Nature's Paradise : Andaman

Sunrise from Teal House, Port Blair

Crystal clear Blue water

The Andaman & Nicobar are a group of picturesque Islands, big and small, inhabited and uninhabited, a total of 500 & odd islands, lying midway between India and Burma in the Bay of Bengal.They lie along an arc in long and narrow broken chain, approximately North-South over a distance nearly 800 kms.
According to a Hindu legend, the place derives its name from Handuman or Hanuman, the Monkey God of the great epic Ramayana. Hanuman is said to have used these tiny islands as stepping-stones on his way to Lanka to save Lord Ram’s consort Sita.

Wandoor Beach - Reach in corals

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands were shrouded in mystery for centuries because of their inaccessibility. These are the paragon of beauty and present a landscape full with scenic and picturesque exravaganza. These islands shimmer like emeralds in the Bay of Bengal. The dense forest which cover these islands and the innumerable exotic flowers and birds create a highly poetic and romantic atmosphere.

Red Skin Island - we all enjoying coral viewing, swimming in crystal clear water

Andaman & Nicobar Islands Popularly referred to as the "Veritable Garden of Eden" and a "nature's paradise", the beautiful small and big islands and pristine waters of Andaman Nicobar India are home to the endless varieties of flora, fauna and marine life. The long stretches of white powdery sand are dotted with many crescent shaped virgin beaches, which are covered with thick groves of coconut palm, casuarinas and pandanus trees. The breathtaking natural beauty, the clean environment, thrilling adventure sports, and the warm hospitality of the people of Andaman Nicobar Island attract thousands of nature lovers and holiday makers from all across the globe.

These beautiful Islands are accessible from main land India by ship and air from Kolkata (Calcutta) and Chennai (Madras). We explored the Islands between 20 Oct and 30 Oct 2009 and season last upto April end.

Places to be visited : Havelock Island, Neil Island, Lime stone cave, Rangat, Mayabunder and Diglipur.

--

-- Coral Viewing at Wandoor Beach --

Sandy clean beaches

Ross Island

Sunset at Chiriya Tapu

Sunset at Chidiyatapu

A must visit place : Havelock Island

Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island

Bored with your daily routines in the hustle bustle of concrete jungle?  Want to get lost in the lap of mother nature, beautiful virgin beaches and unpolluted environment? Then pack your bag and take a morning flight to Port Blaire to explore the beautiful Havelock Island of Andaman. Its famous for its crystal clear blue water, virgin beaches and natural beauty. It is one of the must see places of India for every travel enthusiast who love nature.

Waves of blue water, Radhanagar Beach

An inevitable and imperative part of the immaculate Andaman Islands is the land of sparkling blue waters, and endless stretches of golden and silver sand on spectacular beaches, the ecstasy on earth- Havelock. The most visited of the Andaman Islands, Havelock Island is the hotspot for scuba diving lovers. It is famous for its pristine beaches, coral reefs and for a relaxing holiday.

Sunset at Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island

The distance between Port Blair and Havelock Island is about 38 kilometers. Havelock's famous  "Radha Nagar" Beach, is one of the most popular beaches on Havelock and was named "Best Beach in Asia" by 'Time' in 2004. Other notable beaches include Elephant Beach on the northwest coast and Vijaynagar Beach. Best time to travel Havelock Island is between October end to April. Ships operate between Port Blair Phoenix Bay Jetty and Havelock Island and takes about four and half hours.

Beautiful Dolphin Yatri Niwas, where we stayed at Havelock

View from Dolphin Yatri Niwas Resort

 Ships run between Havelock and Port Blair

Phoinix Bay Jetty, Port Blair

 

Cellular Jail : Andaman

Cellular Jail, the  notorious jail of Andaman

HISTORY : Till 1857, Andaman & Nicobar Islands had been just another dot on the map of the British empire. Came the struggle for India's independence and the first mutiny in 1857, the British rulers found new use for these islands and thereby starts the agonizing story of the massive and awesome Cellular Jail. Located at Port Blair in the Andamans, the Cellular Jail is closely associated with the freedom struggle.  The patriots, whoever raised their voice against the British rule, were sent to this Cellular jail. Thousands languished for years in solitary confinement in its cells. Many perished. Thus giving Andamans the notorious sobriquet of 'KALA PANI' or the Black Waters.


TODAY : Today, the Cellular Jail is a National Memorial, a tribute to theose who dared.  That’s why the visit to the Cellular jail is a pilgrimage for every Indian.The freedom what we are enjoying today is the result of the sacrifices of those who suffered for years in the solitary confinement in its small cells.The saga of  the heroic struggle for freedom is now brought alive in a moving sound and light show. 

