Region: South Asia
Area Total:
3,287,240km
2
Coast Line: Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Bay of
Bengal
Capital: New Delhi
LAKSHADWEEP
(
Laccadive Islands)
Capital :
KAVARATTI
Area :
32
sq km
Population
:
60,595
(2001
Census)
Languages :
Malayalam,JeseriandMahl
Lakshadweepalso
known as theLaccadive Islandsis a group of islands in theLaccadive Sea,
scattered around 200 to 300km off the coast of theSouth West Indianstate
ofKerala.Out of these islands, only ten are inhabited and they are
Andrott, Amini, Agatti, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmath, Kalpeni, Kavaratti, Kiltan and Minicoy. Lakshadweep is the northern part of the
erstwhileLakshadweepa.
These islands form
the smallest of the Union Territories of India, and are the country's only
coral islands. The main islands are Kavaratti, Minicoy, and Amini.
Kavaratti is the headquarters of these islands, while Bitra is the
smallest of all, with a nominal population. About 93 percent of the people
in Lakshadweep are the Shafi school Muslims of the Sunni sect, and they
speak Malayalam
.
Lakshadweep, comes
from
Lakshadweepa
, which literally means one hundred thousand
(laksha) islands (dweepa) inSanskrit. It is the least populous Union Territory of India
HISTORY
The earliest
references to the islands is made inPuranuruas part of the ancient Tamil
(Dravida) country,Tamilakam. Little else is known about the early history
of the Lakshadweep islands. There are references to the control of the
islands by theCherasin theSangam literaturePathitruppaththu.
APallavainscription of 7th century AD refers to the islands as Dveepa Laksham and lists them as part of the Pallava domain. The oldest inhabited
islands in the group areAmini,Andrott,KavarattiandAgatti. It was earlier
believed that the Lakshadweep islanders were originallyHinduswho later
converted toIslamin the 14th century. However, recent archaeological evidence has established thatBuddhistsettlements had existed in the islands as early as the 6th or 7th century.
According to
popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep by an Arab
namedUbaidullain 41AH(661 AD). His grave is located in the island
ofAndrott. Muslim grave stones dated to 139 AH (756 AD) have also been
discovered here. During the 11th century, the islands came under the rule
of the LateCholas.
In the 17th
century, the islands came under the rule ofAli Rajahs/Arakkal Bheevi ofKannur, who received them as a gift from theKolathiris. The Portuguese
took control to exploitcoirproduction until the islanders expelled the
Portuguese. The islands are also mentioned in great detail in the stories
of theArabtravellerIbn Batuta.
Kadmat Island -
Lakshadweep
The Amindivi group
of islands (Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat and Bitra) came under the rule
ofTipu Sultanin 1787. They passed to British control after theThird Anglo-Mysore Warand were attached toSouth Canara. The rest of the islands
came under thesuzeraintyof theArakkal familyofCannanorein return for a
payment of annual tribute. After a while, the British took over the administration of those islands for non-payment of arrears. These islands
were attached to theMalabar districtof theMadras Presidency.
Minikoy in
Lakshadweep
In 1956, despite
the fact that most of the Islanders were Malayalis, theStates
Reorganisation Actseparated these islands from the mainland administrative
units, forming a new union territory by combining all the
islands.
GEOGRAPHY
Lakshadweep
comprises twelveatolls, threereefsand five submergedbanks, with a total of
about thirty-six islands and islets. The reefs are in fact also atolls,
although mostly submerged, with only small unvegetated sand cays above the
high water mark. The submerged banks are sunken atolls. Almost all the
atolls have a northeast-southwest orientation with the islands lying on
the eastern rim, and a mostly submerged reef on the western rim, enclosing
a lagoon.
Boat on the blue
waters of Lakshadweep
The main islands
are Kavaratti (where the capital city,Kavaratti, is
located),Agatti,Minicoy, andAmini. The total population of the territory
was 60,595 according to the2001 census. Agatti has an airport where there
are direct flights fromKochi, Kerala or Ernakulam (Cochin). Tourists need
apermitto visit the islands; foreign nationals are not permitted to visit
certain islands. Consumption of alcohol is not permitted in the islands
except on Bangaram Island.
