The Lakshadweep archipelago, which seems as a few small dots on an Indian map, is actually a brilliant gem filled with diamonds and emeralds that adorns India’s southwest. It is one of the few wonders unaffected by industrialization and progress’ encroaching hands.

White sand beaches, lagoons that wash its shores, coral reefs that surround it, and the deep blue sea are all inextricably tied to one another. And when all of these factors are considered, Lakshadweep becomes not only the largest but also the smallest of India’s possessions!

Location

The expanded marine zone is more than 7,00,000 sq km, even though the combined area of the 35 islands is just 32 sq km and the lagoons surrounded by the coral reef are roughly 700 sq km. The size is approximately equal to the combined areas of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh!

Out of the 12 atolls with 35 islands, only one island in each of them is inhabited. All the islands are shaped like a boat with their backs resting on the reef in the east and lagoons washing their shores on the west side. The lagoons are shallow, never more than a couple of meters deep. Just as the sands on the beaches are pure white and sugary, the waters of the lagoons are crystal clear and clean.