A Tropical Paradise

This part contains some rare photographs of the Jarawas.

I have devoted this part to the different tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands because this is the only place in the world where the world’s only surviving Paleolithic age people still survive.
You can also see some of the world’s oldest existing primitive tribes.

There are five primitive tribes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
They are:

· Great Andamanese of Strait Island
· Onges of Little Andaman
· Jarawas of South and Middle Andaman
· Sentinelese of Sentinel Islands, and
· Shompens of Great Nicobar

Of these, the first four live in the Andaman Islands.
Only the last live in the Nicobar Islands.

The tribals in the Andaman group of islands are Negroid in origin with the trypical black skin. The tribals in the Nicobar group of islands are Mongloid with a fair completion.

The 10 degree channel has effectively kept the two groups of islands separated from each other. This can be clearly seen in the different groups of tribals living there.
There has been no inter mixing.
The Great Andamanese
About two centuries ago, of the five tribes inhabiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Great Andamanese were the largest in population.

In 1789, their population was about 10,000.

By 1901, the population had decreased to 625.And by 1969, the population had dropped to 19 only.

According to the Census of 1971, the population was 24.

By 1999, their number had increased to 41.

They are basically foragers.

Their traditional food is fish, dugong, turtle, turtle eggs, crabs, roots, tubers, pork, Andaman water monitor lizard, octopus, mollusks, crabs and fish.

They have learnt to cook food with spices, and eat cooked rice, dal, chapati and other Indian food items.

They have learnt to cultivate vegetables and have established poultry farms.

They are in great danger from modern communicable diseases.
These tribals have been rehabilitated in a small island named Strait Island.

Onges

The main aboriginal group in the Andaman Islands today are the Onges.

They are one of the most primitive tribes in India.

They live in reserved pockets on Dugong Creek and South Bay of Little Andaman Island.

They are semi nomadic food gatherers and foragers.

They hunt fish and collect honey.

They can make canoes.

The Government has provided them huts, food, clothes, medicines, etc.and established a primary school in the Dugong Creek settlement.
Of the 5 tribes, they are the only one who freely mix with the outside world.

But their rate of reproduction is very low and they are diminishing in number.

Jarawas

For a long time, the Jarawas avoided any contact with the outside world.

Either they would recede into the forests or attack visitors.

1974 was a land mark in the history of Jarawas.

For the first time in history, in February and March 1974, local officers could meet them – but only from a distance.

The local officers also dropped gifts.

The Jarawas continued to remain hostile till the beginning of 1998.

After that, they started coming out of the forests and meeting the local people.

They even started seeking medical assistance for their sick.
They do not make boats, but make rafts to cross the streams.

They are nomadic, subsisting on hunting, fishing and gathering from nature.

They eat wild boar, turtles and their eggs, crabs, mollusks, fish, wild pig, fruits and honey.
You can travel through Jarawa territory only after getting special permit and in convoys with police escort.

You are not supposed to get down from your vehicle.

If you meet them, they will happily accept gifts like bananas, coconuts, etc.

We had the rare experience of not only seeing the Jarawas, but also getting out from our car, shaking hands with them and photographing them in their own natural habitat.

It happened like this.

We obtained a permit to pass through their territory.

We were waiting for the customary police escort to escort us.

But that day, the police were occupied with too much work and could not arrange an escort party.

So reluctantly, they allowed us to go without any escort, at our own risk, of course.

We met three groups of Jarawas in different places.

There was no problem with two groups.

We gave them bananas, biscuits and puffed rice, shook hand with them, and took photographs.

The third group consisted of a few adult males.

They suddenly became a little hostile, turned violent, snatched the food stuff from our hands and started climbing all over the car.

Our driver panicked and simply ran like mad.

Jarawas are healthy – even healthier than the other modern population of the islands – with smooth skin, black curly hair, long and strong hands and legs and sturdy bones.

Unlike other tribes mention earlier, the Jarawas are not dependent on the Government.

Sentinelese
The Sentinelese are probably the world’s only surviving Paleolithic age people.

They do not maintain any contact with any other group or community.

They live in North Sentinel Island in an area of about about 60 sq. kilometers.

