Destination India: Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Seascape
Originally uploaded by Venkatesh k.

Port Blair, founded by the British in 1858, has a population of 100,000 people. It is the largest town in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Port Blair is also the capital of this union territory of India. The town is named after Archibald Blair of the British East India Company, who founded a nearby Penal Colony in 1789.

Port Blair was impacted by 2004 Tsunami but survived enough to act as a base for relief efforts in the islands. The town is a port, with ferries sailing to mainland India. Vir Savarkar Airport is situated in the city and is serviced by Indian Airlines and Jet Airways.

About Me

India has always fascinated me for different reasons. The vastness of its culture, the diversity of people’s opinions and the limitations of its vision. Despite our diversity, we need to have a collective vision. India is not a country of four metropolis or a couple of high-tech cities. This nation of a billion people has 29 states and 6 union territories. We have 35 state and territorial capitals. How much do we know about each of these important cities?

Professionally I am a graphic designer from Bombay, India. In 1987, I co-authored a book on Corporate India, but my desire to throw a wider net and pick up much more information remains intact. I want my people from every city and every state to write and photograph details and information that would be interesting to the viewers around the world. We have so much to talk about and so much to share - this medium and this technology can help fulfill our collective dreams.