Cellular Jail, Port Blair

Cellular Jail, Port Blair

The Cellular Jail, recognized as the National Memorial, was opened in 1906, during British rule in India. The emerging era of the Indian Freedom Revolution began with "Kala Pani", meaning the death penalty for freedom fighters, also known as "water of death", due to the geographical location of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was not just a horrific death sentence; it was an act of inhuman atrocity and cruelty against humanity. No one could escape the torture of hell throughout that historically stained century’s disastrous period. The structure consisting of the colonial jail is 3-storied construction of Burmese bricks in the shade of puce. The Panopticon type architectural layout of the jail, with the tower, served as a single point of vigilance to keep an eye on the prisoners of the 7 gigantic wings and 663 cells of the prison. Today, we can find three wings out of seven. The rest of the wings' area is to accommodate a hospital. With time, the weather took a toll on the structure, as, geographically, the islands receive heavy rainfall and the corridors act as a barrier. Several factors, such as brutal interventions and weathering, had caused the structure to deteriorate and damage several elements and locations. This extensive task of restoration and repairs of the Cellular Jail was undertaken by Andaman P.W.D. under the guidance of A.S.I. and Stambh Consultants. Proudly, "Savani Heritage Conservation Pvt. Ltd." received the opportunity and responsibility for the restoration of the national monument. We have strived to restore more than 150 heritage monuments and are obliged to work on a historic monument of national importance known as 'Azadi Ka Tirth Sthal'. It is the presence of the visitors that brings value to the heritage structure, ultimately leading to the efforts to maintain and care for the structure. We at Savani Heritage Conservation believe that restoring Cellular Jail is equivalent to paying homage to freedom fighters that were once imprisoned and have strived to gain independence for India. With this memorial, future generations of independent India will always remember their forefathers as heroes of freedom and the saga of their sacrifice will be immortal for ages.