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One of the main tourist attractions, the Cellular Jail talks a lot about the British era in India and its story. The Cellular Jail of Port Blair, Andaman, was constructed as a Panopticon. The panopticon is a circular prison built around a central surveillance station; in this case the prison of Port Blair was built in the form of a seven-spoke wheel. The spokes or prison cells were guarded from three watch towers built within the premises. The three-storied prison had about 696 cells each, separated from the other by brick walls and metal doors. The only outlet was a ventilator about 10 feet above the door. Each spoke and line of cells opened up to the back of the next spoke, disallowing any dialogue or contact between inmates.
Deportation to the Cellular Jail of Andaman, referred to in Hindi as the Kala Pani ki Saza, was one of the most feared sentences in the times of struggle for Indian independence. Many of those sentenced to the Kala Pani died during their voyage to the island due to the inhuman conditions of transport. The plight of those who landed there was worse. Inmates were subjected to inhuman labour and impossible targets. A trip to the Cellular Jail of Andaman is a great reminder of the pains and struggles which were undertaken by freedom fighters in their endeavour to win back India’ s lost freedom.
The most famous inmates of the Cellular Jail included Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, better known as Veer Savarkar, a revolutionary. The Cellular Jail of Port Blair, Andaman is now a well-preserved museum and memorial to the inmates and freedom fighters of India. Four of the seven spokes or lines of prison cells have been destroyed. Visitors may now visit the three remaining rows of cells, the gallows, and the offices. Many photographs and items from colonial India are preserved there. A trip to the Cellular Jail may be saddening to many but it is on immense value and an educational experience for anyone interested in Indian history.
While most of the jail has been retained the way it is, a part of it has been converted to a hospital. It is an absolute marvel of a structure to be visited. Every
16 destination exotica | february 2017