Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep (Ross Island), Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram): History, highlights and visitor guide

History and context

The story behind Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep (Ross Island)

Ross Island served as the administrative headquarters of British rule in the Andaman Islands from 1858 to 1941, housing the chief commissioner's residence, a church, a bakery, printing press and social clubs for the colonial administration and its staff.

An earthquake in 1941 badly damaged the settlement, and the Japanese occupied the island during the Second World War from 1942 to 1945; after the war it was largely abandoned and left to the forest. The island was renamed Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep in December 2018 in honour of the Indian nationalist leader.

Useful facts

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep (Ross Island) facts at a glance

Location

A short ferry crossing from Aberdeen Jetty, Port Blair

Experience type

Ruined colonial settlement, now a walkable heritage site

Known for

Tree-root-covered ruins, free-roaming spotted deer, and 1858–1941 British administrative history

Architect/Built

Developed by British colonial administration from 1858; damaged 1941, occupied by Japan 1942–45

Time or schedule

Ferries run through the morning; sound-and-light show most evenings except Wednesday

Why it matters

Why Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep (Ross Island) is worth your time

For nearly a century, this small island rather than the mainland town was the seat of British power in the Andamans, complete with a church, a bakery, tennis courts and even a small printing press, giving it the nickname 'Paris of the East' among colonial residents. The 1941 earthquake damaged the buildings badly, and the Japanese occupation that followed a year later effectively ended its use, after which the jungle simply grew back through what was left.

Walking the ruins today says something the Cellular Jail's tidy, preserved wings do not: how completely the British administrative world here has been erased by time and climate. The renaming in 2018 also connects the island to Subhas Chandra Bose's 1943 visit to the Andamans, when he raised the Indian flag on island soil for the first time.

Highlights

What not to miss

1. 01

   The old church ruin

   Roofless walls with a giant tree growing through the nave; the most photographed spot on the island.

2. 02

   The chief commissioner's residence

   The largest of the ruined buildings, giving a sense of the scale of the old administrative headquarters.

3. 03

   Resident spotted deer

   A small population of deer moves freely across the island and is generally unbothered by visitors.

Plan your visit

How to experience it

Renamed Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep in 2018 but still commonly called Ross Island, this was the administrative and social headquarters of British rule in the Andamans from 1858 until a 1941 earthquake and the Japanese occupation of 1942 emptied it out. What remains is a scattering of roofless colonial buildings, the old church, the chief commissioner's residence, a bakery, a swimming pool, all half-swallowed by the roots of banyan and rubber trees that have grown straight through the brickwork.

A marked path loops around the main ruins, and it is an easy, unhurried walk rather than a demanding one; benches and shaded corners appear along the way, and the spotted deer that live on the island add an unexpected, gentle presence. A small on-site museum gives context to what you are looking at, useful if the ruins alone feel unlabelled.

Because the ferry to Ross Island departs from the same jetty as boats to North Bay Island, many visitors combine both in a single morning: ruins first while the day is cool, snorkelling or a glass-bottom boat afterwards. Confirm return boat times before you set off so you are not left waiting at the jetty.

Know before you go

Timing, access and comfort

Area

A short ferry ride from Aberdeen Jetty, Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex

Time needed

1.5 to 2 hours on the island, plus ferry time

Best time

Morning departures, when the light is softer and the island is less crowded

Walking level

Moderate

Senior comfort

Paths between the ruined buildings are mostly flat, packed earth or old paving, with some uneven ground near tree roots; there is little seating and limited shade in parts. The ferry ride itself is short but involves boarding from a jetty, which needs a steady step. Spotted deer wander freely and are generally calm around visitors.

Tickets and access

There is no separate entry fee for the island itself; you pay for the ferry crossing from Aberdeen Jetty. An evening sound-and-light show runs on most days except Wednesdays and is ticketed and timed separately, usually requiring a later boat.

Plan it with

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