The motive of the Islands and the result of the East India Company arriving in the region, Initially built to hold captive the supporters and allied members of the Revolt of 1857, especially of the Maughal Royal family was later extended to hold the Political Prisoners of the Indian Freedom Struggle. The most famous prisoner to be held at the Cellular Jail was "Veer Savarkar". The Cellular jail was known for its infamous cruelty meted out to prisoners, made to toil under the extreme vagaries of nature without food and water alike, death for the prisoners was an easier option rather than a release or escape.
Torture was meted out to the Prisoners both physically and mentally, by making them to work for long hours on a hand driven oil extractor made of iron to extract coconut and mustard oil and mentally by meeting the prisoners with lashings and left in the open grounds of the prison and forcing the prisoners to watch the executions of their fellow mates.
Today a visitor can view the bell tower, gallows, the oil extractor and the same chair that was used by the prison warden.
Of the original seven wings of the Cellular Jail only three stands today as two were demolished by the Japanese during their occupation of the Islands and the other two were demolished to build a Hospital.
Dramatized days of the inmates of the Cellular Jail are expressed though a Sound & Light Show, which takes visitors through the excruciating days of the Prisoners of the Raj. The beauty of this Son et lumière show is that the views are expressed though a Banyan Tree which acts as the soul of the Cellular Jail. The show is presented in both Hindi and English.