Best places to visit on independence day
Jallianwala Bagh
This 6.5-acre garden in the vicinity of Golden Temple was witness to a brutal bloodbath on April 13, 1919 – 50 soldiers unloaded 1,650 rounds of ammunition into the screaming, terrified crowd. Walk around the complex to get a sense of the sacrifice by not only the freedom fighters but also ordinary citizens including children. The bullet marks are still visible on the walls surrounding the park along with the well which many jumped into to escape the gunfire. There is a light and sound show and along with a gallery that recreates what transpired on the fateful day.
Cellular Jail
Cellular Jail or Kaala Paani as it is commonly referred to is a grim reminder of what our freedom fighters went through for an independent India. Located in Port Blair, this massive prison complex served as the penal colony for political prisoners like Battukeshwar Dutt and Veer Savarkar. Today, it has been transformed into a museum where you can get a first hand experience of the hardships and torture the inmates had to endure, including various torture devices.
Gateway of India
This massive arched stone structure was constructed to commemorate the 1911 visit of Queen Mary and King George V. Ironically, or rather, fittingly, it also bid goodbye to the last of the British troops leaving India, ending three centuries of colonial rule. The symbolic departure of British troops took place in 1948 and the last British contingent to formally leave the country was the Somerset Light Infantry. Today, you will find horse drawn carts, local/foreign tourists and the photographers who pester them mingling with the Mumbai’s well heeled gliding in and out of the Taj Mahal Palace across the road.
Barrackpore
The venue where the legendary Mangal Pandey rebelled against the British by wounding two officers with his sword. His act of defiance and subsequent execution sparked off the First War of Independence. The place where he was hung is now known as Mangal Pandey Garden and there is a bust of the freedom fighter, immortalising him for being a integral part of the freedom movement.
Red Fort
The place where our first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave the fist independence day speech in 1947. Even prior to the event, the Red Fort was a vital entity in India’s freedom struggle. It served as the bastion for the freedom fighters during the first war of independence in 1857.