They are considered as an off-shoot of the Onge and Jarawa tribes which have acquired a different identity due to their isolated habitation.
The Sentinelese are extremely hostile and never leave their Island.

Very little is known about the Sentinelese.
Shompens
The Shompens are the only aboriginals in the Nicobars.

They are averse to any contact with the outside world.
The Shompens live on Great Nicobar – the largest of the Nicobar group of Islands.

Like the Nicobarese, they belong to the Mongoloid race.

The Shompens have two divisions.

The smaller division is known as Mawa Shompens.

They inhabit areas along the river valleys close to the coastal region.

They are very shy.

But they are quite intimate with the Nicobarese.

They suffer from various diseases and are physically very weak.

The major group of Shompens live in Alexendra and Galathia river areas and on the east coast of the area in the interior of the Island.

They are very hostile.

In the past, they used to attack the Mawa Shompens quite frequently.

But now the attacks have stopped probably because they have been largely reduced in number due to various diseases.
The Government has established a settlement at Campbell Bay in Great Nicobar.

The Shompens are visiting the settlers.
The Government is trying to protect and preserve all these tribes.

The Government is helping them live in their own environment with the least interference and disturbance from the outside world.

The Volcano and some remote locations

Some one asked me how many days can one spend in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The answer is simple. They are so good, you could spend your entire life time.

I have written about some islands close to Port Blair (the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands) in Part I of my blog on the Andamans: http://indianbureaucratsdiary.blogspot.com/2007/12/andaman-and-nicobar-islands-i.html

In this Part II, I am writing about some distant places north of Port Blair;
about the NicobarIslands and about the only active volcano in India.

Places to see
Andaman Islands – North of Port Blair

The bulk of the 239 Andaman Islands comprise of North, Middle and South Andamans, which along with Baratang and Rut-Land form one landmass known as the Great Andamans.

Volcano on Barren Island (135 Kms. from Port Blair)
Barren Island is the only active volcano in India.

The 3 kms. island has a big crater abruptly rising from the sea, about half a kilometre from the shore, and about 150 fathoms deep.

Can be visited on board vessels.
Neil Island (36 kms. from Port Blair)
This is a beautiful island with lush green forests and sandy beaches.
It is the vegetable growing bowl of Andamans.
Neil Island is an ideal holiday place for eco-friendly tourists.
You can enjoy village life here.Hawabill Nest guesthouse of the Directorate of Tourism is situated here.
It is connected by boat from Port Blair four days a week.
There are beautiful beaches at Laxmanpur, Bharatpur, Sitapur and the
bridge formation on the sea-shore (Howra bridge) are major attractions.

Long Island (82 kms. from Port Blair)

This island has an excellent sandy beach at Lalaji Bay, unpolluted environment and evergreen forests.
Lalaji Bay is 6 kms. from the boat jetty and is accessible by a 15 minutesjourney in dinghies or trekking through the forest.
The sea around the island is frequented by schools of dolphins.
It is connected by boat four times a week from Phoenix Bay Jetty.
The Directorate of Tourism offers island camping during season.

Rangat (170 kms. by road / 90 kms. by sea)
You can enjoy the quiet village life and solitude of virgin nature here.
You can also breathe unpolluted air, a rare commodity for the city dweller.
Cutbert Bay beach (20 kms. away from Rangat bazar/jetty) is a turtle nesting ground.
You can view the nesting of turtles during December – February season.
Hawksbill Nest, the guest house of the Directorate of Tourism, is near Cutbert Bay beach
and the Turtle sanctuary.
On the way to Cutbert Bay, you can visit Panchavati waterfall and Amkunj beach.
You can travel north to Mayabunder and Diglipur from here.

Mayabunder (242 kms. by road / 136 kms. by sea)
Mayabunder is situated in the northern part of Middle Andaman.
It offers excellent scenic beauty and beautiful beaches.
Mayabunder is populated by settlers from Burma, East Pakistan and ex-convicts.
It has developed a distinct culture.
The Beach at Avis Island (30 minutes boat journey from Mayabunder), Karmatang beach
(13 kms.) and the mangrove lined creeks are worth seeing.
Karmatang beach is also a turtle nesting ground.
You can view nesting of turtles during December-February season.
Swiftlet Nest guest house of the Directorate of Tourism is near the Karmatang beach.
You can go north to Kalighat (for Diglipur) by boat from here.

