Ross Island Prison Ruins

Ross Island served as the British "Paris of the East" for penal officers while Indian freedom fighters suffered across the water at Cellular Jail. Ballrooms, bakeries, and a church fell to roots and rats after the 1941 quake, and Japanese bunkers from the occupation still scar the jungle.

Deer now graze among headless statues and vine-choked officers' quarters. Sound-and-light shows recount the penal era, and visitors often report an odd hush despite the tropical birds — as if the island remembers its dual life of luxury and exile.

Reachable by short ferry from Port Blair with daylight visiting hours only; swimming is prohibited due to currents and debris.