Freedom Park to be opened today

Freedom Park to be opened today

A monumental tribute to freedom fighters, the park will open with a show on their struggle and Emergency days

Santosh Kumar RB. Bangalore



Freedom Park, a monumental tribute to the sacrifices made by freedom fighters, will be opened by BJP leader LK Advani at 10.30am on Saturday.
Costing Rs10.17 crore, the park stands on the 20-acre land of the old Central Jail located on Sheshadri Road.
After the inauguration, an exhibition on freedom struggle and the dark days of Emergency will be held.
Freedom Park would be another attraction for tourists coming to Bangalore," city in-charge minister R Ashok said. It is proposed that the park will have the same type of light and sound show used at the Cellular Jail in Port Blair which was built by the British to punish freedom fighters.
A team of officials from the Bruhat Bangaluru Mahanagre Palike will be visiting the Andaman and Nicobar islands to study the system. Through sound effects, the show will bring alive the torture faced by freedom fighters.
The Freedom Park consists of an open air theatre for staging dramas, a museum showcasing the history of the Central Jail and freedom fighters, a gallery for art and photo exhibition, a heritage building, a library and a musical fountain.
Certain features of the jail like the tower, which is at the central point of the jail, the walls and the main gate will be preserved for visitors.
The authorities are planning to build a two-level underground vehicle parking facility. A crafts zone and coffee bars are also planned. The hospital of the old jail will be converted into a hotel.
While the park will occupy 20 acres, the remaining five acres of the old jail will be used for demonstration and protests, which are now being staged at the Mahatma Gandhi statue on MG Road.Showcasing history: The Freedom Park has an open air theatre for staging dramas and a museum