Andaman & Nicobar Islands are exorbitantly beautiful Islands of India. Geographicaly they are a group of 573 Islands located in the Bay of Bengal. The Andamans are seprated from Nicobar islands by the 10 Degrees channel. The area of the island is about 8249 sq km.These islands stretch about 780 km and administratively.The Islands are divided into the districts of Andamans from north to south ( 6408 sq km)and the Nicobar islands with an area of about 1841 sq km. There are about 38 islands that are inhabited and well connected to all the other islands from the capital city. The Capital city is Port Blair.

Ancient descriptions of these islands is found in the maps of the 2nd century Roman cartographer Ptolemy. The chinese traveller Huan Tsang in his "voyage to India" also mentions about the Andaman islands in 672 A.D. The Italian explorer Marco Polo has also written about the islands in 1260 A.D.

The main islands in the Andamans are Land Fall Island, Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Port Blair and Little Andaman. Nicobar, lying to the south, comprises of Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar, Chowra, Teresa, Nancowrie, Katchal and Little Nicobar. 12 of the islands, particularly Car Nicobar in the north, are inhabited, while Great Nicobar, the largest and southernmost island in the group, is virtually uninhabited.

The main aboriginal group in the Andamans are the Onges, who live on Little Andaman. The Nicobarese, the largest group, seem to be of mixed Burmese, Malay, Mon and Shan origin. They are a friendly and cheerful tribes, who do not accept money and prefer the exchange system.

Located between the Indian mainland and the long Burma (Myanmar) coast up to Sumatra, these coral islands with a unique ecology of its own, were till recently inhabited by tribals. After the Independence of India the Island ceased to be a penal colony and people from the main land colonised the islands. Now the islands are just like any other state of India.

The islands were annexed by the British in the 19th century and used as a penal colony for Indian freedom fighters. During World War II, the Japanese occupied the islands and created their own record of cruelty. The local tribes took up guerrilla activities against the Japanese. After India gained independence in 1947, the islands were incorporated into the Indian Union. Port Blair is the administrative headquarters of islands. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands comes under the rule of the central Government of India.

Their traditional occupations were hunting, fishing and collecting honey for their food. The spoken language was the tribal style of experssion. Hindi is the official and national language of the more civilized people.

The arrested freedom fighters and life-convicts were all housed in the most notorious Cellular PrisonThis is called cellular jail as it is made of individual cells that are built circular form. This jails architectual marvel is it built seven prongs from a central look out point "the tower". The seven wings spread out like running from hub to the rim of a wheel. It is three stroried building made up of single cells. There are about 696 cells built for the solitary confinement of the prisoners.each cell dimension is aproximately 13.5 ft by 7.6 ft. ventilator at a height about of 9ft for light for prisoner.

This jail was built by prisoners from the different stations of Viper island, Phoenix Bay and others. The entire building is constructed with bricks, lime and mortar. This jail was compleated in 1906.
The jailer was a British gentleman called Barry who constructed for himself a massive sprawling double storied banglow in 5 acres of land over looking the sea. All kinds of exotic plants grew in the garden of the banglow.It is more than 100 years old and has stood the ravanges of time and weather splendidly. It has not been altered with any major repairs but only fitted with modern amenties like electricity water and sewage connections. Lord Mountbatten, later the viceroy of India was living in this banglow during the Second world war.

In 1937 when the freedom movement picked up momentum under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and with the restoration of civil rights unconditional release of all political prisoners was made. In 1938 all the freedom fighters were sent back to the mainland. In 1979 Morarji desai the prime Minister of India declared the cellular jail as a " National Memorial" in honour of those who fought and struggled laying down their lives for the freedom of the motherland.

With the settlement of te people from te main land various tourist activities were initiated by the government and now Andaman and Nicobar Islands have become a prime tourist destination.