Let’s go to Andaman #ExploreIndianIslands - Day 1

The excitement to travel out of the mainland and to explore a new territory is always a thrill. 

We have all read about the Andaman Archipelago in our Geography and History books and it was always a dream to visit the place. We started in Akasa Air from Chennai on the 19th December 2023 to Port Blair. It was a hassle free check in and the thrill started from boarding the flight. It was a 2 hour 15 minute journey. While nearing Port Blair and when the descent started, we could witness the beauty of the smaller islands on the western side of Andaman Islands. The beauty was stunning and the entire flight, including the crew, were excited and eager to witness the beauty from the heavens. Port Blair is a defence airport and hence photography & videography at the time of landing is prohibited.

View from the heavens

The airport at Port Blair has been recently developed and it has been upgraded to world class standards and also it was very clean, neat and hassle free from deboarding till exit. We were received by our tour manager at the exit and had our car ready to travel to the hotel. The weather was just like Chennai and any coastal region on landing. It was humid and warm. The weather inside the aircraft and airport was totally contrasting to the weather outside. Our next itinerary for the day was only around lunch time and hence we checked in at TSG Grand Hotel and took some rest before the next schedule. At around 1330 hrs we started to explore Port Blair. Anything inside Port Blair is only 15 minutes away, as per the local drivers and guides. Our first stop was at the temple of patriotism, Cellular Jail. Our entry tickets were ready and we entered through the arch entrance of Cellular Jail. The tickets are priced at Rs. 30/- per person (for Indians). As soon as we entered on either side of the entrance there were 2 art and artefacts galleries explaining the details since the time Andaman Islands were used as a prison during the freedom struggle. All the minute details that trigger one’s patriotic feeling was showcased in the 2 galleries.

The entrance arch of Cellular Jail

At the exit of the arch there was a Swatantrya Jyot, a lamp signifying eternal freedom, built in honour of our freedom fighters and soldiers. The passage from there leads to the jail premises, where the walls are made of bricks and one can see the small openings to each cell on both top and bottom, which was the only source of light and ventilation for the prisoners. When we visited each cell and could see the darkness within, we felt the pain and misery the freedom fighters faced inside. There is a watch guard tower in the middle, from where the view was stunning, to see the Andaman sea, North Bay Island and the North Bay Lighthouse. In the 2nd floor of the right side tower (while facing the jail from the Jyot), the last corner cell is where Sri. V D Savarkar was prisoned for 10 years. This cell has the artefacts of him and a commemorative plaque in honour of him. In the passage from the cells to the gallows, there is another gallery, which has the various photographs from the time the Britishers occupied Andaman Islands to the hoisting of the tricolour by Sri. Subhash Chandra Bose in 1943. The Japanese invasion during World War II is also shown here. From there the pathway leads to a place where the highlights of how the prisoners were used for preparing oil and the travails they underwent when given a punishment are shown. The jute sacks, which burn the skin, while preparing oil were shown, which gives goosebumps even now. There were seats in front of this place, which is for the Sound & Light show later in the evening. From there the path leads to the gallows which made us go gloomy, with all the thoughts of how many precious lives of our freedom fighters were lost in it. With all the patriotic feelings and thoughts, we exited the first place at 1530 hrs and it was an amazing start to the trip.

View from the jail premises & the Swatantrya Jyot Our next halt was a short one, on our way to Corbyn's Cove Beach, we stopped at the point where the tricolour was first hoisted in 1943 by Sri. Subhash Chandra Bose. The Tiranga Point, as it is named now, faces towards Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island (previously known as Ross Islands) and a photo point is next to it. There is also an Ayyanar Temple opposite to this. After a short photo-op we proceeded to our next place, Corbyn’s Cove Beach. The Tiranga Point Corbyn’s Cove Beach was our first beach stop in this tour of the Andaman Islands. The drive through the marine bay was beautiful before reaching the beach. It was a coconut - palm fringed beach with ample seating, walking and standing areas by the water. The beach had a lot of water sport activities such as jet skiing, parasailing and speed boat rides. There were a lot of beach side restaurants. We went shopping by the beach side also, where we could find a lot of local goodies such as a conch, sea shell necklace, earrings, pearl necklace, magnets personalised to Andaman and many more. The evening was really cool, with maximum sea breeze and cool shade under the palm trees. Sunset on that day was at 1659 hrs and there were constant alerts from the coastal guards to stop water sport activities before 1630 hrs due to the sunset. At 1715 hrs it was pitch dark at the beach, which was not expected and it felt like we were almost near 2000 hrs. With all the sweet memories from here we headed to our next stop for the night. The Coconut-Palm fringed Corbyn’s Cove Beach The next stop for us was actually the Sound & Light Show at Cellular Jail, but since we had ample time before that, we made an unscheduled stop at the Marina Park. By the beach, a park has been created for daily recreational activities for locals and tourists, to have a walk, for the kids to play and to have some snacks like Bhel, Channa and Papdi. Seated by the walls in the park and enjoying the cool breeze by the coast, it brought calmness to the mind. The light from the Sound & Light show was visible from the park. From here we proceeded to Cellular Jail, to witness the Sound & Light Show. The show has 3 timings in the day. The first one starts at 1750 hrs, the 2nd one at 1850 hrs and the last one at 1950 hrs. All the shows were in Hindi. The tickets are priced at Rs. 300/- per person. The entire entrance had a different lighting now when we entered the Jail. We were allotted seat numbers in the ticket itself and all of us had to sit only in the allocated seats. In the pitch darkness, the entire story in Sound & Light, showcasing the fierce struggle, especially in the Andaman Islands and Cellular Jail, brought out the patriotic feeling in all present. The sound was clear and the lighting too was beautiful, projected on the walls of the Jail. The show ended with our National Anthem and the entire public singing brought out the emotions present. Cellular Jail Entrance with the lights for the Show With this Patriotic feeling and a fun filled travel, we ended Day 1 on a happy note, expecting more thrill and fun in the coming days at the Andaman Islands. Click here for Day 2 Visit our Instagram Page for more!