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A Return to Nature
Seema Gairola
Virgin beaches, lush green tropical forests, a plethora of birds, the colourful marine life…… poison arrows, voodoo practice, tribal masks…… a return to nature…. No wonder, a friend of mine posted at Port Blair once remarked – there are only two seasons in the A & N, first is the rainy season which goes on for ever and the other is the VIP season, when these Very Important Person(s) descend like tropical rains after the end of the monsoon in september; Prime Ministers, governors and the likes!
The Andamans and Nicobar Islands are this and much more. As much a visual delight as a naturalists’ wonder, the archipelago of 572 islands, islets and rocks is brimming with options for adventure, relaxation, nature walks and cultural feasts.
Situated in the Bay of Bengal, about 800 km off the east coast of India, they stretch across more than 700 km from North to South with 36 inhabited islands.
The archipelago is believed to have been part of a mountain range that extended from Burma to Indonesia. It still retains its original topography of hilly terrain with dense tropical forests.
The islands support nearly 2000 species of plants (more than 200 endemic species) and more than 250 species of birds. They were shrouded in mystery for centuries before they were first colonised by the British in 1789. Being cut off from the rest of the world, the social and cultural development of its inhabitants was also in complete isolation and the entire population consisted of aborigines.
For those without chartered flights and private yachts, getting there is difficult in the best of times; flights are filled with government officals and the ship schedules are as erratic as the rain. Moreover, you can actually see very little of the 700 km island group as most of them are uninhabited and there is no way you can get there unless you have your own yacht. If you are an ordinary mortal, the unwieldy bureaucracy makes its presence felt at every step. You need a permit for virtually every thing that you do around here but the inviting lagoons and the long beaches more than compensate for all the trouble.
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