Port Blair Renamed as Sri Vijaya Puram: How the City Got Its Name — and Its Connection with Imperial Cholas
Indian Express

Context

Port Blair, the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, will now be known as ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’, Union Minister Amit Shah announced recently.

Port Blair

• About: The capital city and the entry point of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was originally named after Archibald Blair, a naval surveyor and lieutenant in the Bombay Marine.
• Location: Situated on the east coast of the South Andaman Island.
• Significance: It is renowned for hosting the first unfurling of the Tiranga by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Connection with the Imperial Cholas and Srivijaya

• A Naval Base: Historically, the Andaman Islands served as a strategic naval base for the Chola emperor Rajendra I in the 11th century. It was used to launch an attack on Srivijaya, an ancient maritime empire located in present-day Indonesia.
• Thanjavur Inscription (1050 CE):
  • The inscription refers to the island as Ma-Nakkavaram (meaning "great open/naked land").
  • This may have influenced the British to name the area Nicobar, derived from Nakkavaram.

Historical Significance

• The renaming of Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram acknowledges its historical connection with the powerful Chola dynasty and highlights the strategic importance of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in ancient times, reflecting its naval history and geopolitical importance.