❖ Port Blair, the capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, will now be known as ‘Sri Vijaya Puram’.

❖ The city of Port Blair is the entry point of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

❖ It was named after Archibald Blair, a naval surveyor and lieutenant in the Bombay Marine.

❖ Blair was the first officer to carry out a thorough survey of the Andaman Islands.

❖ After joining the Bombay Marine in 1771, Blair set out on a survey mission along the coasts of India, Iran, and Arabia next year.

❖ In December 1778, Blair left for his first surveying voyage to the Andamans from Calcutta, along with two ships, Elizabeth and Viper.

❖ Historical records suggest that the Andaman Islands were used as a strategic naval base by the 11th century Chola emperor, Rajendra I.

❖ It was used to carry out an attack on Srivijaya, which is in present day Indonesia.

❖ As per an inscription found at Thanjavur dated to 1050 CE, the Cholas referred to the island as Ma-Nakkavaram land, which possibly led to the modern name of Nicobar under the British