Lakshdweep Islands-Nature at its best

After Amsterdam , it would be a good idea to  chose an Indian destination that I visited .As a nature lover, I am rather tempted to begin with my experiences at the mesmerising islands of Lakshdweep located in the Arabian sea . As I always do, i begin by giving some interesting facts about this breathtaking island alongwith some introductory images.

• Maldives, Lakshadweep and Chagos are three island groups in the Indian Ocean that together form a vast submarine volcanic mountain range, the Chagos-Laccadive Plateau.
 
• Altogether, the Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago comprises the most extensive coral reef and atoll community in the Indian Ocean as well as the largest atoll system in the world.
• Lakshadweep comes from "Lakshadweepa", which means "one hundred thousand islands.
 
• Lakshadweep is an archipelago of twelve atolls, three reefs  and five submerged banks, with a total of about thirty-nine islands and islets.
• It has 10 inhabited islands, 17 uninhabited islands, attached islets, 4 newly formed islets and 5 submerged reefs
 
• Archaeological evidence supports the existence of human settlement in the region around 1500 BC. The islands have long been known to sailors, as indicated by an anonymous reference from the first century AD to the region in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.
• The islands were referenced also in the Buddhist Jataka stories of the 6th century BC. The arrival of Muslim missionaries around 7th century led to the advent of Islam in the region. According to popular tradition, Islam was brought to Lakshadweep by an Arab named Ubaidulla in 661 CE. His grave is located in the island of Andrott.
 
• The islands form the smallest Union Territory of India: their total surface area is just 11 sq mi or 32 km²
• Lakshadweep has a population of 64,429
 
• About 93 percent of the people in Lakshadweep are Shafi School Muslims of the Sunni sect, and they speak Malayalam
• Only three Lakshadweep islands -- Agatti, Kadmat, and Bangaram -- are open to foreign tourists, and the Indian government employs a strictly enforced entry-permit system. All the islands are "owned" by the indigenous people, and land is unavailable for purchase by non-natives -- even a man marrying a local woman may not buy land here. Everybody, Indian or otherwise, requires a special permit to visit Lakshadweep