It’s about 3 pm on a sticky summer afternoon in Kochi and Motor
Vessel Kavaratti undocks from the wharf at Willington Island. Sameer, the
caretaker of first class cabins reserved for tourists on board the vessel, is
busy distributing water bottles.
The vessel takes a slow U-turn, puffing out thick black
clouds of smoke, and sets sail through the channel that splits Kochi. MV Kavaratti, the largest of ships owned by the Lakshadweep administration, can
accommodate 700 passengers, including 150 tourists.
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| MV Kavaratti |
That day, MV Kavaratti was headed southwest to Minicoy, the
Lakshadweep island 125 kilometres north of Maldives. In no time, Kochi became a
speckle where the ship trail met the horizon.
Sameer’s slender frame of average height ambles through the
corridors with sleepy eyes and a walkie-talkie hangs from his shoulder on a
white twine. His round sunburned face wears a persistent smile on his full
lips. While socialising with tourists in his leisurely tone, he pauses to
listen to the announcements from the loudspeaker. Sameer makes you feel the
earth takes much more than 24 hours to complete a rotation in his part of the
world.
Sameer is from Kavaratti and his journey home not every
seventh day guarantees him a chance to meet his family. He often has to content
himself with the panoramic view of home from the ship. At 23, his job with the
sports department of the union territory does not offer him much pay. Saying
that, he simply laughs away at his lacklustre school days.
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| Sunset from the deck |
The deep blue sea was unexpectedly calm for a first time
voyager like me. As the sun prepared to take a dip in the Arabian Sea, tourists
and passengers gathered at the deck. Though this journey is a regular affair
for the islanders, they seemed as enchanted by the golden rays and dusky sky as
the vacationers.
In this five-day tour to the Lakshadweep archipelago, which
is within some of the pristine marine ecosystems in the world, tourists can
disembark at three islands. As non-islanders require a permit to spend a night
ashore, they return to the ship in the evening. The cabins are comfortable and
the quiver is negligible for the night’s stay.
Lakshadweep is a group of 36 islands of which 10 are
inhabited. The union territory has a population of 65,000 and 95% follows
Islam.
Day 1
Around 7 am, the announcement to disembark at Minicoy echoes
around the ship. At the disembarkation point, it looks like boarding a lifeboat
in the middle of nowhere, especially with all the lifejacket-clad tourists around.
The ship anchors far from the island as there are no facilities or the depth
for a large vessel to dock there. Small boats ferry passengers to the atoll,
which is 30 minutes away.
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| The Indian post travels to Minicoy |
The blue sea turns turquoise as the boat enters the lagoon
around the island. There are no waves beyond that point and the water is
shallow for kilometres.
Minocy is the second largest among the islands of the
Lakshadweep archipelago. Its proximity to Maldives makes Minicoy’s population
of 10,000 culturally inclined towards the Indian Ocean neighbour and distinct
from other islands of the archipelago. The local language Mahl is a dialect of
Dhivehi spoken in Maldives.
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| MV Kavaratti seen as a white spot on the horizon from Minicoy |
A lighthouse, established in 1885, is the only structure
taller than the coconut trees in Minicoy. A little over 200 winding stairs to
the top of the lighthouse gives a panoramic view of the island that resembles a
coconut grove.
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| Minicoy from the 151-year-old lighthouse |
The tropical beach is an amalgam of white sand and turquoise
water. The tourists look possessed by kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving and
the calm waters. They are ignoring the scorching sun for the pleasures of the knee-deep
water of the lagoon.
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| The tropical beach is an amalgam of white sand and turquoise water |
The tourists are a diverse lot. While school children on a
summer camp dash around with youthful exuberance, septuagenarian couples
demonstrate why age is no bar for some adventure. Families with members of even
three generations travel together on this voyage.
A little away from the main beach, a group of men play a
ball game between four sticks in water. Sinan watches from the shore as he took
a knock. He calls this their version of rugby. “We are travelling to Androth.
Most of us study in boarding schools in Kochi. The ship (MV Kavaratti) will
reach there tomorrow,” says Sinan, who completed class 10.
That’s quite a journey home; taking a break to play water
rugby in a picturesque lagoon on your way home after board exams.
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| Sinan watches his friends from the shore |
Day 2
The ship
anchors much closer to the shore at Kalpeni. The thatched houses, 5-metre-wide
concrete roads that cut through coconut groves, and the local language transports
you to a coastal Kerala of the old. Even the cuisines are similar. Kalpeni’s
population of 5,000 speaks Jeseri, a dialect that they claim is a combination
of Malayalam, Tamil and Arabic. Malayalam is the official language of the union
territory.
The arrival
of ‘development’, as many call it, is evinced by the sand and cement bags
lining the compounds of several houses.
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| The ship anchors closer to the shore at Kalpeni |
A narrow
strip of unspoiled beach at the northern tip of Kalpeni is the preferred
destination for water sports. “Lakshadweep has become popular after Anarkali
(Malayalam movie filmed in Kavaratti) released. But there is no cinema hall on
the islands,” says Shafi, an assistant diving instructor of the sports
department. Shafi’s team assists tourists in scuba diving. The department also
gives free diving lessons to school students as part of their curriculum. All
divers are members of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors
(PADI).
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| Passengers board small boats to reach MV Kavaratti |
Day 3
It’s Sameer’s luck day. His manager has allowed him to
disembark at Kavaratti, his home. The previous night, he had promised an
exclusive tour of the Lakshadweep capital if he was allowed to get out.
While waiting for Sameer, the glass bottom boat tour was
worth a ride. Shoals of surgeonfish and finger corals in the lagoon are the
prime attractions. The trip can prove a bit nauseous if one’s eyes are glued to
the wonders of the underwater. It’s good to take a break and look around to see
black bread-eating fish on the surface. Well, bread is the trick.
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| Some of Lakshadweep's population works in the coir industry |
Similar to the other Lakshadweep islands, Kavaratti’s
population of a little over 10,000 makes their living primarily from the ocean
through fishing and water sports. Some others are in the coconut industry that involves products
such as oil, powder and coir. Of late, there is a construction boom too. But,
this generation of islanders is increasingly going across the sea in search of
better education.
Sameer keeps his promise and has a Royal Enfield for
company. He revs the vintage machine through the beach road to the Navy quarter
and to the interiors. It’s already the other side of the island.
Pointing at some teenagers on the beach, Sameer says, “Once
the school results are out, you’ll get to know who has passed by looking at the
beach. The one’s who made it will be in the water and the rest will be on the
shore.”
Sameer also shows a cargo ship that ran aground a coral reef
in 2010. Six years hence, the rusted vessel lies as a threat to the reefs that
guard the island, with no decision on breaking it up.
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| Six years on, the cargo ship still lies as a threat to the island |
Nearby is the helipad for the air ambulance. In case of an
emergency, the medical officer orders an
evacuation and the patient is flown to
Kochi.
On the way back, Sameer stops at his house for some black
tea and snack. Days in Lakshadweep have almost gone by. I came here looking for
a Kerala away from God’s Own Country. But, what unfolded is a society living
unhurriedly, embracing the simple pleasures of life.
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| Tourist look on as a small boat approaches MV Kavaratti |
Next day, when MV Kavaratti docks at Kochi, Sameer is on
demand for photographs with tourists. I’m back among the mad rush of the
mainland. The austere simplicity of the islands will be missed.
(Copyright Milan George Jacob)
(Copyright Milan George Jacob)
