Port Blair · historical memorial · checked September 2026
Cellular Jail (Kala Pani), Port Blair
The Cellular Jail is Port Blair’s most important site, and the one we would not have you skip. It is a former British prison — “Kala Pani” — where Indian freedom fighters were held in solitary confinement, and today a National Memorial to them. This is a place of remembrance, not a leisure stop. Below is what it is and why it matters, what to see, the honest picture of the evening light-and-sound show, and the practical notes on timings and entry — checked against the official portal and our own Port Blair team, dated, and re-checked each season, because they change.
- What is Kala Pani jail?
- Kala Pani is the popular name for the Cellular Jail, the British colonial prison built to hold Indian political prisoners and freedom fighters in solitary confinement. It is now a National Memorial. In Hindi the name is written काला पानी जेल; the memorial's official name is Cellular Jail National Memorial.
- Where is it? (kala pani jail kahan hai)
- In Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram), the capital of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands — about 1,200 km off India's east coast, and roughly a 10-minute drive from Port Blair's airport.
- Why "Kala Pani"?
- It means "black water" — the dark seas a prisoner had to cross to get here. Crossing the ocean was believed to cost you caste and standing, so the sentence was exile as much as imprisonment.
- What was the kala pani sentence? (kala pani ki saja kya hoti hai)
- Transportation for life to the penal settlement in the Andamans — exile across the sea, with solitary confinement and hard labour at the jail.
- When was it built? (kala pani jail kab bana tha)
- Between 1896 and 1906, by the British. It was declared a National Memorial on 11 February 1979, and it is on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List.
- Can you visit?
- Yes. It opens at 9:00 AM (midday break 12:30–1:30 PM) and is closed Mondays and national holidays; ₹30 entry for Indian nationals (official portal, September 2026), with an evening light-and-sound show ticketed separately.
What it is, and why it matters
Completed in 1906, the Cellular Jail was built by the British to hold India’s political prisoners far out at sea, where escape was hopeless and isolation was the punishment. Its design was deliberate: seven wings radiating from a central watchtower, filled with individual cells so no prisoner could see or speak to the person next door. Freedom fighters — among them Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Batukeshwar Dutt — were held here through the independence struggle, many for a decade or more.
After independence the jail was closed and later declared a National Memorial. That is the register to visit it in: not a fun attraction, but a place that remembers what people gave for the country’s freedom. We take our guests here first among the Port Blair sights, and we ask them to treat it accordingly.
Cellular Jail history: the key dates
The short version of a long story, for anyone asking when the Kala Pani jail was built and what happened to it afterwards.
- 1858
After the 1857 uprising, the British open a penal settlement at Port Blair and begin transporting prisoners across the sea — the beginning of "kala pani" as a sentence, decades before the jail itself.
- 1896–1906
The Cellular Jail is built: seven three-storey wings radiating from a central watchtower, with 696 individual cells so that no prisoner could see or speak to another.
- 1909 onwards
Political prisoners from the freedom struggle are held here — Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Batukeshwar Dutt among them — many for a decade or more, with hard labour and punishment for refusal.
- 1930s
Repeated hunger strikes by political prisoners draw national attention; by 1938 the political prisoners have been moved back to the mainland.
- 1942–1945
Japanese occupation of the islands. Two of the seven wings are dismantled in this period, and two more are demolished in the 1950s — which is why three wings stand today.
- 1963
The Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital is set up on part of the premises, where it still runs.
- 11 Feb 1979
The Cellular Jail is declared a National Memorial by the then Prime Minister, Morarji Desai. The museum, galleries and the evening light-and-sound show follow.
- Today
A National Memorial on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List, and the first place we take guests in Port Blair.
Dates from the Cellular Jail entry on Wikipedia and the South Andaman district administration's page, both read 29 September 2026. The history is the settled account; the visiting details lower down are the part that changes.
Why “Kala Pani”?
“Kala Pani” means “black water” — the dark seas a prisoner had to cross to be exiled to the Andamans, cut off from family and home. In the belief of the time, crossing the ocean meant losing caste and standing, so the sentence was felt as something beyond imprisonment: banishment as much as jail. The name became shorthand for the whole ordeal, and it is still how many people know this place.
What to see
- The wings and cells
Three of the original seven wings still stand, radiating from the central tower. You can step inside preserved solitary cells — small, high-windowed rooms built so no prisoner could see or speak to another. Standing in one tells you more than any plaque.
- Savarkar’s cell
The cell where Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was held through years of solitary confinement is preserved and open. It is one of the most-visited spots in the memorial, and a quiet one — people tend to fall silent here.
- The gallows
The execution shed where freedom fighters were hanged still stands within the complex. It is a hard part of the visit, and it is meant to be. Treat it as the memorial it is.
