The Banyan Tree & the Parade Ground

Prior permission required
This is Barrackpore's most atmospheric and most restricted sight. Within the grounds now occupied by the Swami Vivekananda Police Academy stands the legendary banyan tree from which Mangal Pandey was hanged on 8th April 1857. It is an immense, centuries-old tree with a trunk that has expanded into a grove of aerial roots: the kind of tree that seems to have absorbed the weight of history into its bark. Visitors who secure permission through the cantonment authorities or through an arranged heritage tour can stand beneath its canopy. Note: the popular tradition associating this specific tree with Pandey's execution is contested by local historians, who place the actual hanging at Lal Bagan near the racecourse, but the tree's antiquity and atmosphere are extraordinary regardless.