Agatti Beach
Resort
Lakshadweep
forms a singleIndian districtand is governed by an administrator appointed
by the central government of India. The union territory comes under the
jurisdiction of theKerala High CourtatErnakulam. The territory elects one
member to theLok Sabha(lower house of theParliament of India). There is no
local government at the moment but the administration plans to introduce a
two-tiered system based on the Panchayati raj. There will be ten island
councils for the inhabited islands (with a total of 79
members).
The people of all
the northern islands speak adialectofMalayalam. According to local folk
beliefs, they descended from traders who were washed up on the islands
during a particularly heavy storm. However, the people ofMinicoy, the southernmost atoll, speakMahl, a variant ofDivehi languagespoken in theMaldives.
The islanders are
ethnically similar to coastal Kerala'sMalayali people, and were influenced
byArabtraders. Inhabitants ofMinicoy, the southernmost and second largest
island, are ethnicallyDhivehisnative to theMaldives. This group of
Dhivehis form a subgroup of Dhivehis, sometimes referred by the nameMahls.
Most of the indigenous population isMuslim. The locals of all the islands
except Minicoy call themselves theDiv-ior theAminidivi("from the mother
island"). Lakshadweep's ethnic groups can be classified as 84.33%Malayali,
and 15.67%Dhivehi.
Agriculture:
Coconut is the
main crop cultivated in the islands. Lakshadweep is India's largest producer of coconuts.
About
2,598hectares are under coconut cultivation and the productivity per hectare is 22,310. Coconuts cultivated in the Lakshadweep are also rich in
coconut oil.
Coral Reef in
Lakshadweep
Agatti Aerodromeon
Agatti Island is currently the only airport in Lakshadweep.Indian
Airlines, the state-owned carrier, serves Agatti and flies toKochion the
mainland.
Also, from April
2007, a private carrier, Kingfisher Airlines, has commenced flights to and
from Agatti. Kingfisher connects Kochi and Bangalore to Agatti. The other
islands are linked byhelicopteror boat service.
One of the uninhabited islands in
Lakshadweep
A beach side resort at Kadmat Island, Lakshadweep
A BEACH AT KAVRATTI
Agatti Aerodromeon
Agatti Island is currently the only airport in Lakshadweep.Indian
Airlines, the state-owned carrier, serves Agatti and flies toKochion the
mainland.
Agatti
Airport
Also, from April
2007, a private carrier, Kingfisher Airlines, has commenced flights to and
from Agatti. Kingfisher connects Kochi and Bangalore to Agatti. The other
islands are linked byhelicopteror boat service.
A Passenger
Ship at old mangalore port scheduled for Lakshawdeep
Ships are the
major means of transportation for the islanders. Ships are operated from
eitherKochi (Kerala)or Beypore (Calicut-Kerala). There are around 5 passenger ships, but generally only two at a time operate. Advance bookings are required.
MV Kavaratti
Passenger ship
Sailing schedules
are arranged so that each island gets priority at some time of the year.
There are vessels operating between some of the larger islands
likeKavaratti, Androth, Kalpeni etc., but sailings are affected by weather
conditions.
Specialty of
Lakshadweep
The main
thing that has made the world sit up and take notice of Lakshadweep is the
possibility of adventure sports in this tropical paradise. Adventure enthusiasts from all over the world are coming to Lakshadweep to get a
taste of water sports here.
One can
experience water sports in many parts of India, but it is the presence of
coral reefs that sets Lakshadweep apart from the rest. Under the crystal
blue water, lies a kingdom with the most enchanting color combinations
possible. Scuba diving and snorkeling are the two most indulged in
activities in Lakshadweep. Swimming alongside schools of fishes and amidst
the living corals is an experience beyond words. Tourists also like to
indulge in angling and surfing.
Scuba Dive
in Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep
is one place that still remains exactly the same way man found it. And the
tourism department wishes to keep it unchanged. That is why out of the 36
islets, only 6 has been thrown open for tourism and only three to
non-Indians. The number of tourists allowed on an island at a time is restricted.
Water sport "Kayaking" of
Lakshadweep
There are cruises to all the other islands from
Kochi as well as Agatti. There is a helicopter service as well to Bangaram
from Agatti.
Not many places in the world come close to the aura
and charm possessed by the islands in Lakshadweep. No wonder they are considered among the best holiday destinations in the
world.
The empty white sand beaches and the silence of the
nights embedded with the sound of dancing waves prove to be a perfect setting for a quite vacation. And the possibility of enjoying water sports
for as long as one wishes to makes Lakshadweep an irresistible destination
for family and adventure vacations.
