Jail at Viper Island at Andaman Islands

– A Forgotten Chapter of Colonial Punishment

Before the construction of the Cellular Jail, this small island served as the first penal settlement established by the British in the Andaman Islands. The Viper Island Jail, completed in 1867, was used to confine prisoners and convicts under harsh and often brutal conditions. Though smaller in scale, Viper Island Jail became infamous for its use of chain gangs, public flogging, and executions, including the gallows that once stood at its summit.

Today, the remnants of the jail and gallows lie in ruins, overgrown by vegetation and surrounded by views of the calm sea, creating a striking contrast between the island’s natural beauty and its grim past. Unlike the larger and more structured Cellular Jail, Viper Island unveils an unfiltered and raw glimpse into the early days of colonial punishment in the archipelago. The sense of isolation here is powerful, echoing the experience of the prisoners who were banished to this lonely outpost.

The gallows site at the top offers panoramic views of the surrounding waters and a solemn reminder of those who once stood at its edge. Viper Island Jail is a place where history was both written and erased an essential point to understand the foundations of India’s penal legacy in the Andamans.