In 1789, Captain Archibald Blair of the Bombay Marine (the East India Company's Navy), acting under orders from the government of Bengal, established a penal colony on this site, naming it Port Cornwallis in honor of his commander, Admiral Sir William Cornwallis. In 1858, the first European settlement on the islands was established near the site of the old penal colony, and was named Port Blair in honor of Captain Blair. Portblair - The capital of the 350 odd islands of Andaman and Nicobar, Port Blair is located at about 1,200 km from Kolkata and Chennai. The superb beaches and fascinating marine life on the reefs coupled with the opportunities you get for water sports, bird watching of fishing makes Port Blair one of the most interesting and enchanting tourist destinations in the country. It was in 1789 that Captain Archibald Blair of the Bombay Marine (the East India Company’s Navy) established a penal colony on this site, naming it Port Cornwallis. The first European settlement on the islands was established in 1858 near the site of the old penal colony. The colony was named Port Blair in honour of Captain Blair. The islands Andaman and Nicobar are home to some of the oldest tribal communities in the world.

Though most of the tribes out here have modernized some of them still continue to exist in the ‘primitive’ stage and are hostile to outside interference. Port Blair, the capital of the 350 odd islands that comprise the Andaman and Nicobar group, has one major landmark-the Cellular Jail. A pipal tree, just outside this seven-winged national monument, can tell tales of the torture of India's freedom fighters within its walls. In 1897, the British, who then ruled India, laid the foundation stone of the building. It had 698 solitary cells to ensure that there was no contact between prisoners. Only three of the seven octopus-like wings remain and as you walk down their corridor, Places of Interest Zoological Park. The Zoological Park and Mini Zoo has some unique collection of zoological species rarely found anywhere in the world. It has more than 200 species of animals including the Nicobar pigeon and Andaman pig. The salt-water crocodile-breeding programme also attracts attention for its uniqueness and success. Most of the crocodiles bred here are freed in the wild waters of the forest.

One of the major landmarks in Port Blair is the Cellular Jail, a three-storey prison constructed by British in 1906. It was originally built by the British to house dangerous criminals but was subsequently used to house Indian freedom fighters as prisoners. The massive edifice bears witness to the inhuman atrocities inflicted upon the inmates of the prison by the British. The prison had 698 solitary cells to ensure that there was no contact between prisoners. Today, just three of the original seven wings of the building have remained. Moving around you get to see the photographs and lists of the 'convicts' held, a death house, and the gallows that give an impression of the plight of prisoners here in the early twentieth century. Besides the Museum and the Art Gallery, you can also witness the Sound and Light Show, both in English and Hindi.