Yerawada Central Jail, Prison and Gandhi Heritage Site in Yerawada, India
Yerawada Central Jail is a correctional facility in the city of Pune, Maharashtra, comprising multiple security zones, dormitories, and sections for different categories of prisoners. The compound consists of walled areas with administrative buildings, workshops, and living quarters separated by checkpoints.
The British colonial administration built the facility in the late 19th century as part of its penal system in western India. During the independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi was incarcerated here, where his wife Kasturba died and he himself fell gravely ill.
Inmates learn vocational skills through the textile factory run by the administration, providing work for those serving their sentences. Their products go to public institutions across the state, preparing them for eventual reintegration into society.
The grounds lie east of central Pune along a main highway and are not open to tourists. Those interested in Gandhi heritage can instead visit the Aga Khan Palace Museum, which has connections to independence movement history and sits nearby.
Part of the compound functions as an open prison where convicted offenders work in agricultural projects and grow food used in community kitchens. This arrangement lets long-term inmates gradually adjust to life beyond cells while remaining under supervision.
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