Freedom Park – All I Want Is Freedom. Review on Freedom Park, Bangalore

Freedom Park – All I Want Is Freedom

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness & hatred behind, I’d be still in prison.(Nelson Mandela)

Bangalore City is also known as "Garden City of India" due to its abundance of gardens & parks. Freedom Park is another unique & very interesting park in Bangalore. This park is inspired by the Hyde Park and the Kensington park of London. Basically this park was designed to hold public meetings, protests, rallies and there is also an amphitheatre for the speakers to put across their views.

I have a lot of beautiful memories attached to this place and I cherish each and every one of them. In 2011 & 2012 I have attended Anna Hazare's anti-corruption rallies. I met Mr Santosh Hegde, former justice of the Supreme Court of India, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and many social workers and freedom fighters. I and my friends supported the rally against corruption. It feels great to be a part of such a noble cause.

The Freedom Park, 22 Acre Park at Bangalore, was at one time a central jail constructed in 1866 by British, where freedom fighters were imprisoned. There are three huge barracks for housing common prisoners, a VIP enclosure to house high profile prisoners.  This is probably the 2nd jail to be showcased for tourists. The first being the cellular jail in Andamans.

The most awaited Freedom Park opened to the public in November 2008. It was inaugurated by Shri L.K.Advani, who, coincidentally about 31 years earlier had been imprisoned in the jail premises during the 1977 emergency imposed by Smt Indira Gandhi(the then Prime Minister of India). At that time, other political leaders like Shri AB Vajpayee, Shri Ramakrishna Hegde and Shri H D Deve Gowda were also imprisoned at the Freedom Park jail.

People of Bangalore never imagined that the Central Jail could get this makeover while retaining its historical significance. The design to convert a prison into a park was done by Soumitro Ghosh and Nisha Mathew Ghosh of Mathew & Ghosh Architects Pvt Limited, a husband and wife team. They were chosen after they won a nation-wide contest in 2003.

The park has been categorised under six broad areas: general, museum and exhibition, contemporary art, retail, performance spaces and water features. The park premise consists of Asoka Pillar, Amphitheatre, Jail Museum; Sculpture court, Barracks, Watch Tower, people Courtyard, Water Fountain, Book Museum, dummies of the prisoners housed is featured in the VIP barrack is displayed. It also has a joggers track(3, 000 sq m), children's play area(5, 200 sq m), jail museum, information corridor gallery, book museum, children's interactive museum in the old cells yard, tree museum and an outdoor exhibition park.

Must See Attractions at Freedom Park

The Jail Museum has some antique photos and has a great view of the whole Park.

The original Watch Tower and some of the Barracks have been left untouched and surprisingly have been designed in such a way that they blend very well with the park.

The Hospital Block has been retained as heritage structure.

The Children’s play area is a big boon to the kids of the area and is very popular even with the parents.

A 300 seater Amphitheatre and the Musical Fountain are the other added attractions.

Timings of Freedom Park Bangalore

5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Overall Freedom Park is a very peaceful & beautiful park for reading, walking and relaxing. The Freedom Park is sure to become a major tourist attraction of Bangalore in the years to come. It’s a must visit place at Bangalore.

Stone walls do not a prison make nor iron bars a cage; minds innocent and quiet take that for a hermitage.(Richard Lovelace)