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Plan your Andaman holiday with local experts based in Port Blair
Viper Island sits quietly in the waters near Port Blair carrying a history that predates even the Cellular Jail. This was Andaman's first colonial prison where British rulers imprisoned Indian freedom fighters and convicts long before Kala Pani became the symbol of colonial cruelty. Small in size but immense in historical significance, Viper Island is one of Port Blair's most compelling historical landmarks and a place that every serious traveler to Andaman should experience.
Viper Island is a small island located inside the Port Blair harbour, accessible by a short boat ride from the mainland jetty. It holds the distinction of being Andaman's earliest colonial prison, predating the Cellular Jail by several decades and serving as the original site where the British imprisoned Indian political prisoners and convicts sent to these islands.
The island gets its name from HMS Viper, a British naval vessel that carried Lieutenant Archibald Blair to the Andaman Islands in 1789 to establish a penal settlement. The ship is believed to have met with an accident near the island and its wreckage was discovered close to its shores giving the island its distinctive name.
The island houses two significant historical structures. The gallows positioned on a small hill where prisoners were executed and the red brick courthouse building which remains clearly visible from the jetty. Both stand as haunting reminders of the colonial era and the price paid by Indian freedom fighters who were brought to these islands.
The history of Viper Island begins in 1789 when the British first established a penal settlement in the Andaman Islands following the arrival of Lieutenant Archibald Blair. Viper Island served as the first prison in the Andaman chain and housed convicts and political prisoners long before the Cellular Jail was conceived or constructed.
Among the most significant prisoners held on Viper Island was Sher Ali, the man who assassinated Lord Mayo the Viceroy of India in 1872. His imprisonment and execution on this island gave Viper Island a permanent place in the darkest chapters of India's colonial history. Many other freedom fighters and political rebels were also held here under brutal conditions. Prisoners were kept in fetters, forced into hard labour and subjected to conditions designed to break their spirit and their connection to the Indian mainland.
The island also housed a women's prison during the British era, a fact that is less widely known but equally significant in understanding the full scope of colonial oppression in the Andaman Islands.
When the Cellular Jail was constructed between 1896 and 1906, Viper Island's role as a primary prison facility was gradually reduced. However it continued to hold prisoners for many years and the gallows on the hilltop continued to be used well into the colonial period.
Plan Your Port Blair Historical Tour with Our Local ExpertsViper Island rewards visitors who arrive with an appreciation for history and a curiosity about what life and suffering looked like in Andaman's earliest colonial years. Here is what to look out for during your visit.
Positioned on a small hilltop the gallows are the most historically significant structure on the island. The sight of them standing against the backdrop of the open sea and the surrounding islands of the Port Blair harbour is deeply moving and unlike anything else in Andaman.
One of the most visually striking colonial era structures remaining on the island. The red brick courthouse building speaks to the formal apparatus of colonial justice that the British maintained even on this remote island far from the mainland.
The crumbling remains of the original prison structures give visitors a direct connection to the earliest chapter of colonial imprisonment in the Andaman Islands. Walking among these ruins with the knowledge of who was held here and what they endured adds a weight to the experience that stays long after you leave.
Viper Island is surrounded by calm clear waters and covered in dense green vegetation. The contrast between its natural beauty and its dark history is one of the most striking things about the entire experience.
| Location | Inside Port Blair Harbour, near Sri Vijaya Puram |
|---|---|
| How to Reach | Boat ride from Phoenix Bay Jetty, Port Blair |
| Boat Ride Duration | Approximately 20-30 minutes |
| Named After | HMS Viper, a British naval vessel (1789) |
| Key Structures | Gallows on the hilltop, remnants of the old jail, and red-brick courthouse ruins |
| Nearby Attractions | Cellular Jail National Memorial, Port Blair; Ross Island (Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island) |
Include Viper Island as part of a broader Port Blair historical day. Our team combines it naturally with a visit to the Cellular Jail and Ross Island making it a full and richly rewarding day of historical exploration around the Port Blair coastline.
The visit to Viper Island is particularly meaningful if done after seeing the Cellular Jail. Having the context of what Indian freedom fighters endured in Kala Pani makes the sight of Andaman's original colonial prison all the more powerful and historically connected.
Carry a camera as the island offers some of the most evocative historical photography opportunities in all of Andaman. The gallows, the courthouse ruins and the surrounding harbour views combine to create images that capture both the beauty and the darkness of this remarkable place.
Our team at AndamanVacation.com handles all boat arrangements and includes Viper Island in your Port Blair itinerary seamlessly. You focus on the experience. We take care of every detail.
Viper Island is one of those historical landmarks that every serious traveler to Andaman should include in their Port Blair experience. The sight of the gallows and the courthouse ruins carries a weight that connects you directly to the earliest and darkest chapters of India's colonial history in these islands.
Our team at Andaman Vacations India has been guiding travelers through Port Blair's historical sites for over 25 years. We will include Viper Island in your Port Blair itinerary and ensure you have the historical context to make the experience genuinely meaningful.
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