The history of the Andaman Islands as a penal colony dates back much further than the Cellular Jail itself. In the immediate aftermath of the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, the British Empire needed a remote, inescapable location to exile captured rebels and intellectuals.

Construction of the Cellular Jail began in 1896 and was completed in 1906. The pucca maroon bricks were brought all the way from Burma. The jail was specifically designed to ensure that political prisoners could never communicate or plan uprisings.

Based on the "Panopticon" model conceptualized by philosopher Jeremy Bentham, the jail was built to keep prisoners in constant paranoia. It originally consisted of seven three-story wings radiating outwards from a central watchtower.

There were no dormitories. The prison contained 693 individual cells. The front of one wing faced the back of another, meaning total isolation. Today, only three wings remain standing after parts were damaged in earthquakes or demolished.

As the sun sets over the Andaman Sea, the silent courtyard transforms into an emotional theatrical stage. The Son-et-Lumiere is widely considered one of the best historical shows in India. Narrated from the perspective of the ancient Peepal tree (voiced by the legendary late actor Om Puri in the Hindi version), the show breathes life into the tragic tales of the martyrs.