Diglipur (290 kms. by road / 180 kms. by sea)
Diglipur is situated in North Andaman Island.
It provides a rare experience for eco-friendly tourists.
It is famous for its oranges, rice and marine life.
Saddle Peak, 732 metres, the highest point in the islands is nearby.
Kalpong, the only river of Andaman flows from here.
Ram Nagar beach (15 kms. away from Kalighat) is famous for Turtle nesting during December – February season.
You can also visit Ross and Smith, the twin islands joined by a bewitching sand bar.

Andamans Islands – South of Port Blair

Little Andaman Island (120 kms. by sea)
This island to the south of Port Blair has a beautiful beach at Butler Bay,
a waterfall and plantations of oil palm trees.
There are several sandy beaches all along the coastline of the island.
The break waters at Hut Bay offers an excellent view.
Little Andaman is the vegetable bowl for the Nicobar group of islands.
The Onge tribals live in this island, so do Nicobarese and settlers from
erstwhile East Pakistan and other places.
However, entry to tribal areas is restricted.
The sea journey from Port Blair to Little Andaman takes about 8 hrs.

Harminder Bay Beach (100 kms. from Port Blair)
This beautiful beach is situated at Hut Bay island.

The Nicobar Islands

The Nicobar Islands comprise of 28 Islands with an area of 1,841 sq. kms.
13 of the Islands are inhabited by about 12,000 aboriginal tribesmen most
of whom live on Car Nicobar, the northern most of the archipelago.
The Nicobar Islands are separated from Andamans by the Ten Degree Channel.

Car Nicobar (270 kms. by sea)
Car Nicobar is the headquarters of Nicobar District.
It is a flat fertile island covered with coconut plantations and enchanting
beaches with the roaring sea all around.
The unique Nicobari huts are built on stilts with an entrance through the floor.
Entry is by means of a wooden ladder.
The sea journey from Port Blair to Car Nicobar takes about 16 hrs.

Katchal (425 kms. by sea)
Katchal is a tiny island in the Nicobar group.
This island has beautiful beaches at East bay, Jhula and West Bay.
It is this island, which heralded the new millennium in India, with the earliest sunrise on
1st January 2000.

Great Nicobar (540 kms. by sea)
This is the southern end of the Nicobars.
At its southern most point is Indira Point (formerly Pygmallion Point) – the southern
most tip of India (remember the southern most tip is not Kanyakumari).
The beach near Galathia is the nesting ground for Giant Leather Back Turtles.
This island also has biosphere reserve areas.
The sea journey from Port Blair to Great Nicobar takes 50-60 hrs.

Nicobar – unique flora and fauna

The Nicobars abound in coconut-palm, casuarina and pandanus.
The Great and Little Nicobar have the Giant Robber Crab which can climb up a
tree, break open a coconut and drink its contents; monkeys with long tail;
endemic Nicobarese Pigeons; and Megapode, a rare bird which is found only
in Great Nicobar.

Reaching there

Distances by Air
Kolkatta to Port Blair 1303 kms.
Chennai to Port Blair 1330 kms.

There are several flights a day.
There are also regular sailings between Port Blair and Kolkatta and Chennai (and also Visakhapatnam).
But it is far more convenient to travel by air.

Entry restrictions

Foreign nationals can stay in the Andaman group of islands for 30 days.
This can be extended by another 15 days.
But they are not allowed to visit the Nicobar Islands.

Indian nationals do not need permit to visit the Andamans.
However, permits are required to visit Nicobar Islands and other tribal areas,
which are given in exceptional cases.

Exotic Islands and Beautiful Beaches

I have given some of the best locations.
But there are many, many more islands and beaches which you can explore.

And if you have the time and inclination, travel by road from Port Blair to Diglipur,
the northern most place.
It will be one journey you will never forget.

A Tropical Paradise – an overview

Have you ever dreamt of a holiday in a tropical paradise amidst waving palms whispering to the oceans; laze around on numerous sun kissed beaches; watch beautiful and colourful marine life; see the only live volcano in India which can still throw up volcanic ash; meet primitive tribals whom time has forgotten; and where time stands still?
Visit the Andaman and the Nicobar islands.

