Place:Port Blair

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Short description: Capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Port Blair
Town and municipality
Srivijayapuram
View of Andaman Sea
Corbyn's cove beach
A seaside road
Science centre
Jaljeevshala aquarium
Cellular Jail
Official logo of Port Blair
Seal of the Port Blair Municipal Council
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Coordinates: [ ⚑ ] : 11°40′06″N 92°44′16″E / 11.66833°N 92.73778°E / 11.66833; 92.73778
CountryIndia
Union TerritoryAndaman and Nicobar Islands
DistrictSouth Andaman
Government
 • TypeMayor–Council
 • BodyPort Blair Municipal Council
Area
 • Total41.22 km2 (15.92 sq mi)
Elevation
16 m (52 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total140,572
Time zoneUTC+5.30 (IST)
ClimateAm
As per the 2011 census, Port Blair had a population of 108,058.[2] The municipal limits were expanded from 17.74 km2 (6.85 sq mi) to 41.22 km2 (15.92 sq mi) in 2015, and the corresponding population as per the revised limits was given as 140,572 (as per the 2011 census).[1]

Port Blair (About this soundpronunciation (help·info)), officially named Srivijayapuram, is the capital city of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is located on the South Andaman Island situated between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. It is located approximately 1,190 km (740 mi) from Chennai and 1,255 km (780 mi) from Kolkata in mainland India. It is the headquarters of the South Andaman district, and the union territory's only notified town.

The town is home to the Veer Savarkar International Airport, the only major airport in the islands, and Port Blair Port, and serves as the major gateway for the islands. It is connected with mainland India by both air and sea, with a two to three-hour flight from mainland India and a three to four days voyage by sea from Chennai, Kolkata, or Visakhapatnam. It is home to the air base INS Utkrosh and the naval base INS Jarawa of the Indian Navy, and the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the only integrated tri-command of the Indian Armed Forces. It also hosts various sea and air bases of the Indian Coast Guard and the Andaman and Nicobar Police.

The indigenous inhabitants of the region were the Andamanese. In the late 18th century CE, the British colonised the Andaman Islands, and established a naval base, and a penal colony, which was abandoned two years later. On 22 February 1858, the British re-established a colony at Port Blair, and a new penal colony was established on the Ross Island near Port Blair, mainly to house the prisoners of the Indian rebellion of 1857. In 1872, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were united under a single command and administered by a chief commissioner based out of Port Blair. The Cellular Jail was completed in 1906, and used to house political prisoners and independence activists. During Second World War, the Japanese captured Port Blair on 23 March 1942, and it was retaken by the British on 7 October 1945. After the Indian Independence in 1947, the Andaman and Nicobar islands became part of the Dominion of India, and later a union territory with the capital at Port Blair.

The city was originally named after Archibald Blair, an officer of the Royal Indian Navy, who colonised the region in the late 18th century CE. On 13 September 2024, the Government of India officially renamed the city to Srivijayapuram.

History

The indigenous inhabitants of the region were the Andamanese, who may have been isolated from other populations during the Paleolithic era, which ended 30,000 years ago.[3] The islands are referred to by various historians and travellers such as Ptolemy in the first century CE, Marco Polo in the 13th century CE, Friar Odoric in 14th century CE, and Cesare Federici in 16th Century CE.[4]

Ross Island prison (1872)
Viper Island prison under construction

In 1789, Archibald Blair of the Royal Indian Navy colonised the Andaman Islands, and established a naval base.[4] In 1794, a penal colony was established on the Chatham island and the first batch of 100 prisoners were sent to the island. The prisoners were used for labour, and worked under a civil contract. After two years, the colony was abandoned.[5] On 22 February 1858, the British re-established a colony at Port Blair, named after Archibald Blair.[4][5] A new penal colony was established on the Ross Island near Port Blair, mainly to house the prisoners of the Indian rebellion of 1857, and the first set of 200 convicts arrived at the island in March 1858.[5][6] The prisoners were used for hard labour and the clearing of forests led to frequent confrontation with the native Andamanese people. Many of the prisoners died in conflict, while some were hanged for trying to escape, apart from deaths due to disease and starvation.[4] Between 1864 and 1867, a penal establishment was also built on the nearby Viper Island using prison labour.[7] In 1872, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were united under a single command and administered by a chief commissioner based out of Port Blair. The construction of the Cellular Jail started in 1896 and was completed in 1906. The jail was used to house political prisoners and independence activists away from the Indian mainland.[8][9]

