Lakshadweep

The name Lakshadweep means “one lakh islands” in Malayalam, despite the fact that the Laccadive Islands are only one portion of a hundred-island archipelago. The capital is Kavaratti. Malayalam is the official language of the area, as well as the most frequently spoken native language. The islands are India’s smallest union territory, with a total surface area of about 32 km2. It entails a group of 36 islands. The lagoon size is around 4,200 km2, the territorial waters area is approximately 20,000 km2, and the exclusive economic zone area is approximately 400,000 km2. With ten subdivisions, the area comprises a single Indian district.

History

An unidentified source in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea makes one of the oldest references to the region. The Sangam Pathupattu has allusions to the Cheras’ sovereignty of the islands. According to local stories and traditions, the earliest settlement on these islands occurred during the reign of Cheraman Perumal, Kerala’s final Chera monarch. Amini, Kalpeni Andrott, Kavaratti, and Agatti are the group’s oldest inhabited islands.

According to archaeological evidence, Buddhism was prevalent in the region throughout the fifth and sixth century CE. The history of Islam in Kerala is attributed to the narrative of Cheraman Perumals, the last Chera monarch of Kerala, who set off for Mecca from the island of Dharmadom near Kannur. The legend, however, is unsubstantiated. According to popular belief, Ubaidullah brought Islam to Lakshadweep around 661 CE. His tomb can be found on the island of Andrott.

When the Cholas invaded sections of Kerala in the 11th century, the islands fell under the dominion of the Late Cholas, and the islands later became part of the Kingdom of Kannur. During the mediaeval period, the islands played an important role in Indian Ocean commerce since they were positioned on the main commercial route connecting the Middle East with the Malabar Coast, Ceylon, and Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Malaysia). The Portuguese governed the oceans between Ormus and the Malabar Coast, as well as south to Ceylon, in the 16th century. When the Vasco da Gama landed in Kozhikode during the Age of Discovery in 1498, they gained possession of the archipelago (named Laque Divas by them) and later used it to exploit coir production until the islanders ousted them in 1545. In the mid-16th century, the Chirakkal or Kolattiri Raja bestowed the title of jagir to the royal dynasty of the Cannanore Kingdom (Arakkal Kingdom) in order to provide protection against the Portuguese.

Geography

Lakshadweep is an archipelago comprising twelve atolls, three reefs, and five submerged banks, totaling around thirty-nine islands and islets. The reefs are, in reality, atolls, but primarily submerged, with just a few tiny unveiled sand cays above high water. Sunken atolls make up the submerged banks. Almost the majority of the atolls are oriented northeast–southwest, with the islands on the eastern rim and a partially submerged reef surrounding a lagoon on the western rim. It is made up of 10 inhabited islands, seventeen uninhabited islands, linked islets, four newly created islets, and five underwater reefs. Kavaratti, Agatti, Minicoy, and Amini are the principal islands. According to the 2011 census, the area has a total population of 64,429 people. Agatti is served by an airport with direct flights from Kochi.

Government and administration

Lakshadweep is one of eight union territories of India. The islands are administered by an administrator chosen by the President of India under Article 239 of the Indian Constitution. Praful Khoda Patel is the current administrator. The region is divided into eleven sub-divisions. The Sub Division is overseen by a Deputy Collector in Minicoy and Agatti, while Sub Divisional Officers oversee development operations on the remaining eight islands. The Collector/Development Commissioner, who is also the District Magistrate, is in charge of all affairs pertaining to district administration, including revenue, land settlement, and law and order.

In terms of law and order enforcement, the District Magistrate is aided by one Additional District Magistrate and ten Executive Magistrates. Administrator has command and control of the Lakshadweep Police in his role as Inspector General of Lakshadweep Police. The Administration Secretariat is located in Kavaratti. In terms of justice, the uni-district union territory corresponds to the Kerala High Court in Kochi, as well as a system of inferior courts. The area elects one member to the Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament.

Conclusion 

Lakshadweep, a group of 36 islands in the Arabian Water, is a must-see for everyone who enjoys the sea. From 1956, when it became a uni-district Union Territory, it was known as Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands until 1973, when a legislative legislation changed the name to Lakshadweep. The islands are environmentally comparable to the Maldives’ islands, with coral reefs, atolls, lagoons, and unspoiled beaches. The biggest administrative island of Kavaratti is roughly 400 kilometres west of Kochi as the crow flies, while the most of the islands are between 220 and 450 kilometres from mainland India. Only 11 islands in this peaceful archipelago are inhabited, according to the most recent census in 2011.