CHIDIYA TAPOO & MUNDA BEACH:ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS (INDIA) – TRAVELOGUE

Huge uprooted trees lying on Munda Beach

We had heard so much about Chidiya Tapoo (Birds Island) and Munda Beach that one evening was dedicated to this beautiful part of Port Blair. Located at a distance of app. 30 kms from Port Blair, we drove down to this area. The road was narrow and the driver was going very fast. Time and again I told him, “Your speed is scaring me. Please…. please slow down.” He finally slowed down only when he saw a few cops beckoning him to stop on the side. Rigorous checking of his documents made him come out of his stupor.

Once at Chidiya Tapoo, we realised why it was called so. Innumerable birds were chirping away and listening to their combined sounds was quite a rewarding experience. Nature at its best! A hoarding placed near the beach enlightened us on the faunal wealth of Andaman Islands. Read about Dugong, Andaman Teal, Megapode, Crab eating Macaque, Andamanese Wood Pigeons, Nicobarese Pigeons and other protected animals. The area had very tall tropical trees. Let me share that the trees were so high that looking up for loon could make one dizzy. 

Tree trunks on the beach make good resting places

Munda beach is a very clean beach with lovely soft white sand and clean rocks. 

The sea was almost still, with hardly any waves. Felt like getting into water but fear of water allowed us to go only up to ankle deep levels. How I wish I had learnt swimming when I was young. 

My advice to all those who cannot swim is to learn it soon before it becomes too late

Sun and clouds fighting for space in the sky

The sun was hiding behind the clouds and it appeared that we will not be able to enjoy the sun-set which we were told provides an awesome view. 

An avid collector of sun-set photos, I was feeling a little disappointed, but continued to click the various moods of the clouds which were changing the landscape every few minutes.

At last the sun managed to fight back the clouds and claimed its space. It was a feast to our eyes.

The sun rays reflecting in the sea created almost a mirror inverted copy. Loved it! 

At last the sun managed to peep out

As the sun suddenly went into hiding, we brushed off the sand from our feet and walked back to the car to return to the Guest House. 

For more TRAVELOGUES, please visit my dedicated blog on travels

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ROSS ISLAND, ANDAMAN & NICOBAR (INDIA) - TRAVELOGUE

12^th March, 2012: Our visit to Andaman & Nicobar Islands would not have been complete had we not visited Ross Island, the seat of British Administration for this area. Situated at a distance of barely 2 km from Aberdeen Jetty, this small island has less than a square kilometre area and is clearly visible from Port Blair.

Memorial for Battle of Aberdeen, May 1859 at Aberdeen Jetty, Port Blair

The island was discovered by the British in the year 1858 when they came here first in search of some land mass for building a jail where they could deport the convicts and prisoners from the mainland India.  The Andamanese aborigines who were the original residents of this island, fought with the British, in what is known as the Battle of Aberdeen, in May 1859.  A Memorial at the Aberdeen Jetty today stands tall as a tribute to this brave tribe. It is stated that within 20 years of the initial British occupation, the number of aborigines dwindled from 5,000 to just 28.

Ross Island as seen from the boat

Ross Island served as the administrative capital of Andaman from the year 1858 to 1941 when it was taken over by the Japanese. The island was a complete office cum residential complex. It was a self-contained centre with all possible infrastructure in place. The Chief Commissioner’s Residence, the British Officers’ Mess,  the Officers’ Quarters, Officers’ Club, Junior Officers’ Club, a Water Treatment Plant, a printing Press, a Presbyterian Church, a Bakery, a Hospital, the Cemetry, a shopping centre, you name it and it is all  there. And to top it all, Ferar Beach on the other side of the island provides a fabulous view of the unrestricted sea.

This is where the Officers' Club existed in those days

During World War II in the year 1941, the Japanese took over this island from the British and converted it into their POWs (Prisoners of War) site. The Japanese bunkers at the island stand testimony to this even today.

