Day VII - Ross Island, Chatham Saw Mill and Chidya Tapu beach
On this day our schedule was visiting Ross Island, the oldest penal settlement, and seat of Andaman's British Administration of British India (Till Cellular Jail was built) and Chidiya Tapu Beach.
Starting the day peacefully, we got ready and reached Water Sports Jetty (the same one which we had used earlier to go to North Bay island) which happens to be right opposite Ross Island. This time we had time in hand. We decided to use it to explore the Jetty and do photography. First important landmark we stumbled upon was Sunami Memorial. It is a memorial built to honour those who got killed in Dec 2004 Sunami.
After visiting this memorial, we went to jetty and we both young couples decided to do little more photography.
We got into the boat around 0930and by 0950 we were at Ross Island. Ross Island is under the administrative control of the India Navy which maintains a very small detachment of sailors on the island for administrative duties.
Ross is where first British formal settlement was built by prisoners. Once the settlement was built the prisoners were transferred to Viper Island (Viper was the name of the British ship that got the first batch of Prisoners to Andamans).
Ross island was what a best small city could be. Chief Commissioner's Bungalow, other bungalows, accommodation for subordinate staff, A Church, Bakery, clubs, Tennis courts and above all a heated swimming pool, all this is in the era of around 1857 and thereafter. It was known as Paris of the east (should have been called little Paris though). While the jail moved from Viper to Ross to Cellular Jail, Ross remained administrative HQ till 1941 when an earth quack struck that area and damaged the buildings, after which people started abandoning that place.
A visit to Ross really makes one feel the opulence with which the British lived at Ross. I guess many thousand miles away from their home and many hundred miles away from the main land India, they had to create a haven for themselves.
After visiting Ross, we returned to Jetty and took our boat back to Water Sports Jetty. After a quick lunch at Port Blair, since we had time, we went to visit Chatham Saw Mill. A saw mill established by British in 1883, it is Asia's oldest and biggest saw mill processing the abundant timber of various types that gets produced by forests of Andaman & Nicobar. This mill can process over 18000 logs per year if work is carried out in three shifts. The mill has various sections for sorting, seasoning, cutting, etc.
Other highlights of the mill are a Timber museum having historical photographs, wood artifacts and many other exhibits. There is also a gift shop in the mill premises selling wooden items. There is a memorial to commemorate 125 years of forestry. This was erected in 2009. There is also a Bomb pit created by a Japanese bomb dropped in 2002 (which we did not visit).
After Chatham Saw Mills visit, the final destination for the day was Chidiya Tapu. A beach about 30 km from Port Blair and a place famous for the best Sunset around Port Blair. Chidiya Tapu also is the start point for Munda Pahad trek, which is a whole day affair.
There are few Playground equipment available for Children, There are also few uprooted trees with massive roots laying around and also a huge hollow tree for passing through its trunk. After enjoying in the children area (don't laugh, we all have a child inside us) we did some more Monkey Tricks on trunks of fallen trees.
After all this, it was time for The Sunset. Sunset was obliviously fabulous and we enjoyed it.
After sunset, it was a drive back to Port Blair, have dinner and sleep. Early sleeping was vital as we had to go to visit and we had to start early morning (really early) at 0300 hrs.
On this day our schedule was visiting Ross Island, the oldest penal settlement, and seat of Andaman's British Administration of British India (Till Cellular Jail was built) and Chidiya Tapu Beach.
Starting the day peacefully, we got ready and reached Water Sports Jetty (the same one which we had used earlier to go to North Bay island) which happens to be right opposite Ross Island. This time we had time in hand. We decided to use it to explore the Jetty and do photography. First important landmark we stumbled upon was Sunami Memorial. It is a memorial built to honour those who got killed in Dec 2004 Sunami.
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| In Remembrance of those who died in Tsunami |
After visiting this memorial, we went to jetty and we both young couples decided to do little more photography.
 |
| On the Water Sports Jetty |
We got into the boat around 0930and by 0950 we were at Ross Island. Ross Island is under the administrative control of the India Navy which maintains a very small detachment of sailors on the island for administrative duties.
 |
| Arrived at Ross |
Ross is where first British formal settlement was built by prisoners. Once the settlement was built the prisoners were transferred to Viper Island (Viper was the name of the British ship that got the first batch of Prisoners to Andamans).
Ross island was what a best small city could be. Chief Commissioner's Bungalow, other bungalows, accommodation for subordinate staff, A Church, Bakery, clubs, Tennis courts and above all a heated swimming pool, all this is in the era of around 1857 and thereafter. It was known as Paris of the east (should have been called little Paris though). While the jail moved from Viper to Ross to Cellular Jail, Ross remained administrative HQ till 1941 when an earth quack struck that area and damaged the buildings, after which people started abandoning that place.
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| Vegetation has taken over a Building |
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| Old Boilers for Feeding the Swimming Pool |
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| Deer for the Company |
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| Renovated Bakery |
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| Coconut trees |
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| Subordinate's Club |
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| Introduction to Church |
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| Stairway to Church |
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| Church Must Have been Majestic, once upon a time |
A visit to Ross really makes one feel the opulence with which the British lived at Ross. I guess many thousand miles away from their home and many hundred miles away from the main land India, they had to create a haven for themselves.
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| Stairway to Commissioner's Bungalow |
After visiting Ross, we returned to Jetty and took our boat back to Water Sports Jetty. After a quick lunch at Port Blair, since we had time, we went to visit Chatham Saw Mill. A saw mill established by British in 1883, it is Asia's oldest and biggest saw mill processing the abundant timber of various types that gets produced by forests of Andaman & Nicobar. This mill can process over 18000 logs per year if work is carried out in three shifts. The mill has various sections for sorting, seasoning, cutting, etc.
Other highlights of the mill are a Timber museum having historical photographs, wood artifacts and many other exhibits. There is also a gift shop in the mill premises selling wooden items. There is a memorial to commemorate 125 years of forestry. This was erected in 2009. There is also a Bomb pit created by a Japanese bomb dropped in 2002 (which we did not visit).
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| Timber Museum, Off cuts and Furniture |
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| Timber Museum |
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| One More View |
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| Forestry Memorial |
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| Log Processing Section |
After Chatham Saw Mills visit, the final destination for the day was Chidiya Tapu. A beach about 30 km from Port Blair and a place famous for the best Sunset around Port Blair. Chidiya Tapu also is the start point for Munda Pahad trek, which is a whole day affair.
There are few Playground equipment available for Children, There are also few uprooted trees with massive roots laying around and also a huge hollow tree for passing through its trunk. After enjoying in the children area (don't laugh, we all have a child inside us) we did some more Monkey Tricks on trunks of fallen trees.
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| Entry to Chidiya Tapu |
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| Way to Hallowed Log |
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| Let me Crawl |
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| Trying my Hand on Horse Riding on a Log |
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| Hanging on to the (Massive) Roots |
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| Stunts with the Roots 1 |
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| One More |
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| Man hi Nahi Bharata |
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| I am Happy Here |
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| Starting to Set |
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| Going |
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| Cloud is Spoil Sport |
After sunset, it was a drive back to Port Blair, have dinner and sleep. Early sleeping was vital as we had to go to visit and we had to start early morning (really early) at 0300 hrs.
Lovely post..
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