Cellular Jail Andaman. Now it is a National Memorial

Cellular Jail's Corridor. At the left side you can see the lanterns are still hanging

Picture of one of the Cells where prisoners used to be kept for years

There are photo galleries of the freedom fighters who were imprisoned in this  Cellular jail (Kalapani) as punishment by the British rulers then. are well maintained by the Government. Visitors can see the names of the prisoners and period they served their term in that jail. Among those prisoners some were having artistic talents and they spent time by painting. Those paintings are also preserved in a well maintained painting gallery. Those are open to public and still photography is allowed. Some of those beautiful paintings are posted below :

Painting : Kalapani (above)

 Another beautiful painting

Shantiniketan : Abode of Peace

Two young tribal girls (Santal Ramani) and a boy. Scupture by Ramkinkar Baij. His large compositions in cement on the simple lives of the Santals, placed in the campus, are  the great contributions to the heritage of Indian sculpture.

Santiniketan is a small town near Bolpur in the district of Birbhum  of West Bengal, India, and its distance from kolkata is about 180 KM.

Once upon a time today’s Shantiniketan was known as Bhuban Danga, which was the den of a local dacoit named Bhuban Dakat. “Danga” means a vast unfertile plane land. The land was owned by the Tagore family. Rabindranath Tagore’s father, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, renamed it as Shantiniketan, which means abode (niketan) of peace (shanti). 

Campus

Rabindranath Tagore started an open air school there for children named as “Path Bhavan”. Tagore’s idea was that of learning in a natural environment, in the open, under the trees, would be more closer to nature. Classes in the open still in vogue there.

Open air class- still in vogue

After Tagore received the Nobel Prize in 1913 for literature (for the book Gitanjali), the school was expanded into an university named as Visva Bharati. Today Visva Bharati is one of the renowned universities, which attracts thousands of students each year. Visva Bharati's symbolic meaning being defined by Tagore as "where the world makes a home in a nest". The aim of this educational institute was the quest for truth, blending the methods of learning of the East and West. Visva Bharati, now more than a hundred years old, is one of the most prestigious universities of India with degree courses in humanities, social science, science, fine arts, music, performing arts, education, agricultural science and rural reconstruction.  

Rabindra Bhawan (Also called Bichitraa). It is the museum where Tagore's paintings, Nobel medallion and his used items are displayed here.

Kala Bhawan

Murals on the wall of Kala Bhawan (art College)

Kala Bhavana, the art college of Santiniketan, is still considered one of the best art colleges in the world.

Kala Bhawan students during off period

Prime minister of India Smt. Indira Gandhi, renowned film director Satyajit Ray and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen were among its most illustrious students. 

"I consider the three years I spent in Shantiniketan as the most fruitful of my life ... Shantiniketan opened my eyes for the first time to the splendors of Indian and Far Eastern art. Until then I was completely under the sway of Western art, music and literature. Shantiniketan made me the combined product of East and West that I am."

[-Satyajit Ray, as quoted by Amartya Sen in The Argumentative Indian, pp. 115, Penguin 2005]

The most prestigious possession of Shantiniketan, the pride of the nation, the “Nobel Prize” medallion of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore which was in display in the ‘Rabindra Bhavan’ (Museum) till it was stolen in the beginning of 2006 and till today it is untraceable, even CBI has failed to trace it.

Shantiniketan is also a tourist attraction today because Rabindranath wrote many of his literary classics here.

Major Events which attracts tourist to the campus: Numerous social and cultural events takes place through out the year which are part and parcel of Santiniketan. These are Basanta Utsav, Poush Mela ,  Rabindra Jayanti to name a few. But the place can be visited without any event just in tany weekend and one fine morning two years back, we did the same thing and  we  reached Shantiniketan by morning train. We hired a Maruti van and took the local sight seeing  and we visited Khowaier haat, Deer park, kankhali tala, Amar Kutir, Rabindra bhawan (Museum) and villages attached to shantiniketan campus. Next day we visited the Sangeet Bhawan, Kala Bhawan, Uttarayan, The Sculptures of Ramkinkar Baij, kala Bhawan Hostel where Nanda Lal Bose, Ramkinkar baij and other prominent artists lived once.

 Khowai Saturday Market ( Saturday Haat)শনিবারের খোয়াইয়ের হাট

Note from the author : This article has been transferred from my another Blog. Two years back it was posted there when this blog was not in existence. Now I thought this is the right  place for the article to be posted.