24.02.20 : Ross Island

ANDAMAN ISLANDS : 24/02/20 – 01/03/20

Our trip was planned from 24^th Feb onwards but on 23^rd night itself we started getting together.  Our group consist of Philo, my sister, Frankie and self and from Mr. Sen’s family, there was Bharati, Sen himself, Vidhi, his granddaughter and his sister, Anjana.  We 7 were part of Veena World Andaman tour group consisting of 28 persons, youngest being Megha 4 years and oldest being Gandhi, 87 years.  We all assembled at the Domestic Santacruz airport at 2a.m, where are tour advisor gave us our tickets and bag of goodies consisting sandwich, snacks, cold drinks, waist bag, and ponchos.  Our flight took off at 4am directly to Port Blair and landed there at 7 am.  After collecting our luggage, freshening up and we were met by our Tour Guide, Sagar Ragade, who took us to the restaurant for breakfast.  Since we could not check in to the Hotel before 12pm, they planned to take us to Ross Island.

24/02/20 : Ross Island :  From Port Blair, which itself is an island, we were taken by speed boat (15 mins) and lifejacket to Ross Island. 

During British time, it was the administrative division controlling Port  Blair/Andaman Islands. This island had old world charm of bungalows for officers, barracks for army/navy, churches, clubs, bakery,  swimming pools schools, etc.  All in dilapidated condition and hence not allowed to enter.  We were taken around in e-track vehicle.  Most of the buildings/bungalows was covered by huge trees and roots. Real bhoot bangla island at night.  It had lots of deer who came near to eat the tender coconuts offered by the tourist.  .

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island, formerly known as Ross Island, is an island of the Andaman Islands. It belongs to the South Andaman administrative district, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.[ The island is situated 3 km (2 mi) east from central Port Blair. The historic ruins are a tourist attraction. The ruins of the bazaar, bakery, stores, water treatment plant, church, tennis court, printing press, secretariat, hospital, cemetery, swimming pool, the Chief Commissioner's residence with its huge gardens and state grand ballrooms, the Government House, the old Andamanese Home'. Troop Barracks, all in dilapidated condition, reminiscent of the old British regime. In November 1857, the Government decided to establish a penal settlement in Andaman and send "hard-core elements" among those who took on the British. From 1942 to 1945, the island was occupied by the Japanese. The Government House became the residence of the Japanese admiral for three years (from March 1942 to October 1945). It was during this period that Subhas Chandra Bose, who took the help of Japanese in his fight against the British, stayed at the Island for a day in December 1943. Netaji also hoisted the national tricolor at the top of the Government House. The Japanese too left their imprint on the island which stand in the form of bunkers used as watch points to safeguard the Island from any invasion.

We returned by speedboat again and taken to our hotel. Megapode Resort is a resort overlooking the beach in Port Blair, Andaman. While our guide was doing our check in, we went had a nice buffet lunch in restaurant.  We checked in our rooms, it was lovely.

Relaxing at Megapode Resort

We were told to freshen up and be ready at 3.45 pm, we would be taken to Cellular Jail to see the Light and Sound show over there. We met in the reception where we met and introduced ourselves to our travel partners. Got into the bus and  reached Cellular Jai.  We were all waiting in the garden outside the Jail.  We passed our time looking at the different statues of prisoners/ martyrs who underwent imprisonment in this jail and read their stories. We were taken inside, waiting in line and all were seated.  

At 5 pm, began the story told by the Peepal tree, which is still there, who watched the happening and spoken by Om Puri.

.In silence we heard the narrative and the horrors and torture inflicted by the British Raj on India's political activists, especially Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who was imprisoned for 10 years (between 1911-1921). He was locked up in small cell, measuring only 4.5m by 2.7m in size, in solitary. The narrative was very emotional but background sound was too loud and at times overshadowed the talks. Here at 6 pm itself it becomes dark. We returned back solemnly in the dark and checked into our rooms. 

We all freshened up and all 7 of us assembled in our room to have our chit chat session with our glasses and snacks.  Went for dinner fast because we had to get up early, to leave at 3am for our next trip.  

The Cellular Jail, also known as Kālā Pānī (Hindi for black waters), was a colonial prison in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. The prison was used by the British for the express purpose of exiling political prisoners to the remote archipelago.