The Cellular Jail in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, stands as one of the most powerful memorials to India’s freedom struggle. Known as Kala Pani (black waters), it was conceived as a high-security prison of isolation and exile. Today, it is both a National Memorial and a deeply moving heritage site that invites travelers to learn, reflect, and pay respects.
After the 1857 uprising, the British sought a distant, controllable location to isolate political prisoners and deter dissent. The Andaman Islands—remote, surrounded by treacherous seas, and far from the mainland—were chosen as a penal colony. Early temporary camps were harsh and rudimentary; the Cellular Jail was planned later to institutionalize solitary confinement and surveillance.
Construction began in 1896 and was completed in 1906. Materials, including bricks, were shipped from the mainland and Burma (present-day Myanmar). The completed complex originally consisted of seven radiating wings connected to a central watch tower, embodying the principles of a carceral society based on isolation.
Life in the Cellular Jail was punishing. Prisoners endured rigorous labor, scant rations, and minimal medical care. A notorious task was turning the kolhu, a heavy oil mill used to crush copra—monotonous, exhausting work that broke bodies and spirits. Disciplinary measures included fetters, standing handcuffs, and extended solitary confinement for even minor infractions.
Despite isolation, political prisoners organized protests for humane treatment and political recognition. Hunger strikes in the early 1930s, particularly in 1933, shook the administration and mobilized public opinion on the mainland. The martyrs Mahavir Singh, Mohan Kishore Namadas, and Mohit Moitra are remembered for sacrificing their lives during these agitations.
These names represent only a fraction of the thousands transported here under various conspiracy cases and sedition laws.
In 1942, the Japanese occupied the Andaman Islands. The Kenpeitai (military police) used the prison for detentions and interrogations, and some political detainees and members of the Indian Independence League faced brutal repression. Subhas Chandra Bose visited Port Blair in December 1943, raised the national flag in the city, and symbolically renamed the islands Shaheed (Andaman) and Swaraj (Nicobar). Yet, for many, the wartime years brought fresh suffering within and around the jail.
By the late 1930s, after sustained protests and political pressure, many prisoners were repatriated or released, and the penal settlement began winding down. Earthquakes, war, and later demolitions reduced the seven wings to the three wings you see today. After Independence, the site was preserved—following public campaigns for remembrance—and was declared a National Memorial in 1979. Restoration, curation, and public history initiatives have since turned the complex into a sober museum and commemorative space.
Begin at the central tower for a grasp of the radial design. Walk the surviving wings to experience the claustrophobic corridors and individual cells. Notice how cell doors never directly face each other—an architectural strategy to restrict communication.
Several cells and galleries identify notable inmates and their stories through photographs, text panels, and personal effects. Marble plaques list the names of prisoners transported across decades, transforming bare walls into a roll-call of sacrifice.
Displays of the kolhu, chains, bar fetters, and feeding apparatuses used during hunger strikes offer visceral insight into the jail’s regime.
Parts of the gallows and the hospital testify to the stark realities of colonial punishment and the thin line between discipline and mortality.
The museum’s galleries present the wider context of anti-colonial resistance, while the Swatantrya Jyoti (eternal flame) commemorates martyrs of the freedom struggle.
After dusk, a narrated Light and Sound Show in Hindi and English brings the prison’s stories alive. Seats are limited and shows are popular, so consider booking in advance. Schedules and languages may vary by season.
October to May offers relatively dry, clear weather. Monsoon (June–September) brings heavy rain and choppy seas. For cooler walks and photography, visit early morning or late afternoon and stay for the evening show.
Allow 1.5–3 hours for the museum and grounds. Add 45–60 minutes if attending the Light and Sound Show.
No. Only three of the original seven wings survive today.
Yes, with guidance about its solemn history. The exhibits can be intense; discretion is advised.
Generally no. Drone use requires prior permission from authorities.
To walk the corridors of the Cellular Jail is to encounter the architecture of repression—and the indomitable will to resist it. Visit with curiosity and care, and you will leave with a deeper understanding of India’s freedom struggle and the human cost behind it.
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