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A former British prison and now a shrine to the political dissidents and a pilgrimage for the patriotic people, the Cellular Jail National Memorial is worth visiting place. the hil was named as CELLULAR because it consists entirely individual cell for the solitary confinement of prisoners.
This mute witness of the numerous tortured great freedom fighters, is located at Port Blair. a visit to this historical cellular jail explains the place of Andamans in Indias National Memorial.it completed its construction in 1906 and took almost about 18 years in its construction, can accomodate 698 persons in its individual cell. this cellular jail became the centre for all the freedom fighters who were imprisoned. these fighters, despite of walls and wardens, used to exchange their views, books, ideas and debtes.
Several prominent activists of India have been imprisoned in this jail, including Babarao Savarkar, Vinayal Damodar Savarkar, Barindra Kumar Ghosh and Batukeshwar Dutt amongst others. The Cellular Jail is known for its political importance as it served as the prison for the Indian political people during the reign of British and thus given a name called as “kala pani” which means black water.
Initially the building possessed seven wings, which were then intersected from a central watchtower. A guard used to keep a check on the prisoners from this tower. In addition, the Cellular Jail also carries a large bell and in times of emergency it serves as an alarm during emergencies. Each wing in this jail was three storied, which consisted of altogether 698 cells, each cell measuring 4.5 meter x 2.7 meter. The cells had built-in ventilators at a height of 3 meter. The building was subsequently damaged due to earthquake and tsunami, and today only three of the wings remain intact.
The Cellular Jail is today acknowledged as a National Memorial monument. In addition, visitors can also enjoy a Sound and Light show in Hindi as well as in English conducted during evening within the premises of the Cellular Jail. This program depicts the heroic Freedom Struggle and the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and truly touches the soul of every Indian. The show gives us a brief idea about the brutal happenings in the jail prior to India’s independence and other historical events regarding this place. The place also has a Martyr’s memorial, a museum, and a photo gallery and art gallery as well, reminiscing India’s struggle for independence.
As the climate of Port Blair is moderate and tropical one, therefore the best time to visit the Cellular Jail and Port Blair is between the months of October and April. The Cellular Jail remains open Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays and during public holidays. The visiting hours for the Cellular Jail are between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. The timings for the Light and Sound show are: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (Hindi) and 6:45 pm – 7:45 pm (English).