[2] In 1843, a statue of the legendary Portuguese general Afonso de Albuquerque was laid inside the domed structure at the Maidan.

[3] After the Annexation of Goa, the statue of Albuquerque was removed from the domed pedestal by a mob of Marathi immigrants in the city.

[9] The memorial was unveiled on 23 March 1973 by Lieutenant general Kunhiraman Palat Candeth, who had led the Indian Armed Forces' annexation of Goa in December 1961.

[12][13] Every year on national days, dignitaries pay homage by laying a wreath at the memorial and observing silence.

[14][15] In the modern times, the Maidan has become a melting pot for the Goans, where different opinions were voiced and issues discussed openly.