The jail stands a symbol of colonial oppression, cruelty and untold suffering.
The first prisoners were tied three-at-a-time to a wheel which operated a pestle for crushing oilseeds.
The prisoners were required to crush thirty pounds of coconut and mustard oil each day.
Being unable to meet the quota would result in severe punishment shackling and flogging.
There are no records of how many died or were executed.
Shortly after the rebellion was suppressed, the British executed many rebels.
Those who survived were exiled for life to the Andamans to prevent them re-offending.
The remote islands were considered to be a suitable place to punish the rebels.
By the late 19th century the independence movement had picked up momentum.
Construction of the prison started in 1896 and was completed in 1906.
Each wing is three storey high and radiated out of the central tower like the spokes of a wheel.
This way, communication between prisoners was impossible.
There were no dormitories and a total of 693 cells.
The building was demolished after India gained independence and only three wings remain today.
In 1969, the complex was declared a national memorial monument.
