Check out Shahid Minar (formerly known as the Ochterlony Monument), the 158-foot high which was constructed in 1828 as a tribute to Major-General Sir David Ochterlony, commander of the British East India Company. It was once the tallest thing around Esplanade – Mark Twain had called it the ‘cloud kissing monument.’ The structure is a blend of different architectural styles – the rounded dome is Turkish-influenced, the column was inspired by those in Syria and the foundation is Egyptian.
You could climb all the 223 steps of the spiral staircase that leads to the top to enjoy panoramic view of the city. The monument was built to celebrate Ochterlony’s victory over Marathas and other regional armies, it was renamed as Shahid Minar in 1969, in memory of the people who lost their lives in the Indian freedom movement.