‘Feel the Jail’ in Hyderabad Costs Rs 1,000–2,000 and the Internet Has Thoughts

A unique prison tourism experience in Hyderabad is going viral across social media after authorities launched a "Feel the Jail" programme at the historic Chanchalguda Central Jail. The unusual initiative allows ordinary visitors to voluntarily experience prison life for 12 or 24 hours inside real jail barracks.

The programme, introduced alongside the newly opened Telangana Jail Museum, gives participants a chance to live like inmates by sleeping on basic prison beds, eating jail-style food, using steel utensils and following a strict daily routine designed to simulate life inside a correctional facility.

According to reports, the 12-hour prison experience costs Rs 1,000, while visitors wanting a full 24-hour jail stay will have to pay Rs 2,000. The concept has quickly grabbed attention online, with many calling it India's newest and most bizarre tourism trend.

Photos and videos from the jail museum have flooded social media platforms, showing iron-grilled prison barracks, minimal interiors and old prison infrastructure that recreate the atmosphere of real incarceration. The immersive setup has sparked curiosity among users, with some calling it an eye-opening educational initiative while others questioned whether prison life should be turned into a tourist attraction.

🚨 Hyderabads Central Jail has launched Feel the Jail, a paid initiative where citizens can experience prison life for 12 or 24 hours.

Priced at ₹1,000 and ₹2,000 respectively, the programme includes recreated prison barracks, prison-style meals and regulated routines. pic.twitter.com/aCMWsACepI

— Gems (@gemsofbabus_) May 13, 2026

Social media reactions have ranged from humorous to critical. One user joked that after eco-tourism, India has now entered the era of "jail tourism," while another questioned the ethics of charging people to experience a simulated version of hardships that actual inmates endure daily.

The Telangana Jail Museum itself is also becoming a major attraction. The museum reportedly traces the history of prisons from the Nizam era to modern correctional systems and showcases historical prison records, inmate labour tools and old jail equipment. The Chanchalguda initiative is inspired by the earlier "one-day jail experience" at the Sangareddy Heritage Prison Museum, which had also generated significant public interest.

With curiosity growing online, Hyderabad's "Feel the Jail" experience has unexpectedly become one of the country's most talked-about viral attractions this week.