Alipore Museum — Attraction in Kolkata

I love going through the videos posted by the various Youtube bloggers but a couple of weeks back I came across a particularly interesting blog by a newbie called Animesh Backpacker. He had a video on the newest attraction of the city – the Alipore Independence Museum.

So, one fine Saturday I made the trip to the Museum which was quite easy to reach. I got down at Jatin Das Park Metro Station, walked a little and then hopped onto an Auto to get down at the Jail Museum. The first thing that strikes you as soon as you enter the premises is the sombre feeling that pervades all throughout. When you walk through the different cells you can actually visualize the level of suffering faced by the countrymen during their struggle for independence. But 2022 is different. We came across youngsters taking ‘selfies’ within the cells, taking photographs of the hanging noose with so much delight that it seems that have located the next mission in the PUBG game! They are so busy taking pictures that it takes quite an effort to stay out of their frames. Sadly, they were busy photobombing and never cared to read the little snippets of history written on the frames in the cells, in the gallows and on the walls.

The main places of Interest here are the gallows, the Netaji ward, the Bidhan Chandra Roy cell, the Jatindra Mohan Sengupta cell and the Nehru ward where Pandit Nehru used to have a daily meeting of 20 min with her daughter, Indira during his jail term. Of all these, the gallows will probably hit you really hard and the medical room where the state doctors examined the prisoners to ensure their death is sure to give you a hair-raising experience. There is an outlet of Indian Coffee House inside the premises but don’t as k me about the food as the prices were way too high and we decided to give it a miss. Not a bad decision though as a couple of visitors told me that the food was horrible. The Light and Sound show was highly rated but can’t tell you much about that also as we skipped it due to want of time in hand. Lest I forget, there is a reasonably good Souvenir shop near the compound where the light and sound show is staged. You can pick up Jail Museum embossed mugs and T-shirts at reasonable prices and the quality...

Alipore Central Jail is a historic place associated with Indian freedom movement. Harin Bari Jail or popularly known as Presidency Jail was located at the current location of Victoria Memorial Ground. British Govt. made this correctional home in 1787 with the administrative goal. Around 1864,Old Alipore Jail or Presidency Correctional Home was declared as the first central prison in Bengal. With the objective of perfect administrative extension at Alipore area and it's surrounding (sides of Adi Ganges), Alipore Jail came into the frame in 1906 having unified architectural design with a tower at centre. There were separated quarters of Europeans & native Indians. Newly built Alipore Central Jail was operational since 1913. This jail has witnessed the incarceration of great freedom fighters, political activists (naxal & others). Alipore Bomb Case is an important part of our history. Great leader Aurobindo Ghosh was arrested as the kingpin behind Muzaffarpur Bomb Conspiracy in May, 1908. British Police raided the famous headquarter of Anushilan Samity (32, Muraripukur Road). During his solitary confinement at Presidency Jail (formerly Alipore Jail) , he was completely changed, realized different aspects of life, spiritual perspective reformed his life. He wrote a book 'Tales of Prison Life'. Alipore Central Jail became non-operational since February, 2019. This has been shifted to Baruipur Correctional Home. The Alipore Museum was inaugurated on September, 2022. This museum has been dedicated to imprisoned martyrs, designed and maintained by HIDCO. We can observe Netaji Cell (Imprisonment during January- September, 1930), Nehru Cell (Imprisonment in 1934), Deshbandhu Cell (February- August, 1922), Deshapriyo Cell, watchtower,segregation ward, jail canteen. The visitors will be thrilled through the complete tour around Museum. Different historical items have been displayed in an wonderful manner. But few corrections need to be taken. There are two timing for light& sound show- 6:30 to 7:30 & 7:30 to 8:30. And INA-themed cafeteria is too overrated, different platters have been named in terms of historic events or personalities. But quality is not good at all. Overall it's a good place to remember our...

An interesting place for museum enthusiasts, especially if you are interested in the history of our freedom struggle. However, the modified cells of famous personalities like Netaji, Nehru, etc lacked the authenticity as the real feel was killed by modern amenities like ac and false ceiling lights. The general cells which were not modified has retained the grim reality of a jail. Cells that are open for the visitors to step in and have a look give the feeling of confinement. The light and sound show is a must watch. In a chilly winter evening surrounded by so many old trees and the jail buildings which have witnessed history when the voice over starts playing along with projection lights it's a different feeling altogether, goosebump worthy. I went on a Sunday so it was kind of crowded but there was no queue. The ticket price for the museum tour is ₹ 30/- & the price for the light and sound show ticket is ₹ 100/- There was a food zone which I won't recommend at all because there the food is mostly stale and not that good but there's a seperate coffee house at the entrance their food was nice. We had tried : Hot coffee - ₹50. Nice. Cold coffee - ₹100. Average Fish finger (6pcs) - ₹240. Nice but coating could have been a bit thinner. Grilled fish in lemon butter sauce - ₹250. Slightly overpriced as only 1 small piece of fillet is provided along with some sauted vegetables and a garlic bread. The taste was not great but nice. Mutton cutlet - ₹260. Very much overpriced as 1 pc of cutlet was given and the mutton was so much minced that you hardly a get a taste of it also it...