St Mary's Island, Karnataka
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| ?St. Mary's Isles ಸಂತ ಮೇರಿಯ ದ್ವೀಪಗಳು Karnataka • India |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area | - km² (Expression error: Unexpected round operator sq mi) |
| District(s) | Udupi |
| Population • Density |
- (-) • - /km² (Expression error: Unexpected * operator /sq mi) |
St. Mary's Isles (Kannada : ಸಂತ ಮೇರಿಯ ದ್ವೀಪಗಳು) (popularly called as St. Mary's Island) is a set of small islands in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Malpe in the Udupi district of the state of Karnataka, India.
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[edit] History
Supposedly in the year 1498, Vasco Da Gama landed here on his voyage from Portugal to India and named one of these islands El Padron de Santa Maria. It is from this name that the islands have got their current name.[1]
[edit] Geography
These islands are just rock projections arising out of the sea near Malpe. The northern most island is about a square mile in area and not more than 250 yards in width. It has a coconut plantation. The major attraction of these islands are the basalt rocks which have crystallized into whole columns and split into a horizontal mosaic. Apparently, these rocks have been formed due to a volcanic explosion in which the lava flowed in a peculiar fashion called as laminar flow creating these polygonal shapes. Considering the importance and rairty of such an occurrence, these islands have been classified as a National Geological Monument by the Geological Survey of India.[1] The Western coast of these islands are a seashell haven with seashells of various shapes and sizes littered along the coast.
[edit] Getting there
The only way of getting to these islands is by boat. Regular boats ply from the Malpe Harbour to these islands. The frequency of these boats may vary depending on the amount of tourists available.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Ganesh Prabhu. A beach and an island to relax on. Online Webpage of The Hindu, dated 2006-03-31. The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
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