Bitra, also known as Bitrā Par, is a coral

atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical oceans and seas where corals can gro ...

belonging to the

Amindivi The Aminidivi Islands, are one of the three island subgroups in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is the northern group of the Lakshadweep, separated from the Laccadive Islands subgroup roughly by the 11th parallel north. The total ...

Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India. It is west of the city of

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Ke ...

History

Prior to the 20th century, islanders from

Kiltan Kiltan or Kilthān Island is a coral island belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India. It is at a distance of 291 km away from Kannur, 303 km away from Kozhikode, and west of the ...

and Chetlat visited the island to collect the eggs of

pelagic bird The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or wa ...

s breeding there. Until 1945, when a woman from Chetlat made this island her home, there were no attempts to settle this island permanently. There is a small shrine dedicated to an old Arab saint by the name of Malik Mulla who was buried on the island. The shrine has become a pilgrimage site.

Geography

The atoll of Bitra encompasses two islands. The main Bitra Island is located at the northern end of the Bitrā Par coral reef . The small south cay is located on the southern part of the coral reef . Bitra is the smallest of the populated islands of Lakshadweep. It is located 33 km to the north of

Perumal Par Perumal Par, also known as Peremul Par, is an uninhabited coral atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It has a distance of south of the city of Delhi. Geography Perumal Par is located ...

and 41 km to the southeast of

Byramgore Reef Byramgore Reef, also known as Chereapani Reef ( ml, Cheriyapanniyam), is a coral atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It has a distance of south of the city of Delhi. Geography By ...

. The Bitra Par

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'' ...

area is .

Population

The 2011 census determined that 271 people made this island their home, making it the least populated among the inhabited islands in Lakshadweep.

Administration

The atoll belongs to the

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

of Bitra of

Aminidivi The Aminidivi Islands, are one of the three island subgroups in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is the northern group of the Lakshadweep, separated from the Laccadive Islands subgroup roughly by the 11th parallel north. The tot ...

Tehsil.Tehsils info
/ref>

Transportation

The main island has a small jetty on the south shore and a helipad on the westpoint.

Economics

The inhabitants on the island are engaged in very small scale farming and fishing which are mainly for the island consumption.

Image gallery

File:Lakshadweep.jpg, Satellite picture showing the atolls of the Lakshadweep except for

Minicoy Minicoy, locally known as Maliku (), is an island in Lakshadweep, India. Along with Viringili, it is on ''Maliku atoll'', the southernmost atoll of Lakshadweep archipelago. Administratively, it is a census town in the Indian union territory o ...

File:Map of Lakshadweep-en.svg, Map

References

External links

Bitra Island
* Islands of Lakshadweep Atolls of India Cities and towns in Lakshadweep district {{Lakshadweep-geo-stub