Until 2022 Alipore Jail Museum, Kolkata used to be a prison & nightmare for many people who used to stay there for many reasons. The Alipore Jail Museum of Kolkata will take you a decade back where you can feel the souls of the freedom fighters who stayed there in different cells in tough conditions just because they wanted India to be independent. You can find the cells of Netaji, Nehru, Chittaranjan das, and many other freedom fighters. Along with it, you will also see the place where many people were hanged to death.
The timing of the Alipore museum/Alipore jail museum Kolkata & Entry Fees
- Tuesday to Sunday: 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM
- Monday closed
- The ticket counter closes at 5:00 PM
- Tickets:-30 INR per head (school students are allowed free)
- Light and sound show(Tuesday to Sunday ) :100INR per head
- Light and sound 1st show:- 6:00 PM
- Light and sound 2nd show:- 7:00 PM
How will you make your way to Alipore jail museum kolkata?
- From any part of kolkata you first need to come to Jatindas park metro station or Hazra, then from there you can avail a bus or an auto to reach Alipore jail museum kolkata.
- Exact location:- GOOGLE MAP
The history behind the Alipore jail museum kolkata.
160 year back from today Alipore jail used to be covered by thick forest, and both the banks of the river Ganga was covered by intense thick forest. The British established the jail here as it was a perfect place to keep the freedom fighters away from society in an inhuman ruthless environment.
Things you can find inside the Alipore jail museum kolkata.
- Gallows - The place where the prisoners were hanged to death. It was a place where many freedom fighters ended up serving Independent India. Some freedom fighters who ended up here serving the nation are Kanailal Dutta, Satyendra Nath Bose, Biren Datta Gupta, Gopinath Saha, Pramod Ranjan Choudhury, Anantahari Mitra, Dinesh Chandra Gupta, Ramkrishna Biswas, Dinesh Majumdar. Opposite to the gallows, there is a long stretch of rooms having small windows where prisoners were kept and they were forced to look at the people who were hanged to death, but these tortures didn't lead the freedom fighters down as "Vande Mataram" was the ultimate motive of their life. After the gallows, there is a chamber where doctors used to check prison who was hanged to issue the death certificate
- Detention cell:- It's just beside the doctor cells. There are 3 cells where the last few hours of the prisoners who would be hanged were, and the last wishes were granted. These cells have seen many prisoners last few hours.
- W&B12 - This ward had several cells in which Chittaranjan Das, Subhas Chandra Bose, Jatindra Mohan Sengupta and Bidhan Chandra Roy (2nd Chief Minister of West Bengal 1930, 5th Sept - 1931, 1st Jan) were kept here. Besides this cell, there is a cell called "Kal Kothri" (Black Hole of Calcutta) The walls of these cells are painted pitch black and there is not even a single widow or any space for free air to enter the cell. These cells were specially made for the freedom fighters to torture them and to know their plan of action. On the same ward's 1st floor, there is a cell dedicated to Netaji, he lived here from 1930, 23 Jan till 1930, 23 Sept Netaji was kept there for 8 months where he spent his time reading books and medicating. Besides this in the 8no cell Desh Bandhu Chittaranjan Das was kept for protesting against the British government In the 6 no cell former mayor of kolkata Jatindra Mohan Sengupta was kept 1930 April & 1930, 22 Oct - 1933, 5th June
- Alipore jail canteen- This place was dedicated to making meals and serving them to the prisoners.
- Nehru cell - It is situated Opposite to the canteen the first president of India was kept here as he went against the laws of the British government. Nehru was kept here for almost 80 days
- Alipore jail Storehouse - All the things needed for the prisoners from food to everything were kept here it was a large room to store things for daily jail use. Now here you can find some books dedicated to freedom fighters. You can read this book sitting here. Besides, there is a place where the prisoners were forced to work with hand-woven goods and many more.
- Cell no 1 & 2:- These are comparatively big building the cells are divided by walls and almost 50 prisoners were kept here at a time. These cells were too small and unhealthy to live without much air flowing through the rooms.
- Cell no 4:- This cell is almost 100 years old, and this cell is kept as it is without any renovation. This cell is kept untouched in order to preserve history.
- Alipore jail hospital:-This hospital has also several hidden histories behind the red bricks. The hospital was established almost around 1900. It is heard that famous freedom fighters like Nehru and Netaji were treated here. Many prisoners from other states were also sent here for treatment, this hospital has now been turned into an exhibition. Here you can find many galleries dedicated to several people like Netaji, Aurobindo Gosh and many other freedom fighters.
- Cell no 5 - It is an awesome gallery representing Bengal culture and many others things.
- Alipore jail watch tower:-the watch towers were built in such a way so that the warden in the watch towers can keep an eye on every cell for security purposes. Just below the watch tower, there is a room for European prisoners dedicated to prayers
- Alipore reading room:- This room was dedicated to give education to the prisoners and to acquire higher degree.
This is the same Alipore jail where freedom fighters were kept silent behind the dense forests and the heartbreaking cries of prisoners were buried down. The Alipore jail museum kolkata was built from red brick and painted red, It almost covers an area of 80 acres. The Alipore Jail Museum, Kolkata is quite big. It will take almost an hour or two to take a complete tour of it so please take time in hand to get a complete tour of the Alipore Jail Museum & if you feel hungry you will get a coffee house for refreshments, you will almost get everything here at reasonable prices.
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