The forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. Since birth, humans have been drawn to forbidden actions—touching fire, eating sand, parking in no-parking zones, or exploring barricaded areas. Yet, one place remains largely unexplored despite its imposing walls: the jail. A place reserved for those who commit crimes, where autonomy is stripped away, it evokes fear. However, everyone has wondered at least once what life inside a prison is like.
If you are one of those curious souls, the Hyderabad jail has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. The Chanchalguda Central Jail has launched a 'feel the jail' offer, allowing citizens to spend 24 hours in a prison cell for just ₹2,000. For those who prefer a shorter stay, a 12-hour experience is available for ₹1,000.
Inside the 'Feel the Jail' Experience
A neatly decorated entrance leads to a narrow passage lined with prison barracks. Inside a room, there is a single bed with navy-blue sheets against a plain white wall, accompanied by an earthen pot of drinking water and a compact washroom. Another room features four beds arranged in opposite directions, while one more is enclosed within two layers of grilled structures that restrict movement and visibility.
Chanchalguda Prison Museum
Entry to the prison museum is priced at ₹10 for students and ₹20 for other visitors, with children under 10 allowed free entry. The museum showcases reminders of colonial-era incarceration through old punishment exhibits, rare artefacts, and thematic galleries that document the severe physical and psychological hardship once endured by inmates.
The programme was launched by the Telangana Prisons Department on May 12, 2026, offering citizens a chance to live like inmates in specially designed barracks, complete with prison food, regulated routines, and restricted movement for a realistic experience.
A similar experience was previously offered briefly at the Heritage Jail Museum in Sangareddy. According to Telangana Director General of Prisons, Soumya Mishra, after the Sangareddy jail museum collapsed a few years ago, they decided to revive and expand the concept into a modern, immersive museum at Chanchalguda.
She added that the fees collected from both the prison museum and the jail experience initiative will contribute to the prisoners' welfare and development fund.
