At the entrance, there are two chambers on either side of the gate where pictures and other memorabilia are on display. Further ahead, two flames burn continuously in memory of the inmates. An ancient peepal tree which has been standing there since the jail's heyday, greets visitors with a gentle rustle of its leaves and comforting shade.
We make way to the central tower. The seven arms are long and imposing. Inside the tower, lists of prisoners' names adorn the walls. We walk along to check out the cells. They are under renovation. The plaster on their walls has been scraped off revealing the bricks inside. All the cells are identical, with just a tiny window for ventilation.
Veer Savarkar, who spent 10 years in this prison from 1911 to 1921, occupied a cell on the top floor at the end of the corridor. We walk up to his cell. The whitewashed walls are bare, except for some pictures of the cell's celebrated inmate. Savarkar composed his epic poem "Kamala" by scribbling it on the walls of his cell.
We walk up the tower to the terrace and are treated to a beautiful view of the sea. The lovely Ross island sits just across like a green jewel in the shimmering blue waters. What a contrast from the suffocating cells to this heavenly spectacle under the open sky!
Befitting its status as a national memorial, the premises of the prison are very clean and well-maintained. The historical importance attached to this place and the chilling stories of the harsh conditions in which prisoners were kept here, make it an awe-inspiring monument.
Downstairs, in one of the common areas between two arms of the prison, some models are on display depicting the harsh punishments meted out to prisoners. Just a short distance away are the gallows where three people could be hanged at once. As we approach, a young man is busy taking pictures of his blushing wife against the backdrop of the three nooses.
Right next to the gallows is the prison kitchen. Isn't it quite paradoxical that the place where the prisoners were terminated is beside the place that kept them alive?
Read the previous post in this series here.
To be continued.
Veer Savarkar, who spent 10 years in this prison from 1911 to 1921, occupied a cell on the top floor at the end of the corridor. We walk up to his cell. The whitewashed walls are bare, except for some pictures of the cell's celebrated inmate. Savarkar composed his epic poem "Kamala" by scribbling it on the walls of his cell.
We walk up the tower to the terrace and are treated to a beautiful view of the sea. The lovely Ross island sits just across like a green jewel in the shimmering blue waters. What a contrast from the suffocating cells to this heavenly spectacle under the open sky!
Befitting its status as a national memorial, the premises of the prison are very clean and well-maintained. The historical importance attached to this place and the chilling stories of the harsh conditions in which prisoners were kept here, make it an awe-inspiring monument.
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| Photos by Lata |
Right next to the gallows is the prison kitchen. Isn't it quite paradoxical that the place where the prisoners were terminated is beside the place that kept them alive?
Read the previous post in this series here.
To be continued.
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