A trip to Andaman
If you ask me what my favourite hobby
is, it is reading. But if you ask me about the thing or idea that fascinates me
to no end, it’s travelling. Here, I am going to talk about my trip to Andaman
Islands. I consider myself really fortunate that I had the opportunity to visit
this wonderful place before Tsunami had wreaked havoc here.
Andaman is the
abode of numerous pristine beaches, virgin forests teeming with wildlife and
some of the most ancient tribes of the world. The place supposedly derives its name from an event of Ramayana.
It is said that when Hanuman leaped across the ocean to reach Lanka, on his way
he placed his feet on these islands. So, it came to be known as "Honduman"
which was later changed to Andaman.
Port BlairI visited Andaman with my family in the summers of 2004. When we landed on Port Blair (capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands), the first thing that we noticed was its unpleasant weather. The climate of Andaman is characterized by sweltering heat coupled with frequent outbursts of rain. This climate had rendered the islands uninhabitable for a long time. Nevertheless, we forgot all about the weather when we reached our hotel. From my room I could get a wonderful view of the sea as well as of a little island. I could not ask for more!!The hotel manager told us to leave our luggage and go to our room. He assured us that the people there were so honest that they wouldn’t even touch our luggage if we left it unattended for hours. Now, that was a really nice thing to learn about the people of this place. I immediately went to my room and leaned over the balcony to give my eyes the much awaited treat - the mesmerizing sight of the brilliant blue ocean.
Ross Island (Rani Laxmibai Island)
Englanders made Andaman a place to deport convicts to. These prisoners were made to build the residences of British officers on Ross island- There were also churches, bakeries, graveyard etc. During 2nd World War, Japanese bombs ruined the island. So, Ross Island was now the home of the ruins of an erstwhile British colony.
One fine morning, we went to phoenix bay (a jetty) and boarded a steamer which would take us to the island. It was a beautiful experience to see the steamer gliding across the blue water that was dazzling brilliantly in the bright sunlight. And so enjoyable were the sudden appearances made by those cute dolphins!!
Ross Island greeted us with the remnants of past. It was now the home of peacocks and cheetal deer. It felt wonderful exploring the ruins, now and then spotting a deer (they were eager enough to come and have some bits of food from our hand) and getting thrilled by hearing the shrill sounds of peacocks.
We had a wonderful time there and finally it was time to bid Ross Island good bye.
Chiriya Tapu
Next day we went to Chiriya Tapu. It's also known as Birds Island as this place is frequented by a large number of migratory birds.
We had hired a car to go to Chiriya Tapu. The route was through narrow, winding hilly paths, bordered on both sides by dense jungles. Chiriya Tapu is a rather lonely spot, save a guest house located on the top of a hillock.
The dense mangroves surrounding the beach presented quite an enthralling view.
The beach was fairly rocky. It was quite tough for me to wade through the waters near the beach, with the surface underneath being comprised of sharp edged rocks and corals.
The sunset was breathtakingly beautiful. Streaks of myriad colours, reflected from the setting sun, adorned the sky-and then, gradually the glowing red ball disappeared into the depths of the blue ocean.
We took leave of the birds and left the Birds Island.
The sunset was breathtakingly beautiful. Streaks of myriad colours, reflected from the setting sun, adorned the sky-and then, gradually the glowing red ball disappeared into the depths of the blue ocean.
We took leave of the birds and left the Birds Island.
Cellular Jail
Andaman is a place steeped in
history. It’s a history of unimaginable atrocities of the so-called civilized
race that ruled our nation for over 200 years. It sends a chill down our spine
when we enter Cellular Jail, the tall, grim structure bearing mute witness to
the persecution of our freedom fighters. The
prison was specially meant to confine the exiled political prisoners.
Cellular Jail is the place where Veer Savarkar was imprisoned for a long time;
it’s the place where Ullashkar
Dutt was tortured to madness. We attended the “Light and Sound”
show which narrated the black history of Cellular Jail. Then, a guide showed us
the prison cells and the museum. One is bound to get surprised or rather
nauseated by the ingenuity showed by the British in devising the torturing
instruments or in designing the prison cells in an inhuman way. I left the
Cellular Jail with a heavy heart that nevertheless, was bursting with pride.
I also visited a number of other
places like Havelock, Jolly Buoy, Radhanagar etc and each of them filled me
with unique and enriching experiences. When I left Andaman, it was with the
lone regret that I could not see the ‘Jarwas’, the tribe that is well on its
way toward extinction now. Then, all of a sudden, Tsunami struck on 26th
December, 2004. The coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands were devastated by a 10 m (33 ft) high tsunami.
I was deeply saddened, but, at the same time I realized that though Andaman now
bore the signs of Tsunami, my love and fascination for this place would remain
undiminished forever.
