Our member, Ms Rupali Sarkar, shares fond memories of her visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands almost 20 years ago, with Mousumi Gupta.
“We went to Andaman & Nicobar around 15 to 20 years back by plane. But memories about the trip are still fresh in my mind as if just yesterday,” says Ms Sarkar. “The serene island, with its natural beauty, makes it a sought-after destination for tourists though the place didn’t have a very pleasant past because of its reputation as ‘Kaala Pani’!”
Detailing her trip, she says: “Among the places we liked the most was the Havelock Islands, the sea trip to watch the coral reefs and surprisingly the Cellular Jail-a nightmare for freedom fighters in those days.”
“Havelock and Neil & Ross islands are all travellers’ paradise. Havelock, with its sublime beaches and tranquil water, is the main tourist attraction. Added to its beauty is the glass bottom boat cruise for watching marine life and corals. Though we were not in an age of scuba diving, we could enjoy seeing the under-water creatures sitting from inside the boat,” reminisces Ms Sarkar.
Cellular Jail derived its name from the individual cells built to keep prisoners in solitary confinement. Also, popularly known as ‘Kaala Pani’, it was built between 1896 and 1908, and was home to hundreds of freedom fighters. The most dreaded colonial prison is situated in the remote archipelago and was used by the British Indian government to exile Indian political prisoners.
Giving a vivid lowdown on the jail visit, Ms Sarkar says: “The cellular jail in a remote archipelago gave us mixed feelings of pride and shame. It is a pilgrimage for all freedom-loving people. The jail museum drew our memories back to those years of struggle. The photographs of freedom fighters, the cells where they were confined, an exhibition gallery, which showcases the struggle and sacrifices of the freedom fighters-all are fresh in my mind. An eternal flame of freedom, Swatantrya Jyot, is kept lit in the vicinity of the Cellular Jail in memory of all freedom fighters and martyrs.”
“The jail is now open to public viewing as a National Memorial, and its museum gives one a glimpse of years of India’s struggle for freedom. The guide showed us the cells, where freedom fighters like Batukeshwar Dutt and Veer Savarkar were held captive. The whole story of those days in and out of the Cellular Jail was shown through a light-and-sound show in the evening,” recalls Ms Sarkar.
On a pleasant note, she says: “We also went on a tour to visit the areas inhabited by the Jarawas but we were given strict instructions as to not to disturb them and not to click their photos. We were very surprised to see them curiously watching us roaming.”

Our member, Ms Flower Silliman, shares a story about one of her exciting voyages on a cargo ship from Kolkata (then Calcutta) to the UK with her husband, mother and three children around 50 years ago, with Mousumi Gupta.
“My husband was attached to a foreign currency exchange and import-export business, which entailed travel across the world,” said Ms Silliman. “So, I consider myself lucky to have embarked on some wonderful journeys with my family and to have gathered unique travel experiences.”
The Silliman family embarked on a particular voyage on a cargo ship, which was carrying tea and jute from Calcutta to the UK. “Ahead of the journey, the captain of the ship told me that he had arranged for a floating zoo for our kids!”
“At first, I couldn’t understand what that meant and took it as a joke.”
Then, Ms Silliman, describing her pleasant shock, said: “Soon after we boarded the ship, which only had the captain’s cabin and two guest cabins on the deck, we discovered that the captain wasn’t quite joking. There were 11 elephant cubs, around four huge cages of birds of different exotic species and few monkeys welcoming us. It was almost like Noah’s ark!”
“The children were thrilled to be sailing on a ship full of animals as their co-passengers in the midst of an ocean. The animals were travelling from Calcutta to a zoo in the UK. The kids used to help the animals bathe on the deck and play with them the whole day except when their grandmother forced them to sit for studies,” recollected Ms Silliman.
“The ship harboured once at Madras (now Chennai) and then at Cochin (now Kochi) to load all the food supplies before heading for Suez Canal. Everyday my son, who was very fond of banana and milk, managed to steal one or two from bunches of bananas kept for the elephant cubs. To stop him, the captain would jokingly say: ‘Those bananas are for the elephants. If you eat all of those, I will offer you to the cubs for meal’,” said Ms Silliman from her sharp memory.
“When the ship crossed Suez Canal and entered Sudan, a herd of cows joined the floating zoo. My son was extremely happy that he could have fresh milk too! The ship sailed through Alexandria and reached the UK after five weeks. The voyage was so fun that we felt as time had flown past,” she said.
“For the children, it was school away from school, as they learnt several things beyond bookish knowledge during their voyage,” concluded Ms Silliman.