My next stop was Alipore Jail Museum, which served as a colonial-era prison from 1864. The prison was closed in 2019 and reopened in 2022 as a museum, commemorating India’s struggle for independence.
The museum captures some of the conditions prisoners endured. The gallows were a reminder that some were executed for crimes against the British. The building overlooking the gallows still holds the gallery from which political prisoners could see the hangings.
Other parts of the museum focus on India’s independence movement. They highlight the lives of political prisoners and the architectural heritage of the jail. It serves as a tribute to the sacrifices made by freedom fighters, such as Sri Aurobindo, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Nehru went on to become India’s first Prime Minister. Sri Aurobindo turned to spirituality and founded the ashram in Puducherry. He was also the inspiration behind Auroville.
There is some respite from the gruesomeness of the jail in the artwork of Gopal Ghose (1913-1980). His work helped bridge traditional Indian art and modernist techniques, influencing generations of Indian artists.
The philosopher Jeremy Bentham came up with the idea of the “panopticon”. This was a central circular prison building with a full view of all prisoners. It was designed to reduce the number of guards and still allow them to view all prisoners without being observed themselves. Alipore Jail has a prototype of a panopticon.
In 1838, the Macaulay Report on Prison Discipline looked at British prisons in India. It questioned whether prisons should primarily focus on reform (like Europe and the US) rather than punishment and deterrence. It advocated that prison work should be productive instead of purely punitive. Macaulay supported the separation of different types of offenders to prevent “moral contamination”. This report ultimately influenced prison reform in Victorian Britain. It contributed to the ongoing debate about the purpose of prisons. Prisons still try to find the balance between punishment, deterrence, and reformation.
I just finished visiting the last cell when it was time to leave.
My final stop of the day was Khalighat Kali Mandir, a Hindu temple.
There were lots of people visiting. It was time for blessings. Several people tried to get me to remove my shoes and buy flowers. I waited until I actually needed to remove my shoes, which was at the temple entrance. One person said the queue for blessings was several hours. Later, I saw this turned out not to be the case! In the meantime, I was offered the opportunity to jump the queue for a mere Rs200. I declined. The person rushed me in anyway! He pointed to something iconic but I was not sure what he was pointing at.
By this time, the Kolkata noise, pollution, and heat were overwhelming. I returned to my homestay for a nice home-cooked meal by chef Rabindra.