21 | April | 2017 | LIFE AS A POTPOURRI !!!

~~ It feels good to be lost in the right direction ~~

Click by me (sometimes i manage to capture something nice)

Ross Island was discovered by Archibald Blair, a prominent hydrographer of the East India Company and later Governor General of India in the late 18th century. Ross Island once an administrative headquarter of the Britishers is just few miles from the Port Blair before the moved out from here to Port Blair due to the 1941’s earthquake.Until then the Britishers settled in the Ross Island with their families and all the basic amenities like Bakery, Church, Water Distillation plant, Hospital, swimming pool, tennis court etc was made available for the families.

This made it easier for the British officers to row down to Port Blair and monitor the construction of the Cellular Jail which is visible from the island. Also, the name of the island was given after Sir Daniel Ross, a known marine survivor of the days.

Currently the Indian Navy has rebuilt some of the remaining structures like the bakery to make these remain for a little more longer in the history. Below is an image of the Church in the 1940’s and now.

The Church back in 1940’s at Ross Island

This island has no settlement and only people who are put up here are the Indian Navy for security reasons. Tourists generally come here for 2 to 3 hours considering its one of the must visit place in your Andaman vacation travel, but if ask me it’s a place where you can spend a whole day and still not want to leave it.

The best part about this island is you can walk around the coastline and complete one full circle of the island spread over 70 acres:) while witnessing beautiful seascape, trees, birds, peacocks and deer up close which would be a breathtaking moment as it’s not possible in today’s city life where all you can see is buildings, malls and roads around you.

Since the island is right in the middle of the sea, one can experience cool wind breeze which is very refreshing.

The beach is very small in width on the other end, also if you notice every where boards are placed stating not to loiter the place.

One can explore all the remains of the British settlement and this might even surprise you that they had even built up tramlines. There is another theory which says there is a high possibility of a underground sea tunnel which was built from Ross Island to Port Blair. The exit point being under the huge Mahatma Gandhi Statue reading a book in the Gandhi Park.

The Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands occurred in 1942 during the WWII. The Japanese bunkers and cannon still stand as a memorial in this island.

A light and sound show similar to the one in Cellular Jail is shown from Monday to Sunday except on Wednesdays and Public Holidays. The show starts at 5.15 pm and one can take the 4 pm boat from the water sports complex in Port Blair and to reach the island after the 15 min boat ride.

North Bay Island as seen from Ross Island

Note for first timers – Do not expect any water sports activity here or restaurants except for a couple or two small tea shops run by the navy. Do carry your ID card because it would be registered in the log books of the Indian Navy. Because it is a remote island, please carry all essentials. You won’t find a shop.Do not visit the island without a watch on your hand, because you can be mesmerized by the beauty of the island and easily miss your ferry back 🙂 🙂 🙂

Ross Island by far is my favorite place/island ( 😉 ) of all the islands in Andaman and Nicobar and surprisingly this island does not have a beach. Yes! Now you may wonder how come an island does not have a beach secondly why would a place without a beach be my favorite even though there are other beautiful places like the Radhanagar beach or the Neil Island. And I totally agree, it’s a fair question.

My top five reasons why I love the Ross Island are

It’s just 15 to 20 minute boat ride from Port Blair and hence the most visited island. Also it’s called the gateway of Port Blair as its present right in the middle of the open ocean.
These islands have super friendly deers that come close to you (reminder: Feeding these deers is a punishable offense)
If lucky you would end up seeing a couple or more peacocks. As a kid when there were not much tourists visiting these islands, I remember looking for peacock feathers fallen on the ground and would always be lucky to get at least one.
The old printing press
These islands are picturesque even more because of it ruined architecture. The old remains of the British settlement now standing with the support of banyan trees and nature taking over the creation of man engulfing all of it on its own. This island definitely makes you feel nostalgic.
The best part side of the island is the back side the one which faces to the open ocean. Earlier when people used to visit these islands for picnic they would settle down almost near the port side and have fun but my family always used to walk down to the other side. A 10 minute walk and the other side of these islands is open. Before Tsunami there was a small stretch of beach where we would spread our mats and sit and have fun but post Tsunami, the beach got sinked. It was because of Ross Island that the Capital city, Port Blair was saved from one of history’s tragic earthquake and tsunami, the water waves which were almost 10-15 meters in height got divided into two directions once it hit the Ross Island. The damage done was the submersion of the small peaceful beach on this opposite side I am talking. Now It’s just few rocks and then directly the open ocean.

So yeah there you go, all the reasons why I love this island. And all my reasons justified in these images you saw so far. I must tell you this is one island when you won’t stop clicking pictures 🙂