This building was the printing press..now covered with  roots

Visiting the island now when you can visualise its glory only by looking at the ruins all over the place, was quite an experience. The trees have grown tall and their roots have covered the ruins. Are the ruins seeking strength from the roots or are the roots taking their revenge from the ruins by trying to devour them? Who can say?

Everything looks like a dream now.

Time and again, I was drifting into the past and visualising how it must have  been when the British occupied it…the Ma'am sahebs walking around in their flowing gowns, the Gora sahebs playing tennis or swimming in the treated water swimming pool, the Indian orderlies in white turbans bowing down to their masters with eyes looking down, the khansamas cooking and baking the delicacies and of course the gong at the Church,  all this must have been such a real but different world. 

The famous Bakery of Ross Island

Ross Island boasted of a superb Bakery which offered some of the best confectioneries, bread loaves, buns and croissants. The bakery was a tastefully constructed  building based on the 19th Century British architecture with all modern facilities including a self-contained cook house.

The Presbyterian Church....even the ruins are glorious.

The Presbyterian  Church on the Island was a Protestant Church made of stone. Doors and windows were made of Burma Teak. The glass panes behind the altar were made of stained glass brought from Italy. The quality of the wood was so good that it has withstood the test of time for over 100 years. The south side of the Church also had a structure to house the parsonage.

And today, the India Navy is managing and maintaining the island. One can see innumerable deer roaming around the island without any fear and posing for photographs with the tourists. Yes, I am not joking. They are quite friendly and not scared of human-beings.

Ferar Beach

Ross Island is a serene, peaceful and charming place where one could spend hours with the slow breeze and the lazy palms. The roaring sea waves are incessantly threatening to lap up the shore from time immemorial but failing as the rocks continue to stand as rocks by the side of the shore and holding it in place.

The island has taaaaaall trees with alround lush green ambience.

For more TRAVELOGUES, please visit my dedicated blog on travels
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THE CELLULAR JAIL, PORT BLAIR (INDIA) - TRAVELOGUE

The Cellular Jail, Port Blair

Ever since I was in the school and had read about the freedom-fighters being sent to Kala Pani, I had conjured up visions of how it would be, what it would look like and how life must be for the convicts who were sent there for life-time away from the mainland India. It was now time to actually see what it was all about. We first went to see the jail and the museum followed by a very touching Sound & Light show in the precincts of the jail.

One of the seven wings of the main building

The need for a big jail like this was felt by the British especially after the first War of Independence in the year 1857. As the struggle for freedom started gaining momentum, the British realised that the available capacity of the jails was not adequate. 

There were not many big jails in India at that time except probably the Lahore Central Jail. The number of convicts was increasing and the only way to handle so many dedicated freedom fighters was to deport them to some faraway island away from the mainland India. The survey of the area had already been done by Lt. Archibald Blair in the year 1688 and availability of these islands was in the know of the British. So even before the jail was ready, the freedom fighters were sent here and used as labour for construction purposes for the jail as well as for the buildings in Ross Island which was established as the administrative headquarter of the British in this area (more about Ross Island in my subsequent blogs).

It was not possible for the prisoners to run away from here due to the presence of sea all around. Still in the year1868, 238 of them tried to escape. Unfortunately, they were all caught and 87 of them were sentenced to death. Viper Island is a live testimony to these brutalities of the British where the convicts were prosecuted as well as executed. Sick!

The prototype of the building

The Cellular Jail is called so as it has 693 cells each one measuring 13.5’ X 7.5’ spread over seven wings of three floors each. Each cell has solid iron doors with strong handles which could be locked. The jail has been designed in such a way that one person, sitting in the central control tower, could keep an eye on all the prisoners. Also care has been taken, at the time of designing, to ensure that two prisoners are not able to see or talk to each other. All 693 cells are indeed solitary chambers. 

A corridor of the jail

The construction of the jail was started in the year 1893 and completed by the year 1906. The cost of construction even in those days was as high as Rs. 5,17,352.00. Later, as a mark of respect to the freedom fighters, the building was declared a national monument in the year 1979 by Govt. of India and now it is the most important tourist attractions of Port Blair.

