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Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Explore the Fascinating Colonial Heritage of Andamans!

By:Ranjan Pal

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Visitors to the Andamans, enthusiastic about making a beeline for the pristine beaches of Havelock and Neil Islands are often disappointed to find that they have to spend a night in Port Blair. This is due to the fact that practically all flights from the Indian mainland arrive too late to connect to the hi-speed Makruzz ferries that whisk you away to these beach havens.

At first glance Port Blair seems like an unprepossessing Indian market town, but dig deeper and you will find a fascinating colonial history. With over a thousand kilometres of ocean separating them from the mainland, these islands presented themselves strategically to the British as the ideal base for a penal colony, to exile the captured Indian freedom fighters during the struggle for Independence. Thus, in its objective it was similar to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and his compatriots were imprisoned for many years off the shores of Cape Town.

There are two main sights to visit in Port Blair, each of which would take a couple of hours: the Cellular Jail and Ross Island. So do the Jail on Day One after you arrive and Ross Island on Day Two before you leave.

The Cellular Jail

Background

While the history of Port Blair as a penal colony dates back to the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the Cellular Jail was constructed from 1896 to 1906 as the struggle for Independence gathered steam and the number of prisoners increased. The most unique feature of the jail is its design, based on the panopticon principle espoused by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, which allows a single guard to observe the inmates without the inmates knowing whether or not they are being watched. So in this design the jail had seven wings radiating out from a central tower much like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Each wing had three floors and the jail could house close to 700 inmates – Each of them imprisoned in a single tiny cell with no possibility of communication with any of the others. This feature of solitary confinement in individual cells earned the jail its name “Cellular”.

Experience

The Cellular Jail is a place that fills you with grim foreboding, marking a very dark chapter in British rule. The guide took us around the grounds where exhibits displayed the inhuman torture that the prisoners were subject to, including being tied to a rack and lashed on their naked buttocks. Prisoner hangings were heralded by the ringing of a large bell in the central tower in a grotesquely Orwellian twist. Climbing to the top of the central tower, we could see the sea that stretched away in all directions and also understood the nature of complete surveillance afforded the solitary guard.

Interesting fact

The Cellular Jail was also known as Kala Pani, literally translating as Black or Death Water because it was surrounded by sea on all sides and there was no way a prisoner could escape – much like Alcatraz Island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. At night with the full moon glimmering down on the black waters of the Indian Ocean, we experienced the full meaning of the expression.

Special tip
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Get to the jail half an hour early and spend time browsing through the Freedom Fighters Photo and Exhibition Gallery. It is well put together and will give you a good understanding of what life was like for the political prisoners and the brutality they had to endure.

Cost and timings

The jail is open seven days a week from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and from 1:30 PM to 04:45 PM.

Entry cost is Rs. 30 per adult and the nightly sound and light show (well worth staying for) is Rs. 50. The only English shows are from 8 to 9 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Ross Island

Background

Located just two kilometers east of Port Blair is Ross Island, which served as the administrative and social hub of the penal colony under British rule. Named after the marine surveyor Daniel Ross, the first settlers came in 1789 and established a hospital and a sanatorium. All of the old structures lie in ruins, but a walk through the island offers a fascinating glimpse into what colonial life must have been like – with the remnants of stores, bakery, printing press, church, hospital, swimming pool and even a water treatment plant. Separate clubs for the officers and the enlisted men, and right at the top of the island, the Chief Commissioner’s residence with its huge gardens and grand ballrooms, preserved the fine sense of social hierarchy even in this far outpost of the Empire! Following an earthquake in 1941, the island was abandoned, with the British HQ being shifted to Port Blair.

Experience
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The short ferry ride out to Ross Island is not the most enjoyable with throngs of jostling tourists, but the island is well worth a visit. Shunning the golf carts favoured by the madding crowd, we strolled up the well-marked pathway, stopping to examine the old ruins, many of which had been reclaimed by the forest with the enormous roots of banyan trees holding them in an eternal grip. Peacocks and parrots appeared among the bushes and deer roamed freely near the landing dock. One could almost hear the giggles of children at the swimming pool, the dance and music from the club’s live band and hymns of worship at the church. Oblivious to the sufferings of the Indian prisoners across the water, the British colonialists must have enjoyed life to the hilt in this tropical island paradise.

Interesting fact

The abandoned Ross Island came to the rescue of Port Blair when the tsunami hit in 2004. Because of its strategic position protecting the harbour, it bore the full brunt of the tidal wave thus saving the town from much more serious damage.

Special tip

At the top of the hill, hidden from sight, is a staircase leading down to the rocky beach. There, a jetty will take you to the lighthouse and a poignant statue of a naval officer gazing at the sea, called The Lone Sailor: Silent Sentinel of Sea in Eternal Vigil. This is usually completely missed by the golf-cart riding set, but spend a few minutes here, enjoying the beauty and solitude of this spot with the clear blue swell of the tropical sea at your feet.

Cost and timings

Ferries to Ross Island ply every few minutes and cost Rs. 100 per adult each way. The island is open six days a week from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and closed on Wednesdays. Entry cost is Rs. 30 per adult (with an additional Rs. 80 for the golf cart ride) The sound and light show starts at 5:30 PM and costs Rs. 100.