Bangaram Atoll

"Bangaram" redirects here. For the 2006 film, see Bangaram (film).
Bangaram Atoll
Bangaram Atoll
Coordinates: 10°56′N 72°17′E / 10.933°N 72.283°ECoordinates: 10°56′N 72°17′E / 10.933°N 72.283°E
Country India
State Lakshadweep
District Lakshadweep
Area
 • Total 2.3 km2 (0.9 sq mi)
Population (1999)
 • Total 61
 • Density 27/km2 (69/sq mi)
Languages
 • Official Malayalam
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Telephone code 04896
Website lakshadweep.nic.in
Satellite image of atolls in Lakshadweep, except for Minicoy
One of the islands of Bangaram Atoll
View of the lagoon off Bangaram Island

Bangaram (Malayalam: ബങ്കാരം) is an atoll in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. The atoll has a roughly rectangular shape and is 8.1 km in length with a maximum width of 4.2 km. It is located over 400 km (250 mi) off Kochi in the Indian Ocean.

The atoll is about 7 km (4.3 mi) northeast of the island of Agatti and 25 km (16 mi) to the southeast of Perumal Par, in the western Lakshadweep archipelago at 10°56′N 72°17′E / 10.933°N 72.283°E. Bangaram atoll is connected to the reef of Agatti through a shallow submarine ridge.[1]

Bangaram island, the main island in the atoll, has no residences but hosts a resort. 61 resort staff were registered as residents of the island in the 1991 census.[2]

Islands

Bangaram Island with 2.3 km² is the largest island in the atoll. There is a long brackish pond in the center of the island fringed by screwpine and coconut palms. Bangaram Island Resort is located on this island which was formerly uninhabited.[3]

The other large island in the atoll is Tinnakara, almost as large as Bangaram, and also located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) East-Northeast of Bangaram island, at the edge of the lagoon basin.

Parali 1, Parali 2 and Parali 3 are three small islets at the eastern fringe of the reef.[4][5]

Tourism

The Bangaram Island Resort opened to tourism in 1974, but the lack of commercial flights made access difficult. Tourism took off after the Agatti Aerodrome on the nearby Agatti island was commissioned and regular commercial flights from Kochi were established.[6] The resort has 60 cottages. Current alcohol regulations in Lakshadweep allow consumption of alcoholic drinks only on Bangaram Island.

The island is popular for its serene setting. Numerous species of tropical birds are found on the island.[7] The resort offers numerous adventure activities, including scuba diving, snorkelling, deep sea fishing beside white sand beaches, a calm lagoon and a sparkling, clear coral reef.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Bangaram - Oceandots at the Wayback Machine (archived December 23, 2010)
  2. ↑ "Draft Eleventh Five Year Plan". Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
  3. ↑ Bangaram Islands
  4. ↑ "Pub 173. Sailing Directions (Enroute): India & The Bay of Bengal" (PDF). National Imagery and Mapping Agency. 2002. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
  5. ↑ Birds of Lakshadweep Islands
  6. ↑ Tourism in Lakshadweep
  7. ↑ Satish Pande et al. (Jan–Feb 2007). "An ornithological expedition to the Lakshadweep archipelago: Assessment of threats to pelagic and other birds and recommendations" (PDF). Indian Birds 3 (1). Retrieved 2012-05-07.
  8. ↑ "Bangaram Island". Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Retrieved 2012-05-07.