Gallows in the Cellular Jail were capable of hanging three convicts at a time. I saw the lower portion of the room from where the wooden board was pulled from under the feet of the convicts. Made me feel sick! I felt as if hundreds of spirits of those hanged here were still crying out of sheer desperation and helplessness.

The type of fetters bar fetters, chain fetters, cross fetters

Also saw the hall where the convicts were required to replace the bullocks for taking out oil from the coconuts. And if they could not perform as per the unrealistic expectations, they were awarded brutal punishments. These could be more work, lashes on the back or special punishment dress made of jute bags. In the hot and humid climate of Andaman, wearing jute bags must be absolutely torturous. 

Another favourite punishment was a ban on regular food which was replaced by salt less kanji (water drained from rice after cooking) which must be absolutely insipid and tasteless apart from being bereft of any nutrition thus leaving the convicts drained and unhealthy. The convicts were given measured quantities of water which used to stink and was often not potable. Bar fetters, Chain fetters and Cross bar fetters were another way of British attempt to tame these highly dedicated freedom fighters.

Trying to empathise with the prisoners

However, the most painful part in the entire process was that all these punishments were meted out by the Indian servants of the British. Had it not been for a large number of unfaithful selfish Indians, a handful of British could not have been able to rule over our country for over 200 years. Going through the names of those who sacrificed their lives in the freedom struggle, one interesting observation was that the maximum convicts in Cellular Jail were from Bengal, followed by Sikhs from Punjab and some from Uttar Pradesh. Here and there, some names appeared to be from Maharashtra also. Other states went almost unrepresented. Perhaps their freedom-fighters were sent to some other jails.

Another dichotomy here took place during the Second  World War when the Japanese attacked and occupied the  islands. British prisoners were kept in the Cellular Jail during this period. During the Japanese bombardments, two of the seven arms of the jail were destroyed. Japanese bunkers exist in Ross Island also. However, in 1945, the British regained the area.

Going through the photographs, exhibition, models displayed and the description of the barbaric torture which the convicts had to undergo in the jail at the hands of the British rulers of India, gave me goose-pimples. 

Atop the Cellular Jail. But for the sacrifice of these freedom-fighters, we would not have been breathing
in the free air in our country.
Ma tujhe salaam!

*****

For more TRAVELOGUES, please visit my dedicated blog on travels http://globalhindustani.blogspot.in

ANOTHER LEAF FROM MY SCRAP- BOOK (THOUGHTS)

This is another leaf from my scrap - book. I don't remember when and from where I picked it up. Perhaps it was part of an advertisement. My memory is failing me. But the raw appeal it has is still very fresh. Sharing it for the benefit of my readers here. Many of you may be able to empathise with the author of these lines and the feelings contained in this these lines.

When I left college,

They said

I was being stubborn.

When I was leaving house,

My Dad said

I was being stubborn.

When I left my first job,

The Boss said

I was too stubborn.

Well I hope they are right,

Because I hate hammocks,

And I don't believe in half days or long weekends.

No.

I will not take life as it comes.

I scratch and claw,

And fight it every step of the way.

For I have met fate.

She can be pretty mean,

When she is not in the mood.

So I will collect all those

words of discouragement and

make paper-rockets out of them.

And fly them in a strong cross wind.

Society has a name for guys like me,

STUBBORN.

                            *****

A LEAF FROM MY SCRAP-BOOK (THOUGHTS)

Rummaging through my old papers, I came across this advertisement of Kawasaki Bajaj which I have been keeping with me since 15th Feb 1999 for the sheer power, mental strength, grit and determination it conveys. 

I can't help sharing it with the readers of my blog, many of whom may be feeling exactly like this. Here go...

The more I sweat,

The more I shine.

I'm not a star,

There is no halo over my head,

Fate does not like the colour of my eyes,

Struggle and strife are old friends of mine.

Who am I?

I'm survival.

I'm guts.

I'm pride.

