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Agatti
Agatti is situated at 10o51' north latitude and 72o11'
east latitude. Agatti is the most westerly island in the territory. It lies on
the eastern arc of the coral shoal and is little over 5.6kms in length and
about one thousand metres wide at the broadest point. Agatti possesses a
singularly beautiful lagoon on the western side. In th translucent turquoise
green water can be seen multi coloured fishes and coral growth. The many gaps in
the reef cause the ripples on the beach to be very strong for coir-soaking.
Husks are put in fresh water pots which provide a splendid abode for anopheles
larva. Mosquitoes are rare. This is because of abundant small species of
fresh water carp which live upon the larva. The island is ideal for fishing.
Coral growths and mulitcoloured coral fishes abound in this lagoon. Because of
the depth and ripples, it is impossible for the inhabitants to ret coir in the
lagoon as done in other islands. It also does considerable damage to the western
beach by way of erosion. Habitation is in the northern portion which is broad
and well protected. The southern portion is narrow about three kilometres long
with an average breadth of 100 metres. The Island has been fully planted with
coconuts. South of the main island separated by a shallow strait of some 200
metres is the uninhabited islet Kalpitti exposed to the open sea on the western
side.
The climate of the island is hottest in the entire archipelago. Fishing
offers good prospects. Cod liver oil is also processed as a small scale
industry. After fishing, the manufacture of coir and copra are the major
subsidiary industries. As the people are forced to ret coir in inland fresh
water ponds, the product is discoloured, and is of inferior quality.
This island was colonised much later by those belonging to other islands.
Class division exists here as a result of economic pressure. Agatti is one of
the islands where the wahabi cult of Islam has taken deep root.
Bangaram
Bangaram is situated at 10o56' north latitude and 72o17'
east longitude.
The Bangaram island is one of the finest tourist spot in the country, with
its idyllic palm grove and the smooth sands caressed by the mulitcoloured sea
waves it is developing into a tourist place of international fame. This island
lies about 8kms north of Agate. To its east about 2 1/2 km
away is Tinnakara and further east is Parali connected by a sand back during the
dry season. Bangaram is enclosed by a scenic lagoon about 10kms long by six km
wide. The lagoon is very deep with here and there great patches and plateaux of
coral growing up to the surface, giving it a memorable view.
Originally, this island was in the hands of the people of Agatti. But this
island was confiscated by the Bibi of Cannanore in 1764 as a punishment for the
murder of an Accountant stationed there. The Madras Government had in 1928
divided the island into plots and leased out to small cultivators.
People from other islands visit this island for fishing and also for getting
Cheruthalam wood. The wood is used for securing the planks of island boats.
Another plant known as Ittila gorus in Bangaram. A kind of tapioca is obtained
from the root used as diet for invalids.
The island is a favourite fishing and turtle hunting ground of the Agatti
people. There are two kinds of turtle. The keen turtle and the hawkbill. The
green is caught for fat yielding valuable oil. Female turtles come up at night
to the sand and lay eggs from 100 to 200 in a neat little pile at one spot in
the sand. The young turtle hatched out soon after make for the sea.
H.M. Winterbotham Acting special Assistant to the collector of Malabar
visited the island in 1878 and declared it unfit for habitation.
In 1881 the ship Mahableshwar was lost off the Bangaram reef during the
monsoon . The crew succeeded in escaping to Bangara where they lived for about
three months until discovered by the Agatti islanders on visiting Bangaram after
the close of the monsoon.
There is a lake on this island where fresh water is available during the
rainy season from June upto the end of March.
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