India Mint Stamp

Lokith Philately

Permanent Pictorial cancellation of West Bengal

Permanent Pictorial Cancellation inaugural day covers

Date of issue: 11.10.2023

Pin code: 700001

Status: Active

PO Name: Kolkata

Description: Alipore central Jail is a Grade I listed heritage site in the heart of Kolkata. Situated on the banks of Tolly Nullah, the complex is spread over approximately 40 acres in the exclusive neighborhood of Alipore. Spread across horizontally, with low-rise buildings and full of lush vegetation and mature trees, Alipore and Jail is a relatively untouched area in the densely bustling metropolis that was once the capital of British India.

In 1864, this jail was given the status of the first central jail of Bengal. Composed of barrack-style buildings arranged around a central courtyard, Alipore Jail was built sequentially over time rather than to any predetermined design. Yet, though the buildings may not be remarkable, the prison has been a witness to the history of India for a period of more than 200 years.

It was here that prisoners were held for long periods of time during the period of British rule, and it was here that those deported to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands were collected before being sent across the ocean in batches every six weeks.

The complex, now known as Alipore Jail, was built in the early years of the 20th century. The construction of the Cellular Jail had been completed a few years earlier, and it was decided to adopt a similar style of radial construction for the new jail at Calcutta. Unlike the old prison, the new prison was constructed on a large scale with an integrated design that included a central tower, radiating cell blocks, separate quarters for Europeans and Indians, and separate areas for different categories of prisoners. Were. In the words of the Bengal Gazetteer of 1914, the new prison was "a modern prison with modern improvements". In 1913 the new jail took over the functions of the old Alipore Jail, which was then named the Presidency Jail, and the new jail began its tenure as a central jail, housing freedom fighters, prisoners of the Naxalite movement and countless others. it was done.