Geographical Prominence and the Mount Manipur Historic Renaming
Rising majestically to an elevation of 383 metres (1,257 feet) above the glistening waters of Port Blair harbor, Mount Manipur—historically designated as Mount Harriet—stands as the highest mountain peak and the most extensive contiguous tract of protected tropical rainforest in South Andaman. The national park spans 46.62 square kilometres of rugged mountainous terrain characterized by steep forested slopes, perennial freshwater streams, and mist-shrouded ridges that overlook the surrounding archipelago.
In October 2021, the Government of India officially renamed Mount Harriet to *Mount Manipur* in a historic tribute to the heroic freedom fighters of Manipur. Following the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, the Maharaja of Manipur, Kulachandra Singh, and twenty-two of his noble courtiers were convicted of rebellion against the British Crown and deported to the Andaman penal settlement. The Manipuri royals were interned in exile at Mount Harriet, and the renaming immortalizes their brave anti-colonial resistance within the national landscape.
Mount Manipur National Park is open daily from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Entry permits cost ₹50 for Indian nationals, ₹500 for foreign citizens, and ₹25 for cameras. Visitors can reach the park from Port Blair either via a 15-minute vehicle ferry from Chatham Jetty to Bambooflat followed by a 10 km uphill drive, or via a scenic 55 km road journey around the harbor. Trekking beyond the summit to Kalapathar requires registration at the forest checkpost.
Colonial Summer Retreat and the Iconic 20-Rupee Currency Note View
During the British colonial era, Mount Harriet served as the favored summer hill retreat for British chief commissioners and senior penal settlement officials seeking refuge from the heat and malaria of Port Blair. The mountain was named after Harriet Tytler, an accomplished British artist, photographer, and wife of Robert Christopher Tytler, the Superintendent of the Convict Settlement in the early 1860s. The summit still features a charming colonial-style forest rest house surrounded by terraced gardens and towering Araucaria pines.
Mount Manipur holds an iconic place in Indian public consciousness as the viewpoint depicted on the reverse of the historical Indian twenty-rupee currency note (Mahatma Gandhi series). From the designated viewpoint pavilion on the peak, visitors gaze out across the azure waters of the harbor toward North Bay Island, where the red-and-white striped lighthouse stands perched against the emerald coastline—an exact, living recreation of the engraved currency artwork.
Dense Rainforest Trekking Trails and the Kalapathar Route
For trekking enthusiasts, Mount Manipur National Park offers some of the most rewarding wilderness hiking experiences in the Andaman Islands. The premier trekking route is the exhilarating sixteen-kilometre wilderness trail connecting the peak of Mount Manipur to Kalapathar along the spine of the mountain ridge. The trail meanders beneath an immense cathedral of primary evergreen rainforest dominated by giant dipterocarps, padauk trees, wild cinnamon, and epiphytic bird's-nest ferns clinging to towering trunks.
The journey through the deep rainforest is an acoustic and sensory marvel. The forest air is crisp and fragrant with wet humus and aromatic tropical foliage. Trekkers pass ancient moss-covered rock outcrops, cross gurgling streams, and emerge at periodic cliff openings that reveal dramatic drop-offs tumbling directly into the sea. The trek takes approximately four to five hours and requires moderate physical endurance, sturdy footwear, and ample drinking water.
During the monsoon and early post-monsoon months (June through November), the damp evergreen rainforest trails of Mount Manipur are home to ground leeches (*Haemadipsa*). Trekkers should wear closed hiking shoes, tuck trousers into socks, and apply salt or eucalyptus spray. Stay on marked paths to avoid sudden steep drop-offs along the eastern ridge overlooking the open sea.
Exceptional Avian Biodiversity and Endemic Wildlife Sanctuaries
The dense, multi-tiered canopy of Mount Manipur supports an extraordinary concentration of endemic insular wildlife. The national park is recognized by BirdLife International as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). Avian enthusiasts routinely observe the endemic Andaman wood pigeon (*Columba palumboides*), the Andaman coucal, the Andaman scops owl (*Otus balli*), the white-headed starling, and the vibrant Andaman day gecko clinging to broad tree leaves.
The forest floor and leaf litter provide habitat for the endangered Andaman wild pig (*Sus scrofa andamanensis*), robber crabs (coconut crabs) wandering near coastal margins, and numerous rare butterflies, including the Andaman birdwing (*Troides helena ferrari*), one of the largest butterflies in South Asia. The park also protects endemic amphibian species, such as the Andaman tree frog, whose melodic croaking echoes through damp ravines during evening hours.
Transportation Logistics, Ferry Crossings, and Planning Tips
Visiting Mount Manipur National Park is an accessible full-day or half-day excursion from Port Blair. The most atmospheric and efficient transit route is to take a passenger and vehicle ferry from Chatham Jetty across the harbor to Bambooflat Jetty, a breezy fifteen-minute voyage. From Bambooflat, hired jeeps, taxis, or rented scooters climb the winding, scenic ten-kilometre asphalt road that snakes through quiet hillside villages and rubber estates up to the park entrance gate.
Alternatively, travelers who prefer not to use the ferry can drive entirely by road via Ferrargunj, covering a distance of approximately fifty-five kilometres around the northern arm of the harbor. The summit complex features manicured flower gardens, picnic gazebos, clean restroom facilities, and a small cafeteria serving tea and snacks. Mount Manipur is at its absolute finest from October through May, when clear skies provide sweeping views stretching all the way to Havelock Island on the distant northeastern horizon.
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