Cellular Jail
Cellular Jail (Kala Pani)
The 'Black Water' prison where British colonial authorities held Indian independence activists. It is now a national memorial.
Cellular Jail was built between 1896 and 1906. Originally it had a seven-wing radial cell block with about 690 solitary cells. The British colonial government held Indian independence fighters here, and it became known as 'Kala Pani' ('Black Water'). Three wings survive and the prison now serves as a national memorial. Visitors can see the cells, the gallows room, exhibition halls and the central watchtower. In the evenings, a sound-and-light show recounts the prison's history, with performances in Hindi and English. The jail is located in Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair). Admission is inexpensive, but the sound-and-light show requires a separate ticket.
Opening hours
About 09:00–12:30, 13:30–16:45; light-and-sound show in the evening
Nearby sights
- Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex & Marina Park
- Zonal Anthropological Museum
- Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep)
- Samudrika Naval Marine Museum
- Chatham Saw Mill
- North Bay Island
- Corbyn's Cove Beach
- Mount Harriet National Park (Mount Manipur)