Port Blair · historical memorial · as of 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 — confirmed by our own Port Blair team, dated, and re-checked each season, because they change.
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.
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.
The practical picture, as of July 2026: shows run at 5:50, 6:50 and 7:50 PM in normal season, with an extra 8:30 PM show in peak season. Each show seats 150 people and is ticketed separately from the day visit — ₹300 per adult, ₹150 per child (5–11) on the official online portal, and popular dates sell out. The language schedule: 5:50 and 7:50 PM are in Hindi daily, and the 6:50 PM show is in English on Mon/Wed/Fri, Hindi on other days. No shows on national holidays. If the show matters to you — and especially if you want the English one — do not just turn up; tell us your date and we will confirm the slot and book your seats. Carry a light layer, as 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.
Practical visit info
| Open | 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, then 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM (short midday break). Closed on Mondays and national holidays. |
| Entry | ₹30 per person for Indian nationals, ₹100 for foreign nationals, as of July 2026. An official guide inside is optional — ₹30–40 per person. |
| Camera | Photography is allowed in most areas; flash is not permitted inside the cells, out of respect and to protect them. A non-professional camera is ₹200; professional video gear is ₹1,000 — pay at the counter. |
| How long | 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. |
| The show | Light-and-sound show after visiting hours: 5:50, 6:50 and 7:50 PM in normal season, plus an 8:30 PM show in peak season. Tickets ₹300 per adult, ₹150 per child (5–11), 150 seats per show, booked separately on the official online portal — we arrange this for our guests. |
Figures and timings are current as of July 2026, confirmed by our operations team — and they are the fastest-moving details on this page, adjusted by the memorial from time to time. We check the live schedule against your travel date before we build your Port Blair day, so keep these as a guide, not a guarantee.
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
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 is now a National Memorial. 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.)
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 end — at 5:50, 6:50 and 7:50 PM in normal season, with an extra 8:30 PM show added in peak season (as of July 2026). The language schedule on the official portal: 5:50 and 7:50 PM are in Hindi every day, and the 6:50 PM show is in English on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and in Hindi on the other days. Each show is about 45 minutes and seats 150 people; tickets are ₹300 per adult and ₹150 per child (5–11), booked separately on the official online portal. It does not run on national holidays — and slots do 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 to the memorial is ₹30 per person for Indian nationals and ₹100 for foreign nationals, as of July 2026. If you want an official guide inside, that is another ₹30–40 per person. The evening light-and-sound show has its own separate ticket — ₹300 per adult, ₹150 per child aged 5–11 — booked on the official online portal, with 150 seats per show; 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?
Visiting hours are 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM, with a midday break in between (as of July 2026). The memorial museum is closed on Mondays and national holidays. The evening light-and-sound show is scheduled daily on the official portal — including an English show on Monday, Wednesday and Friday — and skips national holidays. Because official timings can be adjusted, we still 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.
Planning the rest of the trip? Check the entry permits and requirements before you fly, and our weather and best-time guide for 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. The visiting hours, show times and fees on this page came from our own operations team in Port Blair, confirmed July 2026 — not copied from another website. They are also the fastest-moving details here: the memorial adjusts prices and schedules from time to time, so we re-verify them each season, and before we build your Port Blair day we check the live schedule against your travel date. If you spot a figure that has changed, tell us and we will fix it.
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.