Port Blair

Port Blair पोर्ट ब्लेयर
—  City  —
Centre of Port Blair in December 2004, a couple of days before the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
Port Blair Location in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Coordinates: 11°40′N 92°46′E / 11.667°N 92.767°E / 11.667; 92.767Coordinates: 11°40′N 92°46′E / 11.667°N 92.767°E / 11.667; 92.767
Country	India
Union Territory	Andaman and Nicobar Islands
District	South Andaman
Population (2001)
• Total	100,186
Time zone	IST (UTC+5.30)

Port Blair (Hindi: पोर्ट ब्लेयर  pronunciation (help·info), Tamil: போர்ட் ப்ளேர், Bengali: পোর্ট ব্লেয়ার, ) is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India. It lies on the east coast of South Andaman Island and is the main entry point to the islands.

Port Blair is the headquarters for the Indian district of South Andaman, and the local administrative sub-division (tehsil), which is also called Port Blair. It is home to several museums and a major base for the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. It is also the headquarters of the Tri Services Command.

History

The Ross Island Prison Headquarters, 1872

In 1789 the government of Bengal established a penal colony on Chatham Island in the southeast bay of Great Andaman, named Port Blair to honor Lieutenant Archibald Blair of the British East India Company. After two years, the colony moved to the northeast part of Great Andaman and was named Port Cornwallis after Admiral William Cornwallis. However, there was much disease and death in the penal colony, and the government ceased operating it in May 1796.

In 1824 Port Cornwallis was the rendezvous of the fleet carrying the army to the First Anglo-Burmese War. In the 1830s and 1840s, shipwrecked crews who landed on the Andamans were often attacked and killed by the natives, alarming the British government. In 1855, the government proposed another settlement on the islands, including a convict establishment, but the Indian Rebellion of 1857 forced a delay in its construction.

However, since the rebellion provided the British with a lot of new prisoners, it made the new Andaman settlement and prison an urgent necessity. Construction began in November 1857 at the renovated Port Blair, avoiding the vicinity of a salt swamp which seemed to have been the source of many of the old colony's problems. The penal colony was originally on Viper Island, named after Lieutenant Blair's vessel, The Viper. The convicts, mostly political prisoners, suffered life imprisonment at hard labor under cruel and degrading conditions. Many were hanged, while others died of disease and starvation. Between 1864 and 1867 a penal establishment was also built with convict labor on the northern side of Ross Island.^[1] These structures are now in ruins.^[2]

As the Indian freedom movement continued to grow in the late 19th Century, an enormous Cellular Jail was constructed between 1896 and 1906 to house Indian convicts, mostly political prisoners, in solitary confinement. The Cellular Jail is also known as Kala Pani (translated as "Black Waters"), a name given to it due to the torture and general ill-treatment towards its Indian convicts.

From 1943-1944 during World War II, Port Blair was the headquarters of the Azad Hind government under Subhash Chandra Bose.

Although affected by the Tsunami and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, Port Blair survived sufficiently to act as a base for relief efforts in the islands.

Geography and climate

Port Blair has a tropical monsoon climate, with little variation in average temperature and large amounts of precipitation throughout the year. All months except January, February and March receive substantial rainfall.

Demographics

As of 2003^[update] India census,^[4] Port Blair had a population of 100,186. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Port Blair has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national average of 59.9%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 72%. In Port Blair, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age. But the current population could differ by much because of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

Education and Institutions

There are a number of both government and private schools and colleges. Some of the better known schools are:-

• Mahatma Gandhi International School
• Carmel Senior Secondary School
• Naval Children School
• Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya
• Kendriya Vidyalaya-1
• Kendriya Vidyalaya-2
• Nirmala Sr. Sec. School
• Kamaraj Senior Secondary School
• Govt. Model Sr. Sec. School
• Ummat Public School
• St.Mary's School
• Ravindra bangla vidyalaya

Colleges and Institutes at Port Blair

• Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya (JNRM), Port Blair
• Mahatma Gandhi Government College, Mayabunder, North-Middle Andaman
• Govt. Teachers Training Institute, Port Blair
• Dr BR Ambedkar Government Polytechnic, Port Blair
• Tagore Government College of Education, MG Road, Middle Point, Port Blair (http://tgce.and.nic.in/)
• Regional Medical Research Institute (RMRI), Port Blair
• Department of Ocean Studies And Marinebiology(Pondicherry University, Brookshabad)Port Blair

Transportation

Port

Port Blair is a notified port by the Indian Government and is classified as a "major port".^[5] It serves as the main port of call for services from the mainland to the Union territory and is also the principal hub for shipping in the islands. The Directorate of Shipping Services has a fleet of 80 ships based here which provide four kinds of service:^[6]

• Mainland to Island service.
• Inter-island service.
• Foreshore service.
• Harbour ferry services.

Travel to Port Blair

Port Blair is connected to mainland India through flight and ship. Daily flights operate from Chennai, Kolkata & Bhubaneswar to Port Blair's Veer Savarkar Airport. Charter flights operate from Bangalore about once a week during tourist seasons (based on demand). There is also a regular Jetlite flight from New Delhi via Kolkata during tourist seasons. Further, Jet Airways operate to Hyderabad via Chennai. Spicejet has launched direct flight from Chennai to Port Blair, offering via connections from various other cities like Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Mumbai etc.

Shipping services are available from the Indian cities of Chennai, Kolkata or Vishakapatnam to Port Blair. There is a sailing generally twice or thrice a month from Chennai/Kolkata/Vizag to Port Blair.

Travel within the Andaman Islands and Port Blair

Ferry Boats link Port Blair to outlying islands. Private and state-owned "State transport service" buses are available for intra- and inter-island travel. Inter- island buses are available for Baratang, Rangat, Mayabunder and Diglipur.

Places of interest

There are several places of interest in the Port Blair. Travellers can choose their favourite destination and plan their trip accordingly. Port Blair is very popular for Museums and other landmarks in the city which makes it unique place for the tourists.

• Port Blair
• Rangat Island
• Havelock Island
• Jolly Buoy Island
• Cinque Island
• Red Skin Island
• Long Island
• Chatham Island
• Ross Island
• Mayabunder
• Barren Island
• Diglipur
• Neil Island
• Little Andaman Island

Some other Top Visiting Sights are:

• Chatham
• Zsi Museum
• Chidiya Tapu
• Sippighat Farm
• Gandhi Park

Images

Entrance to the historic Cellular Jail

Chidiya Tapu, Port Blair

Chatham Island off Port Blair

Veer Savarkar Airport, Port Blair

See also

• Charles James Lyall

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Port Blair

• World Gazetteer: Port Blair (coordinates and population)

External links

• Andaman & Nicobar Islands - Places of Interest

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