Historic Cellular jail's "Light and Sound" show runs houseful

Port Blair, Oct 20 (UNI) The famous ''Light and Sound'' show in Andaman's historic Cellular Jail is running houseful this season forcing the administration to increase the number of shows.

The show, which started in 1989 depicting the pain and sufferings of martyrs and atrocities of the British regime, is leaving hundreds of tourists spellbound.

''The show was designed for only 300 audiences but due to heavy rush at present more than 700 tourists are being accommodated in almost all the shows daily. People are even ready to stand and watch the show,'' said Rashida Iqbal, the Curator of Cellular Jail, a national memorial.

The sea of tourists had also forced the administration to increase the number of shows per day and for every such show more than double chairs had to be arranged.

The one-hour light and sound show, has actor Om Puri's voice as a major attraction. Other things, which leave everyone speechless, are an old banyan tree and the gallows, which actually tell the story of Cellular Jail and its martyrs to the audience with the help of light and sound effects.

The show, arranged right at the central lobby of Cellular jail's two out of three remaining wings, had been witnessed and appreciated by almost all the VVIPs and dignitaries visiting these lush green islands.

''There was more demand for the hindi version of the show than the english version and the administration has increased the number of hindi show,'' said the Curator.

Cellular Jail, located at Port Blair, stood mute witness to the torture meted out to the freedom fighters, who were incarcerated in this jail, completed in 1906, and acquired the name ''Cellular'' because it is entirely made up of individual cells for the solitary confinement of the prisoners.

It originally was a seven-pronged, puce-coloured building with central tower acting as its fulcrum and a massive structure comprising honeycomb-like corridors. The building was subsequently damaged and presently three out of the seven prongs are intact.

The jail, now a place of pilgrimage for all freedom loving people, had been declared a National Memorial.

''There is no publicity regarding this show in any part of our country even though I feel this show can defeat any hit Bollywood masala movie because of its heart rending presentation,'' said Dehrain Mallick, a tourist from West Bengal, after witnessing the show.

There was also a plan to arrange another ''Light and Sound'' show at historic Viper island of Andaman, having gallows made for only women prisoners by British forces.

The work had almost been finished in 2004 but the project was crushed by tsunami waves in December, 2004.

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