These are actually two groups of islands in the Indian Ocean to the east of India separated by the 150 km wide and deep ten-degree channel which has kept the life forms and cultures of the two groups of islands distinct.
The two groups of islands together form the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Its capital is Port Blair.

These islands are actually the peaks of a vast submerged mountain range extending from Myanmar to Sumatra.
This cluster of 572 islands, of which only 38 are permanently inhabited, lies like a broken necklace over 800 kilometres of the Indian Ocean.

History

The Greek astronomer, mathematician and geographer, Claudius Ptolemaeus, has included Andaman and Nicobar Islands in his maps prepared in the second century.
Yet, we do not know much about the past except that the two groups of islands were inhabited by the Negritos and the Mongoloids for centuries and some passing vessels touched these islands.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were shrouded in mystery for centuries because of their inaccessibility.
Information about these islands trickled into the modern world only during the 18th century.
In 1788, Lord Cornwallis, the Governor General of India, thought of colonizing the islands.
He established the first British settlement on Chatham Island, near Port Cornwallis (present Port Blair), in 1789.

After the Great Revolt of 1857, the British established a penal settlement in March 1858.
The first contingent of inmates consisted of 200 prisoners, mostly rebels from the Indian Army.
Initially, the convicts were kept in a jail at Viper Island – 15 minutes from Port Blair by boat. Subsequently, this Jail was abandoned and the convicts kept in the infamous Cellular Jail constructed in Port Blair during 1896 to 1906.

During the World War II, the Japanese occupied the Andamans from March 21, 1942 to October 8,1945.
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose arrived in Port Blair on December 29, 1943 and hoisted the National Flag at Port Blair the next day.
On October 8, 1945, the Japanese surrendered the islands to the British.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands became Independent on August 15, 1947.
Now the islands have a Lt. Governor and send one elected representative to the Lok Sabha.

Places to see in and around Port Blair

Cellular Jail (in Port Blair)
This is the most important and popular structure here.
The jail is known as ‘cellular’ because it is made up entirely of individual cells for the solitary confinement of the prisoners.
This jail was originally a seven arm, puce-colored building with a central watch tower and corridors like honeycombs.
The building was subsequently damaged.
At present, only three out of the seven arms are intact.

The British confined a large number of Indian freedom fighters here.
They were tortured mercilessly. And many perished.
The Jail is now a National Memorial.

Chatham Island (in Port Blair)
The Chatham Saw Mill is located on a tiny island connected to Port Blair by a small bridge.
This saw mill, built by the British Govt. in 1883, is one of the biggest and oldest in Asia.

Gandhi Park (in Port Blair)
The old Dilthaman tank in Port Blair, which was the only source of supply of drinking water to Port Blair, and the area around, were developed into Gandhi Park in an unbelievably short time span of 13 days!

This beautiful park in Port Blair has facilities like amusement rides, water sports, nature trails around the lake, garden, restaurant and the remains of a Japanese Temple and a bunker.

Mini Zoo (in Port Blair)
The Mini Zoo, located at Haddo (Delanipur – Chatham road) in Port Blair, has 200 species of birds and animals, including some rare species of endemic birds and animals found in these islands, such as, the Nicobar Pigeon, the Andaman Pig and the luminous-green Andaman gekko. The zoo also has a crocodile farm where salt-water crocodiles are bred and released into the coastal mangrove swamps.

Forest Museum (in Port Blair)
Near the zoo is the Forest Museum maintained by the forest department.
You can see specimens of locally grown woods, including the beautiful Padauk which has both light and dark colours present in the same tree.
You can also learn about the lumbering methods used here.

Samudrika Marine Museum (in Port Blair)
This museum maintained by the Indian Navy, has tanks containing exotic fish and corals from the islands’ reefs.
The museum also has on display history and geography of the Andaman & Nicobar islands, miniature models of the islands, pictures of tribals and their life-style and archaeology.

Anthropological Museum (in Port Blair)
The anthropological museum illustrates the lives of the aboriginal tribes with miniature models of the tools used by them, their dresses and photographs of their life style.
The museum also has a library containing a good collection of books.

