Lakshadweep

Lakshadweep Islands Laccadive Islands ലക്ഷദ്വീപ് ލަކްޝަދީބު
—  Union Territory  —
Seal
Kavaratti Location of Lakshadweep Islands Laccadive Islands ലക്ഷദ്വീപ് ލަކްޝަދީބު
Coordinates
Country	India
State	Lakshadweep
District(s)	1
Established	1956-11-01
Capital	Kavaratti
Largest city	Andrott
Administrator	J. K. Dadoo
Population • Density	60,595 • 1,894 /km2 (4,905 /sq mi)
Official languages	Malayalam, use of Mahl on Minicoy [1]
Ethnic groups	≈84.33% Malayali ≈15.67% Mahls
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
Area	32 km2 (12 sq mi)
ISO 3166-2	IN-LD
Website	lakshadweep.nic.in

Lakshadweep (listen; Malayalam: ലക്ഷദ്വീപ് Lakṣadvīp, Mahl: ލަކްޝަދީބު Lakshadīb), traditionally called in English the Laccadive Islands, the smallest union territory of India, is a group of islands 200 to 300 km off of the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala in the Laccadive Sea. Their total land area is 11 sq mi or 32 km². Ten of the islands are inhabited. Lakshadweep is the northern part of the erstwhile Lakshadweepa.

Etymology

Lakshadweep, comes from Lakshadweepa, which literally means one hundred thousand (लक्षं laksha) islands (द्वीप dweepa) in Sanskrit.

Demographics

The people of all the northern islands speak a dialect of Malayalam. According to local folk beliefs, they descended from traders who were washed up on the islands during a particularly heavy storm. However, the people of Minicoy, the southernmost atoll, speak Mahl, a variant of Divehi, the language of the Maldives.

The islanders are ethnically similar to coastal Kerala's Malayali people, and were influenced by Arab traders. Inhabitants of Minicoy, the southernmost and largest island, closely resemble Maldivians. Most of the indigenous population is Muslim. The locals of all the islands except Minicoy call themselves the Div-i or the Aminidivi ("from the mother island"). Lakshadweep's ethnic groups can be classified as 84.33% Malayali, and 15.67% Mahl.

Main languages

• Malayalam (official)
• Mahl
• Jeseri (Dweep Bhasha)

History

Little is known about the early history of the Lakshadweep islands. There are references to the control of the islands by the Cheras in the Sangam literature Pathitruppaththu. A Pallava inscription of 7th century CE refers to the islands as Dveepa Laksham and lists them as part of the Pallava domain. The oldest inhabited islands in the group are Amini, Andrott, Kavaratti and Agatti. It was earlier believed that the Lakshadweep islanders were originally Hindus who later converted to Islam in the 14th century. However, recent archaeological evidence has established that Buddhist settlements 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 named Ubaidulla in 41 AH (661 CE). His grave is located in the island of Androth. Muslim grave stones dated to 139 AH (756 CE) have also been discovered here. During the 11th century, the islands came under the rule of the third (or last) period Cholas.

In the 17th century, the islands came under the rule of Ali Rajahs/Arakkal Bheevi of Kannur, who received them as a gift from the Kolathiris.^[3] The Portuguese took control to exploit coir production until the islanders expelled the Portuguese. The islands are also mentioned in great detail in the stories of the Arab traveller Ibn Batuta.

The Amindivi group of islands (Amini, Kadmat, Kiltan, Chetlat and Bitra) came under the rule of Tipu Sultan in 1787. They passed to British control after the Third Anglo-Mysore War and were attached to South Canara. The rest of the islands came under the suzerainty of the Arakkal 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, despite the fact that most of the Islanders were Malayalis, the States Reorganisation Act separated these islands from the mainland administrative units, forming a new union territory by combining all the islands.

Politics

The union territory is administered by an Administrator appointed by India's central government. Lakshadweep is under the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam. The Territory also elects one member to the Lok Sabha. The panchayat raj system is implemented in the islands. There are dweep (island) panchyats and district panchayat in each island; each dweep panchayat has its own elected chairperson. Democracy is limited to Pachayats and the sole member of the Lok Sabha; most power resides with the Administrator.

