Cellular Jail Port Blair
CELLULAR
JAIL
No history textbook can ever tell you what to expect when you enter the
gates of the Cellular Jail in Port Bair; nothing can prepare you for what
you will experience inside the premises of one of the world’s most poignant
monuments. Come here in the daytime (9 a.m. to 12.30 a.m. & 1.30 p.m. to
5 p.m.) and you can take a peek at the solitary confinement cells.
You can also visit the art gallery, museum and martyrs’ memorial. I went
in the evening to watch the sound and light show (Hindi: 6 p.m.; English:
7.15 p.m.) expecting good entertainment; one hour and a volley of varied
emotions later, I walked out with tear-stained cheeks, a renewed respect
for the Indian struggle for Independence and greater appreciation for the
freedom that my generation enjoys.
History says
The Cellular Jail was constructed in 1896 by the British to house the increasing number of freedom fighters who were being sent to the Andamans for punishment. The treatment meted out to the inmates here was inhuman: solitary confinement, unhygienic living conditions, whipping... the prisoners went through all these indignities and punishments on a daily basis. Some committed suicide; some lost their mind; for most, their body gave way but not their spirits. The Cellular Jail stands testimony to the undying patriotism of hundreds of freedom fighters.
Getting there
Jet Airways has daily flights to Port Blair from Kolkata and Chennai. The Cellular Jail is located about 6 km from the airport.
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