Maha Bandula Park

History

The park dates to 1867 to 1868, founded as Fytche Square in honour of the then Chief Commissioner of British Burma, Albert Fytche. The land was previously a vacant, swampy site originally known as Tank Square, which was cleared and laid out as a public recreation ground. A white marble statue of Queen Victoria was placed in the center of the park in 1896, gifted by a wealthy Armenian firm in Rangoon. After 1935, the park was renamed Bandula Square, reflecting rising nationalist sentiment. After 1948, the Independence Monument, an obelisk in commemoration of Burmese independence from the British in 1948, was installed at the center of the park, replacing the statue of Queen Victoria.The statue of Queen Victoria was brought back to England after Myanmar Independence. The architect of this Independence Monument was Sithu U Tin, who was the same architect for City Hall. The park was remodeled in 2012.

References

References

1. (2005). "Let's Go Southeast Asia". Macmillan.
2. Thant Myint-U. (2 December 2011). "Forgotten treasures". Financial Times.
3. (26 March 2009). "Fytche Square, Rangoon". The British Library.
4. (1904). "Indian Engineering".
5. Cernea, Ruth Fredman. (2007). "Almost Englishmen: Baghdadi Jews in British Burma". Lexington Books.
6. Seekins, Donald M.. (2014). "State and Society in Modern Rangoon". Routledge.
7. Zon Pann Pwint. (30 June 2014). "Parks and recreation". Myanmar Times.