During Second World War, the Andaman and Nicobar islands were invaded by Japan. The Japanese captured Port Blair on 23 March 1942.[10] Japan gave provisional control to the Azad Hind organisation of Subhash Chandra Bose on 29 December 1943.[11] Bose had limited power while the real control of the islands remained with the Japanese, with reports of widespread looting, arson, rape, and extrajudicial killings during the Japanese occupation.[12] On 7 October 1945, the territory was officially handed back to the British in a ceremony at the Gymkhana Ground in Port Blair.[13]

During the Partition of India, the British announced their intention to retain possession of Port Blair and use them to resettle Anglo-Indians and Anglo-Burmese on these islands. The islands were claimed by the Indian National Congress by both India and Pakitan during the partition negotiations.[14][15] After the Indian Independence in 1947, the islands became part of the Dominion of India, and as per the Constitution of India, the islands were to be administered by a lieutenant governor appointed by the Government of India.[16] The islands became a separate union territory administered by the Government of India, following the re-organisation in 1956 with the capital at Port Blair.[17] It has been developed into a key defence establishment since the 1980s due to its strategic location in the Bay of Bengal across the Strait of Malacca.[18][19]

On 26 December 2004, the coasts of the islands experienced 10 m (33 ft) high tsunami waves following an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean.[20] The locals and tourists on the islands suffered the greatest casualties while the indigenous people largely survived unscathed due to movement to high grounds. Port Blair survived sufficiently to act as a base for relief efforts in the islands.[21] In 2017, Port Blair was selected as one of the cities to be developed as a smart city under the Smart Cities Mission.[22] On 13 September 2024, the Government of India officially renamed the city to Srivijayapuram.[23][24]

Climate

Port Blair has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am).

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Demographics

Template:Historical population

As per the 2011 census, Port Blair had a population of 108,058 of which 57,761 are males while 50,297 are females.[lower-alpha 1][2][31] There were 10,699 (9.9%) children under the age of six years. The sex ratio was 871 against the territory average of 876. The literacy rate was 90.28 %, which was higher than the territory average of 86.63 %. The male literacy was 93.16% while the female literacy rate was 86.94%.[2] Post the expansion of the city limits in 2015, the population was estimated to be 140,572 as per the 2011 census.[1]

Tamil is the most spoken language with 40,323 native speakers, followed by Telugu (32,628), Hindi (31,520), Bengali (28,063), Malayalam (13,670), Sadri (3,479), Kurukh (3,459), and Necobarese (2,308). [32] Hinduism was the majority religion with 74.37% adherents, with Christianity (12.43%) and Islam (12.43%) being the other religions.[2]

Administration

The Port Blair Municipal Council is the civic body administering the city of Port Blair. The council came into existence on 2 October 1957 after the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Municipal Board's) Regulation Act was enacted on 11 March 1957.[1] Initially covering an area of 14.14 km2 (5.46 sq mi) demarcated into nine wards, which were increased into 18 wards later. The first election to the municipal council was held in September 1995 and the council consisted of 18 elected and three nominated members.[1] The city limits were expanded to 41.22 km2 (15.92 sq mi) in 2015.[33] The council consists of 24 wards, each represented by a councilor elected through direct election.[34]

Transportation

Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair is the major airport in the islands

The Andaman and Nicobar islands are served by Veer Savarkar International Airport near Port Blair which has regular flights to major cities in India.[35] The airport operates as a civil enclave, sharing airside facilities with INS Utkrosh of the Indian Navy.[36] The airport has a single runway of 3,290 m (10,794 ft) in length, with the civilian terminal operated by the Airports Authority of India with air traffic operations managed by the Indian Navy.[37] It is home to the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the only integrated tri-command of the Indian Armed Forces, which operates the air base of INS Utkrosh, and the nearby naval facility of INS Jarawa.[38][39] The Port Blair Port is a major maritime gateway to the islands.[40][41] The 230.7 km (143.4 mi) long National Highway 4 connects Port Blair and Diglipur.[42][43]

Education

Major educational institutions include Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences, Andaman Law College, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Institute of Technology, and Jawaharlal Nehru Government College.[44]

