Ross Island

Ross Island offers a glimpse of colonial rule in the Andaman Islands. Well, whoever thought they might have to go all the way to France to witness Paris, was clearly in the wrong! They didn’t know of Ross Island a.k.a. Paris of the East.

Ross Island was the seat of imperial power and administrative headquaters in those days. It is said that on one night, when electricity came to Ross Island for the first time, and all its structures – the bungalows, the ballroom, the church, the printing press- lit up, and someone saw the mesmerizing view and termed it Paris of the East. Today, it is a magnificent ruin of a time.

Fast forward to World War 2, when the Japanese pillaged the Andaman Islands and turned it into ruin. And now the stories there seem to be buried under the rubble. One thing to do is to hire a local guide to dig them out. Or attend the light and sound show, along with the Ross Island Museum to experience the full scope of the land.