Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep (;
Malayalam: ലക്ഷദ്വീപ്, []) is the smallest
union territory of
India. Located in the
Arabian Sea, it consists of twelve
coral atolls, three coral
reefs, five
banks, and numerous
islets that lie between 200–300 km off the coast of
Kerala. The total land area of the territory is 32 km². Eleven of the islands are inhabited. Lakshadweep is the northern part of the erstwhile Old
Lakshadweepa.
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One of the uninhabited islands in Lakshadweep |
The inhabited islands are:
*
Agatti*
Amini*
Andrott*
Bangaram*
Bitra*
Chetlat*
Kadmat*
Kalpeni*
Kavaratti*
Kiltan*
MinicoyThe main islands are Kavaratti (where the capital city,
Kavaratti, is located), Agatti, Minicoy, and Amini. The total population of the territory was 60,595 according to the
2001 census. Agatti has an airport where there are direct flights from
Kochi, Kerala. Tourists may need a
permit to visit the islands; foreign nationals are not permitted to visit certain islands.
The name of the
archipelago literally translates as "hundred thousand islands" (
laksha = "one hundred thousand",
dweep = "island"). Until 1973, the island group was known by the
anglicised name
Laccadives (compare to
Maldives and
Suvadives) although the term Laccadives strictly only applies to central Lakshdweep with the northern
Amindivi Islands and
Minicoy to the south considered separate. This is reflected in the pre-1973 name of the union territory,
Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands (Malayalam: ലക്ഷദ്വീപ്, മിനിക്കോയ്, അമന്തീവ []).
The people of the islands speak a dialect of
Malayalam. It is a folk belief that they are descendants of traders who where washed up on the islands during a particularly heavy storm.
The people of the islands are ethnically similar to the people of the
Kerala coast of India and are of mixed Indian and
Arab descent, except on the southernmost and largest island,
Minicoy, where people closely resemble
Maldivians, speak
Mahl, a language closely related to
Dhivehi (Maldivian) which could even be a dialect. 93% of the indigenous population is
Muslim and were converted by the Arab traders. The locals call themselves the Div-i or the Amadivi (from the mother island).The best way to reach Lakshadweep is to take a direct flight from Ernakulam (Cochin) or except in Monsoon (Rainy) Season take a sea route.
The first westerner on the islands was
Vasco da Gama, but the
English were the first to explore the islands. They are also mentioned in great detail in the stories of the Arab traveller,
Ibn Batuta. The
Portuguese established a fort on the islands in May 1498, but the inhabitants rose up against them and chased them away. The Amindivi group of islands (Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat and Bitra) came under the rule of
Tipu Sultan in 1787. They passed on to British control after the
Third Anglo-Mysore War and were attached to the South Canara district. The rest of the islands became a
suzerainty of the
Chirakkal family of
Cannanore in 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 the
Malabar district of the
Madras Presidency. In 1956, the
States Reorganisation Act separated these islands from the mainland administrative units, forming a new union territory by combining all the islands.
The union territory is administered by an administrator appointed by India's central government. Lakshadweep is under the jurisdiction of the
Kerala High Court at
Ernakulam.
Lakshadweep's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $60 million at current prices.
Because of its isolation and scenic beauty, Lakshadweep is emerging as a great tourist attraction for Indians. This brings in a good amount of revenue, which is likely to increase. Since such a small region cannot support industries, the government is actively promoting tourism as a means of income.
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Indian Reef Region " Lakshadweep Islands*
Official Site for Lakshadweep Islands*
Beautiful Photographs of the Lakshadweep Islands
