Cellular Jail: Echoes of Freedom’s Struggle in the Andamans (2024)

One of the most emotional places I have visited is the Cellular Jail. It witnesses the sufferings of many of our freedom fighters and soldiers who went through hell in the name of fighting for freedom. When I visited Cellular Jail the first time around, I did not realise its importance and significance that much. But when I visited the second time around, it was a very touchy and sentimental experience.

PIN for later reference

This article may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. For complete information, please see our affiliate disclaimer here.

Short on time? Here are Andaman and Nicobar Islands Travel Resources
For the Best Hotel Deals in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, use Booking.com or Goibibo
For Hostels in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, use HostelWorld
Use Skyscanner or Trip.com to get affordable flight tickets to Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Viator and GetYourGuide are your best tour operators
Rentalcars and Discover Cars are the best agencies to rent out cars at the lowest prices
For comprehensive travel insurance, use SafetyWing or WorldNomads

Travel Blogs:
One Week in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Travel Guide to Havelock Island
Scuba Diving in Havelock Island
Travel Guide to Neil Island
Scuba Diving in Neil Island
Plan Your Visit to Chidiya Tapu
One-Day Trip to Baratang Island
One-Day Trip to Ross Island from Port Blair
Never Forgotten Tales of Cellular Jail
One-Day Trip to Jolly Buoy Island from Port Blair
Reasons To Skip North Bay Island

About Cellular Jail

Also known as Kala Paani (Black waters in Hindi), Cellular Jail was a colonial prison in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was called Kala because black represents death.

The prison was a prison for political prisoners (Indian freedom fighters) that the British Government used to deport all the freedom fighters whom they considered as criminals. It is considered a temple for freedom fighters.

Hire a guide to know about the stories. The guides are available at the entrance of Cellular Jail.

The freedom fighters were subjected to many cruel and physical torture. They were locked up with metal rods, and many lost their lives because of the cruelty.

Stories of The Never Forgotten Heroes

There were many freedom fighters, not just the ones mentioned below, who made history and gave their lives for our nation. They were the prisoners and inmates at Cellular Jail and made a huge contribution to freeing India. During my visit, I learned that many prisoners were not recognized by Independent India for their struggles and fights.

Mahavir Singh

Mahavir Singh was the son of Kunwar Devi Singh. Born in 1908 in Uttar Pradesh, Mahavir Singh was an active member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army, a revolutionary organisation formed by Ram Prasad Bismil, Sachindra Nath Bakshi, Sachindranath Sanyal, and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee.

Mahavir Singh was arrested and deported to Cellular Jail for the Lahore Conspiracy case. He participated in the first hunger strike in the jail in May 1933. Due to the brutal force-feeding, he breathed his last.

Sachindranath Sanyal

Co-founder of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army, Sachindranath Sanyal was an Indian revolutionary who was born in 1893 in Varanasi. He was arrested and deported to Cellular Jail because of the Benaras conspiracy case. In 1920, in the wake of Britain’s victory, the British government released many prisoners, including Sachindranath Sanyal. Even after his release, he continued fighting for freedom. He mentored other freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev.

Yogendra Shukla

Another co-founder of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army, Yogendra Shukla, was born in 1896 in Bihar. Between 1932 and 1937, he was a prisoner in Cellular Jail for five years. He was imprisoned in many jails, and due to the long years of prison life, he became seriously ill and breathed his last in 1960.

Vinayak Damodar “Veer” Savarkar

Born in 1883, Vinayak Damodar “Veer” Savarkar was an Indian activist and politician. He was arrested and deported to Cellular Jail for two charges, the Nasik conspiracy case and under code 121-A against King Emperor conspiracy. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for a total of 50 years. Savarkar breathed last in 1966 in his residence in Bombay.

Batukeshwar Dutta

One of the freedom fighters who was not recognised by Independent India was Batukeshwar Dutta. Born in 1910 in West Bengal, Batukeshwar Dutta was an Indian independence fighter and revolutionary. He was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Because of the Central Assembly Bomb case, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to Cellular Jail. In 1965, he died due to a long illness in New Delhi.

Booking for Cellular Jail

Visiting Cellular Jail is a very popular tourist attraction in Port Blair. The Cellular Jail (not the light and sound show) is open in two time slots: 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:45 PM. There is a minimal entrance fee of INR 30 per person for Indians and INR 100 per person for foreign nationals. The ticket can be purchased at the jail’s entrance, and it includes a visit to the Jail museum.

Jail Museum

The Cellular Jail Museum is an important place within the Cellular Jail complex. It has stories and artefacts depicting the lives of prisoners. The museum is definitely a must-visit and a great place to learn about Indian history.

Light and sound show

The light and sound show is where an old tree in the Cellular Jail tells the tales of the prisoners and their sufferings. It is narrated in Hindi and English languages. Usually, the bookings for the light and sound show (costing INR 300 per person) get sold out quickly. Hence, I highly suggest advance booking your visit. There are two ways to register for the light and sound show:

• Advance booking on the Andaman Tourism website.
• Booking at the entrance. Even though there are clearly mentioned steps (as shown in the picture below) at the entrances, booking is a tedious and lengthy process, especially considering that the island does not have a very good Wi-Fi network.

How to Get to Cellular Jail?

The Cellular Jail is around 8 kilometres from Port Blair city, and the best way to get there is by road. Port Blair has many taxis and auto-rickshaws. Make sure to haggle with the auto drivers, as they tend to charge more, and the autos do not have meters. For one way, we hired an auto rickshaw, and while returning, we walked back to our hotel.

Closing Notes

My visit to Cellular Jail was an eye-opener. It gave me a glimpse of all the sufferings that our nation’s freedom fighters went through so we could breathe in free India. I advise everyone visiting the Andaman Islands to pay their respects and visit this amazing temple.

PIN for later reference