19 Secrets That Andaman Islands Has Been Keeping To Itself That are Really Amazing
Out of the 570 odd islands that make the Andaman and Nicobar, only 38 are inhabited. That explains why its beaches are still pristine. We’ve been obsessing over these islands for ages, but we actually, honestly, know very little about them. World-class beaches, coral reefs, lush green rainforests and abundant marine life – the islands have a lot to offer. So here’s a little course in the Andaman secrets. Have a look!
1. Havelock, Port Blair, Neil, Ross and Smith are a few of the many islands in the Andamans, named after British officials who ruled there
2. Andaman houses the only place in India with mud volcanos – Baratang
3. The only active volcano in India is present in Andaman.
4. Here’s the biggest wonder, bioluminescence can be witnessed at Havelock Island
5. Not many know that Ross and Smith are a single island. They are connected by a natural sandbar
6. These islands received the first sunrise of this millennium.
7. Had it not been for Ross Islands, Port Blair would have been destroyed in the 2004 Tsunami
8. The tribes inhabiting these islands don’t interact with outsiders.
9. In the Chola Chronicles the islands were called Timaittivu, meaning the impure islands, due to the cannibalism that existed on these islands
10. The 20 rupee note depicts a scene from Andaman and Nicobar islands
11. The native language, Andamanese, is nearly extinct today
12. During WW2, Andaman and Nicobar islands were the only part of India & occupied by Japan for 3 years.
13. It is rumored that Japanese made a secret tunnel from Ross Island to Port Blair
14. The Andaman Islands were originally a part of Burma and were traded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in exchange of two districts of Manipur
15. Jal Hans, India’s first commercial seaplane was launched in Andaman Islands
16. The largest sea turtles nest here.
17. The most widely spoken language on the islands is not Andamanese or Nicobarese, it is Bengali followed by Hindi.
18. These islands are the happy land of butterflies
19. The popular ‘Light and Sound Show’ in Cellular Jail features veteran actor Om Puri narration as the banyan tree
The light and sound show tells the poignant stories of Kala Pani prisoners, who were tortured to death in the cellular jail.