Extraordinary Destinations ger than you would ideally want to .
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