Say Parappana Agrahara and people assume you are referring to the Bangalore Central Prison. With high-profile visits by members from the political and film fraternities keeping it in the news, the neighbourhood is now a recognisable spot on the map for the average Bangalorean.
Not in isolation
It is not one of those clichéd locations for a prison — it isn't quarantined, say on an island in the middle of the sea or in isolation. Engulfed by the growing city, this neighbourhood is on its way to becoming a residential hub.
Constructions of a number of apartment complexes are under way, such as the one opposite the jail road. Long time residents of Naganathapura, the tiny hamlet that surrounds the jail area, say that the presence of the jail has hardly deterred the residential growth of their locality.
“The jail is in one corner and we are in the other corner. It doesn't affect our life,” says Gangadhar, a shopkeeper in Naganathapura.
Too close for comfort
The route to the jail from Hosur Road passes through another area called Chennakeshavanagar.
Each evening, from around 4 p.m., this route is lined with shopkeepers and traders who come there from different parts of the city to sell flowers, vegetables and even electronic goods.
Residents in Chennakeshavanagar say that if there is a celebrity making their way to the jail, the ones that have to suffer are these hawkers.
“When Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa came to Parappana Agrahara, the police shooed the hawkers and traders away for the evening. What about the daily earnings of these hawkers on such days?” asked Veerappa Reddy, a resident of Parappana village.
The city coming so close to the jail has affected the prison as well.
“This road [leading to the jail] now has a residential colony, the jail quarters, the Lokayukta Court and the Central Prison all next to each other,” said head constable Kodandarama, who has been assigned the duty of manning the road. “It is sometimes a busy road and screening the ones entering becomes very difficult.”
A different history
The area had its origins in the Mico Bosch Factory, which was set up long before the prison became the defining landmark here.
“Development came to the area with the lake nearby, [setting up of] Electronics City and [improved] road connectivity with the rest of the city,” said Vishwanath, an employee of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. residing in the area.
With a four-year history of being a modern layout, Parappana Agrahara lacks water supply and sanitation facilities.
A majority of the residents are labourers or work at garment factories.
And like every other area, Parappana Agrahara also has a historical tale to tell.
Veerappa, who has been residing in Parappana village for the past 63 years has this tale to share on the area's history: “Parappa and Konappa were supposed to be brothers, after whom two localities were named — Parappana Agrahara and Konappana Agrahara. But nobody knows who these brothers were.”
“There is also a story that this village had a fake-note stamping machine around 200 years ago that supplied illegal notes to other states,” he said. A fine history indeed for what is now the centre of law enforcement!
These testimonials seem to imply that Parappana Agrahara is a neighbourhood like any other.
Just that it happens to be the prisoners' abode as well.
