India Guides

Lakshadweep - Ready Reckoner

These are the only coral islands in India comparable to other such locations like the Maldives or the Great Barrier Reef due to their peaceful ambience. You are unlikely to encounter hoards of tourists that normally descend on such locations elsewhere in the world.

Rising from the womb of the Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep literally means 'a thousand islands' but the real number is 12 atolls and 36 islands of which only 10 are inhabited. The islands are mostly long and irregular with a lagoon enclosed by a coral reef. As a result the lagoons abound in spectacular coral growth, which in turn support a diverse array of marine life. 

The journey to Lakshadweep starts from Cochin. You can either take a ship cruise or a flight. Since we had never set foot on a ship, we decided to travel by sea. One fine evening when the setting sun had set the sky aflame, we boarded MV Tipu Sultan and set sail. The Tipu churned its passage through the Cochin channel past Chinese fishing nets picturesquely silhouetted against the darkening sky. The overnight trip to Lakshadweep was as thrilling as our destination and strolling on the decks under the star-studded sky was a memory we would all cherish.

Next morning while waiting for landfall I recalled what I had read in the Lakshadweep Gazetteer. According to this source, the archipelago consisting of Lakshadweep and Maldives was known as 'Divis' or 'Dibjit' to Arab sailors. The largest island being Minicoy, which would appear miniscule to most of us with an area of 4.4 sqkm and Bitra, with 0.1 sqkm is the baby of the family. All the islands have a lagoon, which in the case of Bangaram, covers an area of approximately 60 sqkm. Geologically, the entire group is virtually formed on various peaks of the submarine Lakshadweep - Chaos Ridge. This ridge is aligned north-south and it rises from depths of 5,000 feet to 10,000 feet.

As we approached the island headquarters of Kavaratti, we were mesmerized by the colour of the sea changing from dark blue to turquoise and azure. Disembarking turned out to be our first adventure. In most of the islands there is no anchorage available for ships as the sea outside the reef could be a few thousand feet deep. Therefore small boats, which look like period pieces, are used to ferry the passengers ashore. Getting on to the small boats from the ship can be quite tricky as we realized that morning. The non-swimmers in our group were quite aghast with the pitching and tossing of the boats. Thanks to the boatman's dexterity, we reached without mishap.

By the time we reached the island, we felt like ancient mariners setting foot on terra firma after years out at sea! Having arrived after braving wind and spray, we broke into exultant cheers. For someone who had only seen the Chowpati at Bombay or the Marina beach at Madras, it was difficult to believe what lay ahead of us – from the boat one could see that the water was crystal clear and the sea bed was littered with fish and coral.

The languorous lagoon was the first to invite us. So great was the temptation that we decided to take a plunge even before unpacking our luggage. After a quick breakfast, we began our exploration of the lagoon. The exquisite marine life left us wonderstruck. It was a world of dazzling colours bustling with creatures belonging to almost every major group of the animal kingdom: numerous scuttling, creeping burrowing worms, molluscs and crustaceans; brilliant, darting fish; colourful anemones and the five armed starfish and the interlinked, carnivorous, tentacled polyps covering the skeleton that forms the coral - all this in water not more than two or three metres deep! It’s so easy to get lost while snorkelling, you lose track of space and time, as what you see under water is so captivating. Little did we realize that we had strayed almost a kilometre from the shore. It was a great relief to find out that we could still stand in the water but standing on the reef is not healthy for the reef, so we turned back.

Next morning we met some local fishermen in the lagoon. The friendly folk offered to introduce us to their way of fishing. They were using bits of octopus meat as bait. Upon our insistence, they showed us how they went about catching octopus. We helped them row the boat to the reef where octopuses were generally found. Removing his shirt, one of them dived along the reef only to emerge almost immediately with a small octopus that he had pulled out from a crevice in the submerged rocks. That evening we feasted on fried octopus. On our way back our new friends shared the Frooti that we had carried with us while we smoked their bidis!

The people of Lakshadweep are warm, friendly and god-fearing. In all but one island they speak a dialect of Malayalam; in Minicoy they speak Mahl, a cousin of the ancient Singhalese. The origin of the islanders is a matter of conjecture. The early history of the archipelago is surrounded in myth and legend. It is believed that the legendary 9th century king of Kerala, Cheraman Perumal who converted to Islam, one day slipped out of his palace incognito to board a ship to make his pilgrimage to Mecca. Inevitable furore ensued when it was discovered that the king was missing. Search parties were despatched by the Raja of Chirakkal and a ship set out to search for the king on the high seas. A fierce storm thwarted their attempts but a shipwreck led them to discover these islands. The Raja persuaded a few of his subjects to colonise them. The legend of Perumal is, however disputed by many scholars in Kerala.

The people are of mixed Arab and Hindu descent, akin to the Moplahs of Malabar. They are devout Muslims who follow the matrilineal system still prevalent in some parts of Kerala but are matrilocal in residence. The young man continues to live in his mother's house after his wedding and visits her every evening. If she ceases to love him she simply puts his slippers outside her hut! This act is considered indication enough and the man leaves without any fuss. Remarriage for both men and women is accepted.

In Minicoy island things are different. Here a man, upon marriage not only moves into his wife's home but also adopts her family name. Marco Polo described Minicoy as the `female island'. Women are dominant and make all the decisions. The Minicoy men are reckoned to be the best 'mariners' in the world. Lying north of the nine-degree channel, Minicoy is where international shippers came to get manpower. In fact in Minicoy stands the second oldest lighthouse in the world, or so the locals say.

What struck me most, however, was the almost childlike simplicity and peaceful disposition of the islanders. Crimes of passion and robbery are almost unknown. You will find even little girls roaming around bedecked with gold jewellery.

The coral islands of Lakshadweep are God's own gift to mankind. However, the islands have an extremely fragile ecosystem. An ever-increasing number of visitors are being attracted to these islands. There is limited potable water and the lagoons can take only a given number of powered boats and traffic. For this reason it has been made mandatory to obtain permits to enter the territory. These permits can be procured from the Lakshadweep Tourism Office at Cochin.

It has also been ensured that disaster is not precipitated in the name of development. There is a semi-government undertaking called The Society For Promotion Of Recreational Tourism or SPORTS which runs and coordinates various tourism related activities. SPORTS has worked out a number of packages catering to different requirements. Some islands have been provisioned with tourist huts whereas on others you have to go back to the ship to spend the night. This ensures that the meagre resources of the island are not strained.