- The museum and galleries
Photographs, letters, prison records and personal belongings of the men held here, alongside a Martyrs’ Memorial and the eternal flame. Give the galleries time — the names on the wall are the point of the whole place.
The light-and-sound show
In the evening, after the museum closes, the jail’s own walls become the backdrop for a light-and-sound show that narrates the freedom struggle and the lives of the men held here. It runs about 45 minutes, and most of our guests find it one of the most moving parts of their trip — it is the memorial speaking in the dark.
- Show timings
- 5:50 PM, 6:50 PM and 7:50 PM (official portal, September 2026). Peak season is revised by notice — from 17 December 2025 the shows ran at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 PM.
- Language
- Hindi at 5:50 and 7:50 PM daily. English at 6:50 PM on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; Hindi on the other days.
- Ticket price
- ₹300 per adult, ₹150 per child aged 5–11. About 45 minutes, open-air, roughly 150 seats a show.
- Booking
- On the official e-Tourist portal, or through us with your entry tickets. No show on national holidays; popular dates sell out.
The practical picture, from the official e-Tourist portal in September 2026: shows at 5:50, 6:50 and 7:50 PM, ticketed separately from the day visit at ₹300 per adult and ₹150 per child (5–11), and popular dates sell out. The 5:50 and 7:50 PM shows are in Hindi daily; the 6:50 PM show is in English on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Hindi on other days. Each seats about 150 people, by our team's count. Times are revised for peak season (from 17 December 2025 the shows ran at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 PM), so check the official e-Tourist portal for your date. If the show matters to you, especially the English one, tell us your date and we will confirm the slot and book your seats. Carry a light layer; it is an open-air venue.
Skip the queue and the portal
Book your Cellular Jail tickets with us
We book the combo for you — memorial entry plus light-and-sound show seats on the official portal, in your name, for a ₹100 per person service fee, itemised below. Show seats are 150 per slot and popular dates sell out; send the request and we confirm availability on WhatsApp before you pay anything.
Cellular Jail timings, entry fee and closed days
Closed on Mondays and national holidays; open from 9:00 AM on other days. Entry ₹30 for Indian nationals. The detail, and where the official portal and our own team differ:
- Timings
From 9:00 AM, with a midday break from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. Our Port Blair team found the gates closing at 4:00 PM in July 2026; the official tourism portal lists 5:00 PM, so plan to arrive before 4:00 PM. Closed on Mondays and national holidays.
- Entry fee
₹30 per person for Indian nationals and ₹100 for foreign nationals (official e-Tourist portal, September 2026). An official guide inside is optional — our team found ₹30–40 per person in July 2026; confirm at the counter.
- Camera
Check the photography rules at the counter before photographing inside the cells, and never use flash there. The official portal lists ₹200 for a non-professional video camera and ₹1,000 for professional video; the memorial's museum page also lists ₹50 for a still camera.
- Time needed
Most of our guests take 45 minutes to an hour for the wings, the cells and the museum. If you are staying on for the evening light-and-sound show, plan the gap — or come back after dark, which is what most people do.
- Show timings
After visiting hours. The official portal currently lists shows at 5:50, 6:50 and 7:50 PM, with the 6:50 PM show in English on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tickets ₹300 per adult and ₹150 per child (5–11), booked on the official e-Tourist portal — we arrange this for our guests. Times are revised for peak season: from 17 December 2025 the shows ran at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 PM.
Fees and show times from the official A&N e-Tourist portal (read 25 September 2026); visiting hours, time needed and the guide fee from our Port Blair operations team (July 2026). These are the fastest-moving details on this page, so we check the live schedule against your travel date before we build your Port Blair day.
How to reach it
The Cellular Jail sits in central Port Blair, near Aberdeen Bazaar — a short drive from the airport and walking distance from many town hotels. It is easy to reach by taxi or auto, and it pairs naturally with the other Port Blair sights on a first day. On our trips a driver takes you there and your tickets are arranged, so there is no queue or gate logistics to sort out yourself.
“Visited the iconic Cellular Jail, a place of immense historical significance. The stories and the light-and-sound show were incredibly moving.”
— Mayuri, Mar 2025, 5★ Google review
“…our tour coordinator Mr.Rohit met us at the entrance, he had already got our tickets and the process of getting inside became quite easy despite the jam-packed crowd.”
— Anshul, Mar 2019, 5★ Google review
Questions, answered straight
What is the Cellular Jail (Kala Pani)?
The Cellular Jail is a former British colonial prison in Port Blair, built to hold Indian political prisoners and freedom fighters in solitary confinement, far from the mainland. Completed in 1906 with a radial, wing-and-cell design, it held revolutionaries through the independence struggle and was declared a National Memorial in 1979. It is the most significant historical site in the Andamans — a place of remembrance, not a leisure attraction. (Some visitors search for it as "Circular Jail" — the correct name is Cellular Jail, after its individual solitary cells.)
