Times of India | 4 days ago | 07-08-2022 | 04:28 am
Sprawled across a hillock at Sinquerim and offering magnificent views of the Arabian Sea, the 17th century Fort Aguada has long been drawing hordes of tourists and locals to take in its architectural splendour. But it is the fort’s jail museum at the base of the hillock that has been attracting a steady flow of visitors of late, although activities planned for the historic site have yet to take off.Renovated and restored at a cost of Rs 26 crore, the structure had served as a full-fledged port during the Portuguese regime, complete with a jetty and a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Good Voyage where passengers would pray before setting out to sea. It was subsequently converted to a prison at which several freedom fighters had served time. The jail was operational post-Liberation too, until mid-2015, following which all its inmates were shifted to the central jail at Colvale.It lay largely neglected thereafter until the government decided to give it a new lease of life as a jail museum equipped with a host of modern technologies to help people understand and appreciate its hoary past.“As visitors walk through the passage next to the prison blocks, they will find information on the walls with 3D projection mapping, interactive screens, and audio and digital displays,” said Ravi Shankar, director of Waterfront Experiences Pvt Ltd which has been roped in by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation to maintain, manage and operate the historic structure.A senior tourism department official said all activities conceptualised for the jail museum will likely be launched by November 1 this year.Shankar said that once the project takes off in its entirety, it will generate over 350 direct and around 100 indirect job opportunities. “The prison bakery, for instance, which has been retained in its original form, will be made operational and will supply bread to cafes and restaurants housed in the complex by engaging a ‘poder’ (bread maker) from a nearby village,” he said.Guided walks throughout the museum will also be on offer, but visitors will be at liberty to explore the area on their own. Two light-and-sound shows will be held in the open area outside the prison cells before and after sunset, narrating the history of Goa till Liberation. While the theme will revolve around freedom, the curation will be refreshed every year.“The cultural centre will select one element from a broad theme each year and build around it. This way, there will be something new to learn, understand and experience each year,” Shankar said and added that a Christmas market at the premises is on the cards for this year.Another feature is the fair weather jetty — operational from October to April — which will allow visitors to take a ferry from Aguada to Old Goa, thereby connecting two major historical sites. A shuttle bus service from the Aguada helipad atop the hillock to the jail museum at its base is alsoexpected to begin shortly.The jail museum was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 19, 2021, during his visit to Goa to participate in celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the state’s Liberation.
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