Notes

  1. ↑ Corresponding to the old city limits prior to expansion in 2015

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Port Blair City". https://testpbmc.andaman.gov.in/about. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Census of India". 2011 Census of India. https://www.census2011.co.in/data/town/804041-port-blair-andaman-and-nicobar-islands.html. 
  3. ↑ Palanichamy, Malliya G.; Agrawal, Suraksha; Yao, Yong-Gang; Kong, Qing-Peng; Sun, Chang; Khan, Faisal; Chaudhuri, Tapas Kumar; Zhang, Ya-Ping (2006). "Comment on 'Reconstructing the Origin of Andaman Islanders'". Science 311 (5760): 470. doi:10.1126/science.1120176. PMID 16439647. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "History of South Andaman". Government of India. https://southandaman.nic.in/history/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Vaidik, Aparna (2010). Imperial Andamans: Colonial Encounter and Island History. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 35-37. ISBN 978-0-230-27488-4. 
  6. ↑ Mathur, L. P. (1967). "A Historical Study of Euro-Asian Interest in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 29: 60. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44137988. Retrieved 19 May 2021. 
  7. ↑ "Notorious once, it stands shrouded in silence now". The Hindu. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/features/andaman/stories/2004081500270300.htm. 
  8. ↑ Murthy, R.V.R. (2006). "Cellular Jail:a Century of Sacrifices". The Indian Journal of Political Science 67 (4): 879–888. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41856271. Retrieved 3 June 2021. 
  9. ↑ "How India's Cellular Jail was integral in the country's fight for freedom". The Independent. 14 August 2017. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/cellular-jail-india-integral-country-fight-freedom-independence-british-colony-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-port-blair-sushil-dasguputa-a7883691.html. 
  10. ↑ L, Klemen (1999–2000). "The capture of Andaman Islands, March 1942". Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942. https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/andaman.html. 
  11. ↑ "The forgotten story of the Japanese ruling over (a part of) India". The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/research/the-forgotten-story-of-the-japanese-ruling-over-a-part-of-india-8887379/. 
  12. ↑ Dasgupta, Jayant (2002). Japanese in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Red Sun over black Water. Manas Publications. pp. 67, 87, 91–95. ISBN 978-8-170-49138-5. 
  13. ↑ Wynn, Stephen (2020). The Rise and Fall of Imperial Japan. Pen & Sword Books Limited. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-473-86551-8. 
  14. ↑ Murthy, R. V. R. (2007). Andaman and Nicobar Islands: A Geo-political and Strategic Perspective. Northern Book Centre. p. 117. ISBN 978-8-172-11219-6. "Muslim league pleaded with the British that Andaman and Nicobar should go to the proposed Pakistan" 
  15. ↑ "Jinnah's bid for Andaman Islands". The Friday Times. 9 October 2020. https://thefridaytimes.com/09-Oct-2020/mr-jinnah-s-bid-for-the-andaman-islands. 
  16. ↑ "Parliament of India". Act of 1950. Government of India. https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s380537a945c7aaa788ccfcdf1b99b5d8f/uploads/2023/05/2023050195.pdf. Retrieved 31 December 2023. 
  17. ↑ Andaman and Nicobar Islands Development Report. State Development Report series (illustrated ed.). Planning Commission of India. 2008. ISBN 978-81-7188-652-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=ujf2N5O4iKgC. Retrieved 12 March 2011. 
  18. ↑ David Brewster. India's Defense Strategy and the India–ASEAN Relationship, RSIS Monograph No.28. https://www.academia.edu/7716140. Retrieved 24 August 2014. 
  19. ↑ Sawhney, Pravin (30 January 2019). "A watchtower on the high seas". The Tribune. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/a-watchtower-on-the-high-seas/720929.html. 
  20. ↑ Carl Strand and John Masek, ed (2007). Sumatra-Andaman Islands Earthquake and Tsunami of December 6, 2004: Lifeline Performance. Reston, Virginia: American Society of Civil Engineers, Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering. ISBN 9780784409510. http://www.asce.org/Product.aspx?id=2147486137&productid=5511. 
  21. ↑ "Tsunami folklore 'saved islanders'". BBC News Online. 20 January 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4181855.stm. 
  22. ↑ Khanna, Pretika (24 May 2016). "13 cities included in Phase 1 of Smart Cities Mission". Live Mint. http://www.livemint.com/Politics/kMLIQKW3xIqOUzFJ5sZadN/Smart-cities-More-names-of-cities-to-be-announced-today.html. 
