Today I explored Port Blair’s sights … it was set up as a penal colony by the British to incarcerate political prisoners, ie. freedom fighters for the independence movement.
Ross Island: Angkor of the Andamans
I took a boat across the harbour to Ross Island which was the headquarters for the British in the area. It now lays in ruins, overgrown with trees (Angkor-style) with peacocks and deers roaming the grounds. An earthquake in 1941 and the Japanese occupation saw the “Paris of the East” wiped out. It certainly looks older than just 70 years with all those tree roots … the Presbyterian church has a tree growing out of its spire.
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- Tsunami Memorial at Port Blair.
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- On Ross Island, the old British headquarters.
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- Lotuses (loti?) in pond on Ross Island.
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- Ruins of the Presbyterian church.
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- Ruins of the Presbyterian church.
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- Ruins of Government House.
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- Ruins of Government House.
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- Another big tree; very Angkor.
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- Beautiful peacock …. pity couldn’t get a shot of its tail.
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- Hello my deer.
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- Lush overgrown paths connect parts of the island.
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- Officers’ Quarters.
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- The bakery.
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- Fish from the jetty at Ross Island.
Cellular Jail: Alcatraz of the Andamans
The British started their penal colony at nearby Viper Island (which I did not visit as I ran out of steam). That was abandoned for a seven-wing star-shaped mega-complex with 698 cells, built in the late 1800s (over 18 years) near Port Blair. This is called the Cellular Jail … but I didn’t realise Indian nationalism started so early.
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- Cellular Jail where political prisoners were locked up.
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- Model of Cellular Jail where political prisoners were locked up.
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- One of the seven wings of the Cellular Jail.
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- One of the seven wings of the Cellular Jail.
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- Looking towards the central watch tower of Cellular Jail.
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- Looking towards the sea from the central watch tower of Cellular Jail.
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- Inside one of the wings of Cellular Jail.
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- I like the paratha and dosai here.
Anthropology of the Andamans
These islands were not originally ethnically Indian. The original inhabitants now constitute 12% of the population. Some tribes are still hostile to contact (the Jarawa) while others (eg. the Nicobarese, probably related to Malays) have assimilated into Indian life.
Despite the relative proximity to South India, the Indians here are a mix of North, South and Bengali Indians … plus some Burmese. Unfortunately the Museum was closed and I didn’t get a chance to know about the people of these islands.