The Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Pani (Black Waters), is a historic colonial prison located in Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Built by the British between 1896 and 1906, it served as a penal settlement used to exile political prisoners during the Indian independence movement.
Key Features & History
Architecture: Designed on the Panopticon model with seven wings radiating from a central watchtower, ensuring individual prisoners could be constantly monitored without being able to communicate with each other.
Solitary Confinement: The complex originally contained 693 individual cells, designed specifically to enforce complete solitary confinement and isolate freedom fighters from one another.
Notable Prisoners: Housed prominent political dissidents and freedom fighters, including Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Veer Savarkar), Batukeshwar Dutt, and Barindra Kumar Ghosh.
National Memorial: Today, only three wings of the original seven remain standing. The complex functions as a National Memorial, housing a museum, freedom fighters' gallery, and hosting daily Light and Sound shows that recount its history.