I like odds,

Especially when they are stacked against me,

Because there will come a time,

When I will stare them in the eye,

And smile the smile of

The one who's pulled it off.

I'm the person who will have

Deep line on his face some day

And it will make me feel good,

When I laugh

Because that is the day

I will fear no fear,

And taste sweat that is sweet,

And look back for the,

Very first time and say,

I did it my way,

The long hard way!

*****

VIPER ISLAND (ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS) - (TRAVELOGUE)

With the onset of clouds, the water
became dark, "Kala paani"

Having landed at Port Blair, we went to Aberdeen Jetty soon after lunch and found that a ferry was going to Viper Island immediately at 3pm. Tickets were at Rs. 180 per person for the journey from the mainland to the island and back. We bought the tickets and hopped on to the ferry which was already packed with people.  There were about 100 passengers on board. As all could not be seated, some plastic chairs were provided and the vessel moved to take us to the infamous Viper Island where we reached in about an hour. 

The sun playing hide and seek with the clouds, the soft breeze gently tickling the waves of the sea and  the lush green palms swaying lazily in the nearby islands, emerald was the colour of the moment. Balmy air swept the place though contaminated once in a while by the whiffs of diesel emissions of the boat.

As we reached the beautiful island, the attendant at the Vessel announced that we had only 15 minutes at our disposal and we could see the “Phansi Ghar” (Gallows Room) and the Court at the island.  A real “Phansi Ghar”! A cold shiver went down my spine.

Steep steps lead to the Gallows Room

Huffing and puffing, we climbed the high steps to the central hillock where the “GALLOWS” still stand a live testimony to the atrocities of the British who had built a building with openings on all sides, visible to the convicts on the island to remind them all the time of their impending death. The prisoners on the island, surrounded by sea on all sides, had no escape route even if they wanted to and had an opportunity.

 There were only three buildings on the island, the Gallows on the hillock in the centre of the island, a room which was the Court Room for summary trial of the prisoners and a tin shed which looked more like a crematorium.

There are of course a number of trees half destroyed by the recent Tsunami wave which has given a graveyard kind of look to the trees in this infamous place.

The Gallows

As the history goes, Lt Archibald Blair, in the year 1788, was assigned the job of exploring the possibility of starting a British settlement. He travelled to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and found this place. The vessel “Viper” in which he travelled is stated to have met with an accident and its wreckage was perhaps abandoned near the island.  The island is said to be named after the vessel “Viper”.

Could it be a crematorium???

The building of the jail at Port Blair had been undertaken by the British under the supervision of Major Fort in the year 1867.  It is stated that in the year 1872, Lord Mayo, the Viceroy of India visited the island. He also visited various establishments, works etc, including the site of construction where Pathan Sher Ali who was one of the convicts, was engaged in the building of the jail. Lord Mayo is reported to have said, "This is such a beautiful place! Why should anybody complaint about being sent here. I would rather pay to be able to live here all my life." This enraged Pathan Sher Ali so much that he immediately attacked and killed Lord Mayo. Later, Pathan Sher Ali was convicted and executed in Viper Island on these very gallows.

A tree turned to a stub by recent
Tsunami attack

The entire island had around it an eerie feeling. Even the sea-breeze seemed to be  loaded with torture, torment and death. I stood there gazing into the oblivion, with unknown faces emerging from nowhere looking sad that they were handicapped and were not able to pursue their mission of getting freedom for their country.
The Court Room at the jetty, the gallows in the centre,  the Crematorium look-alike tin-shed on the sea-shore and innumerable tree trunks turned to stubs after the onslaught of recent Tsunami, all added to make me feel very low. 
The more I thought about it later, the more I empathised with the freedom-fighters making me sad and morose and a surge of impotent anger against the British started overpowering my mind. It was now time to return to the present.