What was the Kala Pani sentence (kala pani ki saza)?
It was transportation for life — a sentence that sent you across the sea to the penal settlement in the Andamans, rather than to a prison on the mainland. That distinction was the whole point. A prisoner sent here was cut off from family, from news and from any prospect of return, and under the social beliefs of the time crossing the ocean also meant losing caste and standing. So the punishment worked on two levels at once: the solitary confinement inside the jail, and the exile that came with simply being here. Prisoners also faced hard labour — oil mills, rope-making, coir pounding — and punishments for refusal. That combination, not the building alone, is what "kala pani" came to mean.
Why is it called Kala Pani (Black Water)?
“Kala Pani” means “black water”. It refers to the dark seas prisoners had to cross to reach the Andamans, cut off from home. In the belief of the time, crossing the ocean meant losing caste and social standing, so a sentence here was felt as a punishment beyond the imprisonment itself — exile as much as jail. The name stuck as shorthand for the whole ordeal.
When is the light-and-sound show, and what language is it in?
The show runs in the evening after visiting hours. The official e-Tourist portal currently lists three shows: 5:50 PM and 7:50 PM in Hindi every day, and 6:50 PM in English on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (Hindi on the other days). Each runs about 45 minutes, and tickets are ₹300 per adult and ₹150 per child aged 5–11, booked on the portal. Times change for peak season — from 17 December 2025, for example, the Administration moved the shows to 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 PM — and the show does not run on national holidays. Slots sell out, so tell us your date and we will confirm and book the seats rather than have you arrive to a sold-out gate.
What is the entry fee?
Entry is ₹30 per person for Indian nationals and ₹100 for foreign nationals (official portal, September 2026). An official guide inside is optional — our team found ₹30–40 per person in July 2026. The evening light-and-sound show has its own ticket, ₹300 per adult and ₹150 per child aged 5–11, booked on the official e-Tourist portal; popular dates do sell out. Prices are adjusted from time to time, so we re-confirm against your travel date when we plan your Port Blair day.
How long should I spend at the Cellular Jail?
Most of our guests take 45 minutes to an hour to cover the wings, Savarkar’s cell and the museum — longer if you read the galleries closely, and they reward it. If you also want the evening light-and-sound show, come back after dark for it — which is how most of our guests do it, seeing the memorial by day and the show in the evening.
Is the Cellular Jail worth visiting?
Yes — it is the one site in Port Blair we would not have you skip. It is not a cheerful outing; it is a memorial to people who were held and died here for the country’s freedom, and it lands that way. Guests consistently tell us the visit and the light-and-sound show were among the most moving parts of their trip. Come for the history and the remembrance, not for a photo stop.
What are the timings, and is it closed on any day?
The memorial opens at 9:00 AM with a midday break from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. The official tourism portal lists a 5:00 PM close; our Port Blair team found the gates closing at 4:00 PM in July 2026, so plan to arrive before 4:00 PM. The museum is closed on Mondays and national holidays. The evening light-and-sound show is listed for every day on the official portal, including an English show on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and does not run on national holidays. Because official timings change, we check the current schedule against your date before we build your itinerary.
What is the best time of day to visit?
Mornings are calmer and cooler for walking the wings and reading the galleries, before the day’s crowds and heat build. The evening belongs to the light-and-sound show. A common way to do it: the museum in the morning or late afternoon, then the show after dark. October to May is the pleasant season overall — see our weather and best-time guide for the month-by-month picture.
Nearby in Port Blair, and the rest of the trip
- Port Blair travel guide — the other sights, and how to fit them around the jail and the show.
- Corbyn's Cove beach — the town beach, a short drive from the memorial, for the afternoon between visit and show.
- Photography spots — where the jail sits among the islands' best frames, and the rules inside the cells.
- Day-by-day itineraries — where the Cellular Jail day falls in a 4- to 7-day trip.
- Entry permits and requirements — check before you fly.
- Weather and best time to visit — the season that suits you, month by month.
How this page stays true
Written by the Tropical Andamans editorial team from our own experience taking guests to the Cellular Jail. Fees and show times come from the official A&N e-Tourist portal (read 25 September 2026) and the Administration's show-timing notices. The visiting hours, time needed and guide fee come from our operations team in Port Blair (July 2026); where the official portal differs (it lists a 5:00 PM close) we say so rather than guess. We re-verify each season, and check the live schedule against your travel date before we build your Port Blair day. If you spot a figure that has changed, tell us and we will fix it. The historical dates come from the Cellular Jail entry on Wikipedia and the South Andaman district administration's page, both read 29 September 2026.
Add the Cellular Jail to your trip
Tell us your Port Blair dates and we will fit in the memorial by day and the light-and-sound show in the evening — tickets confirmed, the right show, no gate queue.