Agriculture

Coconut is the main crop cultivated in the islands. Lakshadweep is India's largest producer of coconuts. About 2,598 hectares are under coconut cultivation and the productivity per hectare is 22,310. Coconuts cultivated in the Lakshadweep are also rich in coconut oil.

Economy

Lakshadweep's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at US$60 million at current prices. Coconut fibre extraction and production of fibre products is Lakshadweep's main industry. There are five coir fibre factories, five production demonstration centres and seven fibre curling units run by the government of India. These units produce coir fibre, coir yarn, curled fibre and corridor mattings.

Due to its isolation and scenic appeal, Lakshadweep is emerging as a major tourist attraction for Indians. This brings in significant 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.

The world’s first ever low temperature thermal desalination plant (LTTD) was opened in Kavaratti, one of the Indian Lakshadweep islands. The plant cost about 50 million (€922,000) and will produce 100,000 litres/day of potable water from sea water. Production costs, currently 220-250/m³ (€4.1-4.6/m³), are expected to go do down to 30-60/m³ (€0.55-1.11/m³) as the capacity is increased.

LTTD technology involves flashing relatively warm sea water (28-30 deg Celsius) inside a vacuum flash chamber and condensing the resultant vapour using deep sea cold water (7-15 °C). The cold water for the Kavaratti plant is drawn at a depth of 350m some 400m from the shore.

The technology was developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). It can not only be used to produce drinking water but also for power generation and air conditioning. In addition, the deep sea water contains extra nutrients for fish, an important source of food and income for the local population.

The government plans to set up desalination plants with a capacity of 10 million litres/per day on all islands and coastal areas.

Source: Gov of India Press Information Bureau, 23 May 2005

Islands, reefs, banks

Lakshadweep Islands map

One of the uninhabited islands in Lakshadweep

Worms-eye view of the lighthouse in Minicoy Island

Lakshadweep officially consists of 12 atolls, 3 reefs and 5 submerged banks, with a total of about 36 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.

Two banks further north are not considered part of the group:

• Angria Bank
• Adas Bank

The atolls, reefs and banks are listed from north to south in the table:

The 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 or Ernakulam (Cochin). Tourists need a permit to 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.

The name of the archipelago literally translates as "hundred thousand islands" (laksha = "one hundred thousand", dweep = "island"). Lakka (Lacca) is the Malayalam equivalent of Laksha. 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 Lakṣhadvīp, Minikkoy, Amantīv). The Laccadive Islands and Minicoy Island are known as the Cannanore Islands.

Subdivisions

• Amindivi (Amini)

The inhabited islands in the Sub-Division are following: Bitra, Chetlat, Kiltan, Kadmat, Amini, Agatti

• Laccadive (Kavaratti)

The inhabited islands in the Sub-Division are following: Bangaram, Kavaratti, Androth, Kalpeni

• Minicoy (Minicoy)

The inhabited islands in the Sub-Division are following: Minicoy

Transportation

Passenger ship M.V. Amindivi of the Lakshadweep Islands administration docked at Old Mangalore port.

Agatti Aerodrome on Agatti Island is currently the only airport in Lakshadweep. Indian Airlines, the state-owned carrier, serves Agatti and flies to Kochi on 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 by helicopter or boat service.

Ships are the major means of transportation for the islanders. Ships are operated from either Kochi or Beypore (Calicut). There are around 5 passenger ships, but generally only two at a time operate. Advance bookings are required. 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 like Kavaratti, Androth, Kalpeni etc., but sailings are affected by weather conditions.

References

External links

• Indian Reef Region – Lakshadweep Islands
• Official Site for Lakshadweep Islands
• Lakshadweep Islands Tourism information
• Beautiful Photographs of the Lakshadweep Islands
• Lakshadweep Islands Tourism information
• SPORTS->Lakshadweep Tourism Official Agency
• geographical information, lagoon sizes
• submerged northern reef banks

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