In the heart of the city, Cellular Jail is just 2 km from the Aberdeen Bazaar and 6 km from the airport. Most tourists visiting Andamans visit Cellular Jail as their first point of visit.

Visitors can visit Cellular Jail every day from 9 am to 5 pm, but the entry gate closes at 4 p.m.

A Little History About The Cellular Jail

On March 10, 1858, James Peterson Walker, Superintendent of the Penal Settlement, landed in Andaman with the first batch of 200 chained prisoners, who became our first freedom fighters. During the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, they led a revolt against foreign dominance. The number of prisoners increased to 773 within three months.

The penal settlement established in the Andaman Islands after the First War of Independence in 1857 was the beginning of the agonizing story of Indian freedom fighters in the makeshift and awful jails at Viper Island followed by the Cellular Jail. The patriots who raised their voice against the Britishers were sent to this Jail, many of whom returned to their homes after completing their punishment, but most of them were unable to do so.

A heart-rending story of struggles, sufferings, and sacrifices can be found on every wall of the Cellular jail.

The construction of the cellular jail

The Cellular Jail was designed with a distinct structure, 3 floors and 7 wings radiating from a central tower which resembled the spokes of a wheel. It had 696 individual units, each with its own iron bar door and 10-foot air vent providing the only source of light and ventilation. There was also an entrance block housing the administrative offices. There were 696 cells, one for each individual. The name Cellular Jail was given to the jail because it only had cells, unlike other jails, which had dormitories. Each cell measured 13.5 feet by 7 feet and had iron bar doors in the front. Only a small ventilator, nearly 10 feet high, provided light and air to the cells.

Four of the seven wings of the Cellular Jail were demolished after Independence for political reasons. It was only after a huge protest by the freedom fighters who had spent their lives in the jail that the demolition was stopped and the Cellular Jail was declared a national memorial.

It has now been declared a National Memorial and is accessible to tourists. The jail has a museum displaying the life of the convicts, including their clothing, utensils, and instruments. There is also a gallery of photographs of the inmates. Do not miss the gallows where the inmates were hanged.

Visiting Timing: 9.00 AM To 4.00 PM

Please Note that the Cellular Jail is closed on Mondays and public holidays.

NATIONAL MEMORIAL CELLULAR JAIL

But the history of using the Andaman island as a prisoner’s colony dates back to the Indian rebellion of 1857. In 1688, Lieutenant Archibald Blair surveyed the islands. In 1857, after the first revolt, these freedom fighters were sent here to assist in the construction of the jail as well as for the buildings on Ross Island that were to serve as British officers’ headquarters and residential areas.

In the heart of the city, Cellular Jail is just 2 km from the Aberdeen Bazaar and 6 km from the airport. Most tourists visiting Andamans visit Cellular Jail as their first point of visit.

Visitors can visit Cellular Jail every day from 9 am to 5 pm, but the entry gate closes at 4 p.m.