For more TRAVELOGUES, please visit my dedicated blog on travels http://globalhindustani.blogspot.in

ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS (INDIA) - (TRAVELOGUE)

SBI's Regional Office and Guest House
on Aberdeen Road

A visit to Andaman & Nicobar islands was a long-cherished dream which was fulfilled during this trip which was my very first to this beautiful part of our country. A stop-over at “Samudrika” the Naval Marine Museum helped me refresh my history, geography, anthropology and general knowledge lessons of the yonder years. I also understand now why it was called "Kala Pani". When the sun is bright, the water looks absolutely stunning -  blue and green. But when there are clouds in the sky, the colour of the sea changes to almost black. With the area having rains from April to October, the water must be looking dark most of the time. To add to it, water was the culprit for ensuring that the convicts could not escape from here. 

SOME FACTS FIRST: Andaman & Nicobar Islands numbering 556  are located very close to the Equator, covering an area of 8,249 sq kms. Out of these, only 37 islands are populated and the rest have no-one living there. The main Bay Island is quite cosmopolitan and the population comprises Bengalis, Tamilians, Andhraites and Bangladeshis. 

THE TRIBES OF ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS:  There are six major tribes in these islands. These are Nicobarese numbering 28,653,  Shompens 398, Jarawas 240, Onges 98, Great Andamanese 43 and Sentinelese only 39. They still live in jungles in huts made with leaves and bamboos, survive on natural fruits and do not wear clothes. They are scared of ordinary human-beings and  use bow and arrows to protect themselves. We were told that they do not eat any salt and, therefore, their saliva is very poisonous. Even snake-bites etc do not affect them. I am not too sure about this as it is unauthenticated. Their numbers are dwindling fast. No wonder, the Govt. is making all efforts to keep them safe and protected.

FORMATION OF ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS: These islands are made of volcanic lava rocks. I  read that some 150 million years ago, molten magma might have oozed from the earth’s crust along the dilated ocean floor at the foot of a sub-marine ridge. Andamans are at the tip of an undulating lava plateau the root of which goes deep down beyond the ocean floor.

  

Tall green trees with creepers

GEOGRAPHY LESSONS REVISED: The islands being located almost on the Equator, the climate is hot in winters and extremely hot and humid during summers. The rainy season starts in April and ends in October. It does not rain here, it only pours. The area has dense tropical forests. The trees are very tall, vying with each other to get the attention of sun. There are creepers and vines covering the tree trunks. The trees have broad leaves to help evaporate the water. I was so excited to notice that everything in the flora and fauna of the islands was as I had studied in my High School lessons.

HISTORY REVISITED: These islands were discovered only in the year 1859. In 1857, when the first War of Independence broke in India, the British found it very difficult to handle so many prisoners. They wanted a far off place away from the mainland India where they could establish a settlement where these 'convicts' could be deported. So a young British officer was assigned the job of looking around for an area which could serve as a prison for the Indian 'mutineers'. He set off in MV Viper looking for a suitable place and landed up in this area. In due course, the British established themselves here, built the infamous Cellular Jail in Port Blair, set up gallows in Viper Island and made Ross Island their capital for this area. The rest is history.

DISCOVERY OF THE ISLANDS:  History has evidence that the Chinese knew about these islands more than a thousand years ago and called it Yeng T Omag. The Roman Geographer Ptolemy also mentioned these in the 2^nd Century as Angdaman Islands which meant  islands of Good Fortune. A Buddhist monk named it Lo-Jen-Kuo, the Island of the Naked. Marco Polo called it Angamanain. In the 15^th Century, Nicolo Contri the Italian traveller called these the Islands of God. However, it is not recorded anywhere when the current name Andaman was given. As per some Indian legends, Hanuman had stepped on this island on his way to Lanka and hence Handuman which in due course became Andaman. The name Nicobar seems to have originated from a South Indian word  “Nakkavaram” which means the Land of the Naked as mentioned in a Tanjore Inscription of 1050 AD.

A visit to these islands is strongly recommended to every Indian if s/he wants to live through the history of the country and enjoy the virgin beauty of these islands. More about various interesting places later in my blogs!

*****
For more TRAVELOGUES, please visit my dedicated blog on travels
http://globalhindustani.blogspot.in