Corbyn’s Cove (7 Kms. from from Port Blair)

This is one of the most picturesque and developed sea-beaches.
It is ideal for sea bathing, sun basking or for a simple picnic.
There are a number of good hotels and restaurants around.

Sippighat Farm (14 kms.)
This is a Government farm covering over 80 acres of land.
Research and experimental programs for cultivation and development of different spices like cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut, pepper, etc. are carried on here.
The Research and Demonstration farm of the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) is also nearby.

Ross Island
A short boat ride from Phoenix Bay Jetty will take you to this island – the capital of the Islands during the British rule.
Today it is in shambles.
You can see the ruins of a church, cemetery, swimming pool and the old Chief Commissioner’s residence.
A small museum “Smritika” has some photographs and other antiques of the Britishers associated with these islands.

Viper Island
A 15 minutes journey by boat will take you to Viper Island.
This was the first jail on the islands.
It has a gallows on top of a hillock, where condemned prisoners were hanged.

Sher Ali, who killed Lord Mayo, the Viceroy of India, in 1872, was also hanged here.

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (29 kms. from Port Blair)
The Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park is located at Wandoor.
It covers 281.5 sq. kms. of open sea, creeks and 15 small and large islands.
It has some of the finest underwater life in the world.
You can view dense coral growths and spectacular underwater marine life through glass bottom boats.
You can also do snorkelling and scuba diving.
Or simply laze on the beach!

Chidiya Tapu (25 kms. from Port Blair)
Chidiya Tapu is the southern most tip of South Andaman.
The lush green mangrove forests have numerous species of birds.
The Sylvan Sands and Munda pahar beaches make it an ideal picnic spot.
The forest guest house situated on top of a hillock provides a panoramic view of the isolated islands, submerged corals and you can see the breath-taking sunset.

Collinpur (36 kms. from Port Blair)
This beach, situated near Tirur, has a beautiful sandy beach with shallow water.
It is suitable for swimming, sun basking and sunset viewing.

Madhuban (75 kms. by road / 20 kms. by ferry and road from Port Blair)
This place, north east of South Andaman, is a trekker’s paradise.
You can see some exotic endemic birds, animals, butterflies and watch elephant
lumbering.

Mount Harriet (55 km, by road / 15 km by ferry and road from Port Blair)
This 365 metres high peak is the highest peak in South Andaman.
This was the summer headquarters of the Chief Commissioner during the British rule
and offers a fascinating view of the outer islands and the sea.
You can trek up to Madhuban through a nature trail and explore rare endemic birds, animals and butterflies. Islands

In a tropical paradise, you would naturally wish to see tropical islands.
And there are quite a few.

Jolly Buoy
This island in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park offers a breath taking
view of corals and underwater marine life.
It is an ideal place for scuba diving, snorkelling , sea bathing and basking on the
beautiful beaches.

Cinque Island
Here you have a sand bar joining two islands; beautiful underwater coral formations
and unspoilt beaches.
A good place for scuba diving, swimming, fishing and camping.

Red Skin Island
This is another island in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park with a nice beach.
It offers spectacular views of corals and marine life.

Havelock Island (38 Kms. from Port Blair)
This island is an idyllic resort with virgin beaches and unpolluted environment.
A very good place for camping.
The Tourist Department has a guest house “Dolphin Resort” for tourists.

Reaching there

Distances

Port Blair to Kolkatta 780 miles
Port Blair to Chennai 749 miles

There are numerous flights daily from Kolkatta and Chennai to Port Blair.
There are regular sailings from Kolkatta and Chennai to Port Blair.
But hardly any one goes by sea these days.

Accomodation

There are plenty of accommodation to suit all kinds of pockets and tastes.

A Modern Paradise

These islands shimmer in the Bay of Bengal like emeralds and are therefore called the Emerald Islands.

· 90% of the territory is under forest cover.

· About 50 % of the forests hace been set aside as Tribal Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

· Rich luxuriant mangroves occupy nearly 11.5 % of the territory.

· More than 150 plant and animal species are rife.

· Coconut, which grows in abundance, is the main item of trade and diet of the locals.

You can obtain a lot of information and help from the following two sites:
http://www.and.nic.in/
http://tourism.andaman.nic.in/accommodation.htm