  23. ↑ "Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar capital, renamed as Sri Vijaya Puram". India TV. 13 September 2024. https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/port-blair-renamed-as-sri-vijaya-puram-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-vijaya-empire-southeast-asia-netaji-subhash-chandra-bose-amit-shah-pm-modi-historic-2024-09-13-951994. Retrieved 13 September 2024. 
  24. ↑ "Port Blair renamed as Sri Vijaya Puram, announces Amit Shah". Deccan Herald. Press Trust of India. 13 September 2024. https://www.deccanherald.com/india/port-blair-renamed-as-sri-vijaya-puram-announces-amit-shah-3189793. 
  25. ↑ "Station: Port Blair Climatological Table 1981–2010". Climatological Normals 1981–2010. India Meteorological Department. January 2015. pp. 619–620. https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20%28STATWISE%29.pdf. 
  26. ↑ "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)". India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M4. https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf. 
  27. ↑ "Port Blair Climatological Table 1981–2010". India Meteorological Department. http://city.imd.gov.in/citywx/extreme/FEB/portblair2.htm. 
  28. ↑ "Table 3 Monthly mean duration of Sun Shine (hours) at different locations in India". Daily Normals of Global & Diffuse Radiation (1971–2000). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M-3. https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Daily%20Normals%20of%20Global%20&%20Diffused%20Radiations%20%201971_2000.pdf. 
  29. ↑ "WMO Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Port Blair" (CSV). NOAA. https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/India/XLS/PORT_BLAIR_43333.xlsx. "WMO Station Number: 43333" 
  30. ↑ "Normals Data: Port Blair - India Latitude: 11.67°N Longitude: 92.72°E Height: 79 (m)". Japan Meteorological Agency. https://ds.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/tcc/tcc/products/climate/normal/parts/NrmMonth_e.php?stn=43333. 
  31. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. 
  32. ↑ "C-16 Population By Mother Tongue". Census of India. https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-16/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-3500.XLSX. Retrieved 1 June 2012. 
  33. ↑ "Port Blair City Limit to be Expanded". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012. https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2011/oct/14/port-blair-city-limit-to-be-expanded-300361.html. 
  34. ↑ Sanjib (5 March 2015). "Port Blair city all set for expansion; PBMC to have 24 wards". Andaman Sheeka. http://www.andamansheekha.com/29724/. 
  35. ↑ "List of Aerodromes Licensed in Public Use Category". Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India. https://www.dgca.gov.in/digigov-portal/?page=jsp/dgca/InventoryList/aerodrome/public/PUBLIC%20USE%20LICENSED%20AERODROME%20(PUBLIC%20AND%20PRIVATE)%20AND%20HELIPORT%20-converted%20(1).pdf. Retrieved 11 October 2023. 
  36. ↑ "New Terminal Building at Port Blair Airport by March 2018". Press Information Bureau (Press release). 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  37. ↑ "Andaman & Nicobar Command: Saga of Synergy". Sainik Samachar. http://www.sainiksamachar.nic.in/englisharchives/2011/oct16-11/h5.htm. 
  38. ↑ "Headquarters Andaman Nicobar Command ANC to enhance its operational capability with the upcoming commissioning of INS Kohassa". Government of India (Press release). 18 January 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  39. ↑ "Andaman and Nicobar command". National Integrated Command. http://ids.nic.in/ancommand.htm. 
  40. ↑ "History of Ports". Port Management Board, Government of India. http://andssw1.and.nic.in/pmb/history.html. 
  41. ↑ "India plans Rs 10,000 cr transshipment port at Great Nicobar Island: PM". The Economic Times. https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/india-plans-rs-10000-cr-transshipment-port-at-great-nicobar-island-pm/77466638. 
  42. ↑ State-wise length of National Highways in India (Report). Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. 30 November 2018. https://morth.nic.in/sites/default/files/State_wise_Length_of_National_Highways_in_India.pdf. Retrieved 9 May 2019. 
  43. ↑ Andaman, Road development (Report). Government of India. https://morth.nic.in/sites/default/files/PragatiKiNayiGati/pdf/andaman.pdf. Retrieved 1 December 2023. 
  44. ↑ "Colleges in South Andaman". Government of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. https://southandaman.nic.in/public-utility-category/colleges/. 
  • Port Blair travel guide from Wikivoyage

Template:South Andaman district Template:Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Template:State and Union Territory capitals of India



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