. -
The sculpture Tribute to Motherhood. -
The square as seen from the intersection of Opaczewska and Szczęśliwicka Streets. -
Angel Land Square in 2015.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Jarosław Osowski (1 June 2012). "Maharadża wyprzedził proboszcza. Nowy skwer na Ochocie". warszawa.gazeta.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2012-07-14.
- ^ Maria Pilch, Przemysław Pilch: "Indyjskie ścieżki w Warszawie", Skarpa Warszawska, issue 5 (169), 2023, p. 60–64. (in Polish)
- ^ Jerzy Kowaliszyn Kowaliszyn (27 January 2022). "Uroczystość pod pomnikiem Dobrego Maharadży". iochota.pl (in Polish).
- ^ a b "Park Opaczewski – intensywna zieleń we wnętrzu urbanistycznym". ochota.um.warszawa.pl (in Polish).
- ^ a b Jarosław Osowski (22 July 2021). "Więcej Budapesztu w Warszawie. Dlaczego na Ochocie powstanie skwer Ziemi Aniołów?". warszawa.wyborcza.pl (in Polish).
- ^ a b "Będzie skwer Ziemi Aniołów". ochota.um.warszawa.pl (in Polish). 20 May 2021.
- ^ a b Tomasz Urzykowski (11 June 2020). "Barykada Września jak nowa. Wyremontowali jeden z najbardziej oryginalnych pomników Warszawy". warszawa.wyborcza.pl (in Polish).
- ^ a b "Maharadża, który pomagał dzieciom, teraz ma pomnik na Ochocie". wyborcza.warszawa.pl (in Polish).
- ^ "Premier Indii złożył wieńce w kilku miejscach Warszawy". pap.pl (in Polish). 21 August 2024.
- ^ "Skwer Dobrego Maharadży". ochota.um.warszawa.pl (in Polish).
- ^ "Dzielnica wielu kultur – skwer Dobrego Maharadży". iochota.pl (in Polish). 19 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Ewidencja obiektów upamiętniających na terenie dzielnicy Ochota". ochota.um.warszawa.pl (in Polish).