Union Home Ministry renames Port Blair as Sri Vijaya Puram

In continuation of its policy of removing the colonial imprint from the country, the government of India has renamed the capital city of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar to Sri Vijaya Puram from Port Blair. 

This was announced by the Union Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cooperation, Amit Shah, on 13 September 2024 on his social media X handle.

Sri Vijaya Puram is located on South Andaman Island, part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 

In India, the name of a city, town, railway station, etc., is changed only after the approval of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. However, before the Home Ministry gives its approval, it consults the Geographical Survey of India, the Department of Post, and the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram 

• The British named Port Blair after a British colonial Navy official, Captain Archibald Blair. In 1788, the East India Company appointed Captain Blair to survey the Andaman Islands and the Chagos Archipelago. Captain Archibald Blair arrived in Andaman in 1789.
• The new name Sri Vijaya Puram has been inspired by the Sri Vijaya Empire, which flourished between the 7th and 13th centuries AD in Southeast Asia (present-day Indonesia). It was a powerful Buddhist maritime empire with links to India.
• Andaman was also once the naval base of the Chola Empire.
• The name has been changed to reflect the role and importance of the Andaman and Nicobar in India’s freedom struggle. 

Importance of Andaman and Nicobar in freedom struggle 

• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Supreme Commander of the Azad Hind Fauz, hoisted the Indian national flag in Port Blair on 30 December 1943 and declared its Independence from the British.
• Andaman &Nicobar also has a three-storey Cellular jail, which was constructed in 1906 to imprison Indian freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar. It is also famous as Kaala Pani.

Renaming of Islands in Andaman and Nicobar 

• During the visit of Prime Minister Nardenra Modi to the Andaman Nicobar in June 2018 the name of the major islands were changed . 
• Ross Islands was renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep, Neil Island  was renamed as Shaheed Dweep and Havelock Island renamed as Swaraj Dweep.
• Again on 23 January 2023, on the occasion of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose birthday, which is celebrated as Parakram Diwas, the government of India renamed 21 largest unnamed islands of Andaman & Nicobar Islands after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardee.

About Andaman and Nicobar Islands 

Andaman and Nicobar islands is an archipelago consisting of 836 islands/Islets/Rocky Outcrops of which 213 are inhabited.

It lies in the Indian ocean and comprises two island groups  - the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands.

The Andman islands are separated from the Nicobar islands by 10° North latitude .

The total area of the Andaman Islands is 6,408 sq.km  and Nicobar Islands is 1,841 sq. km.

It became an Union Territory in 1956. 

Lieutenant Governor : Devendra Kumar Joshi 

Capital :Sri Vijaya Puram