Freedom Park to tell digital stories of history

The iconic Freedom Park will soon tell the tales of history, especially of the freedom struggle, through laser light show and virtual reality.

Bengaluru Smart City Limited (BSCL) has started work on a project that will use an array of technology from virtual reality to 3D imaging to bring to life the significant aspects of history through audio-visual means. The project is expected to launch in a few months.

“The aim is to enhance the experience of people visiting Freedom Park without changing its landscape, which holds both historic and cultural significance. The transformation will be only in the way of virtual experience,” BSCL Managing Director Hephsiba Rani Korlapati said.

Built by the British in the 19th century, Freedom Park was used as Bengaluru’s central jail until a new facility was set up at Parappana Agrahara in southern Bengaluru in 2001.

The BBMP and the Bangalore Agenda Task Force had conducted a national competition to select a design for the development of the park, which was opened to the public in January 2008 after being transformed into a green space.

She said 3D images would be projected on the watchtower to narrate the incarceration of freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gandhi, in the erstwhile jail. “Along with the glorious history of the park, we have planned to create interactive spaces for the youth. There will be a learning process which they will experience as entertainment,” she said.

The BSCL board approved the project to transform the park into a “world-class visual and digital destination” without making physical changes to the landscape. “We have listed 90 types of equipment, from amplifiers to projectors and LED screens. As most of these items are out of the scheduled rates, we have invited quotations from vendors and will place them before the board for approval,” she said.