The Coastal Plains and Islands

The Indian Peninsula is surrounded by sea on three sides. This region is bounded by various hills called the Western and the Eastern Ghats. Between the Ghats and the sea, there are narrow coastal plains. India is blessed with a long coastline. It stretches along the Southern Plateau on both the western and the eastern sides. These coastal plains are bordered by the Arabian Sea in the west and the Bay of Bengal in the east. India's coastline is divided into two parts - The Western Coastal Plains and The Eastern Coastal Plains.

1. Western Coastal Plains - The Western Coastal Plains begin from the Gulf of Kachchh in the west. They move forward along the border of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala and reach Kanyakumari. Thus, the Western Coastal Plains lie between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea. Kandla, Mumbai and Cochin are the seaports along the western coast. 

The Western Coastal Plains can be divided into three parts: (a) The Gujarat Coast - It runs along the state of Gujarat. It is quite broad in north and gets narrow towards the south. In Gujarat, the land is flat. The Gulf of Khambhat and the Gulf of Kachchh are located in this coast. The Mahi and the Sabarmati rivers flow through this region. 

(b) The Konkan Coast - The middle part of the Western Coastal Plains is the Konkan Coast which starts from the Gulf of Khambhat and stretches up to Goa. It is rocky and uneven. There are many bays all along the coast. The rocks are hidden under water. Lighthouses have been built to warn ships and boats against rocks in the water. 

(c) The Malabar Coast - The southern part of the Western Coastal Plains is known as the Malabar Coast. It is wider than the Konkan Coast, and lies between Goa and Kanyakumari. Malabar Coast is famous for its lagoons especially in Kerala. The climate along this coast is hot and humid throughout the year. This coast is always very green due to the heavy rainfall. People here grow tobacco, bananas, coconuts, rice, cashew nuts, pepper, cloves, coffee, etc. 

Life in the Western Coastal Plains - The western coastal region of India includes the state of Gujarat, Maharashtra coast, Goa, Karnataka coast, Kerala and the union territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Lakshadweep Islands. You have already read about Maharashtra and Karnataka in the previous chapter. Let us study here about the rest of the states. 

Gujarat - Gujarat lies in the north-western corner of peninsular India. Gandhinagar is the capital of Gujarat. Gujarat is divided into three distinct geographical areas - Saurashtra, Rann of Kachchh and mainland. The Sabarmati, Mahi, Narmada and Tapi are the major rivers flowing through Gujarat. The climate is hot in summer and cold in winter. Gujarat receives less rain. 

Occupation - Agriculture is the main occupation here. The soil in these plains is black which is suitable for growing cotton. The main food crops grown here are bajra, jowar, rice and wheat. The cash crops include cotton, groundnuts, tobacco, oilseeds, spices, sugarcane and fruits. Dairy farming is an important industry in Gujarat. Amul factory is located at Anand in Gujarat. Milk and milk products are produced here. Gujarat is also a major salt-producing state. Gujarat is also famous for textiles and diamond industries. Gujarat has a well developed khadi industry in the villages. The modern textile industry is located in Ahmedabad. Ankleshwar, Mehsana, Cambay, Kalol and the oil region at Koyali are the places where the exploration and production of oil and natural gas takes place. Lifestyle Gujarati, Urdu, Marathi and Sindhi are the languages spoken by the people of Gujarat. They wear dhoti-kurta and a Gandhi cap. Women wear saree in typical style. Garba and Dandiya dances of Gujarat are very famous. The favourite dishes here are dhokla, bhakri and shrikhand. People in Gujarat like to add sugar in almost all the dishes. Navratri is their main festival. 

Famous Places - The historical Sabarmati Ashram of Gandhiji is also located here. Bhavnagar and Surat are famous for diamond cutting industry. Porbandar is famous because it is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. Kandla is a newly-built port in Gujarat. 

Gujarat Special - Gujarat has four national parks and 11 wildlife sanctuaries. The Gir Forest National Park is famous for Asiatic lions. The embroidery work with mirrors is famous of Gujarat. 

Daman and Diu - Daman and Diu is a small union territory located to the south of Gujarat. There are two districts - Daman and Diu. Daman is the capital. Earlier, they were under the Portuguese rule. They got liberated in 1961. Being near the sea, fishing is the main occupation of the people. Gujarati and Marathi are spoken widely here. Devka beach in Daman and Nagia beach in Diu are the tourist places.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli - Dadra and Nagar Haveli lie near the western coast intercepted by the territory of Gujarat. It is a union territory with two districts - Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Dadra has 3 villages and Nagar Haveli has 69 villages. Silvassa is the capital of this union territory. Like Daman and Diu, this union territory was also ruled by the Portuguese till 1961. On 11th August, 1961, it became free and was merged in the Indian Union as a union territory. Many tribes live here. Their main occupation is farming. Rice and ragi are the main crops. Bili, Bhilodi, Gujarati and Hindi are the languages spoken here. The nearest airport is at Mumbai. 

Goa - Goa is located on the Konkan coast. Goa is a clean and green place. Like Daman and Diu, Goa was also under Portuguese rule till it became free. It is a small beautiful place which has recently been accorded the status of a full-fledged state. Earlier, it was also a union territory. The capital of Goa is Panaji. The main rivers that flow through Goa are the Mandvi, Zauri Terekhol, Chapra and Betul. 

Occupation - Fishing is the main occupation here. Paddy is the main agricultural crop here. The other crops are ragi, areca nut, cashew nut and coconut. Goa is rich in iron ore deposits. 

Lifestyle - Konkani is the official language. However, many people speak Marathi. The effect of many years of Portugal rule is still evident in Goa as many people speak Portuguese. Festivals like Christmas, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali and Navratri are celebrated here. 

Famous Places - The Basilica of Born Jesus, where the body of St Francis Xavier is kept, is the famous church of Goa. Mahalakshmi Temple is also a famous tourist attraction in Goa. Marmagao is the main harbour in Goa. Vasco da Gama is the largest city here. 

Goa Special - Goa Carnival is held in the month of February. For three days and nights, the streets of Goa come alive with colour. It is marked by lively processions, floats, the strumming of guitars, graceful dances and of non-stop festivity 

Kerala - Kerala is in the extreme south-west corner of India. It is bounded by the Annamalai and the Cardamom Hills in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west.  This beautiful state is situated on the Malabar Coast extending up to Kanyakumari. Its capital is Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala receives heavy rainfall. The climate is moderate, neither too hot nor too cold. 

Occupation - Fishing and farming are the main occupations. Along the seacoast, there are a number of saltwater lakes called lagoons which are connected by canals. They are very useful for fishermen. Rice is the main food crop of Kerala. In India, the maximum production of coconut, rubber, cocoa, coffee, and spices is in Kerala. Cashew and coir are two of the largest and traditional industries in the state. 

Lifestyle - Men wear their traditional dress of dhoti-shirt and women wear saree-blouse. Women of Kerala are very fond of decorating their hair with flowers. Malayalam is the main language spoken in Kerala. The staple food of Kerala is rice and fish. Onam is the main festival of Kerala. It is marked with boat races and dances. Two important dances of Kerala are Kathakali and Mohiniattam which have themes associated with Ramayana and Mahabharata. 

Famous Places - It is the land of temples, mosques and churches. Sabarimala is a famous pilgrim centre which is the abode of Lord Ayyappa. Kalady in Ernakulam district is the birthplace of Sri Shankaracharya. Kochi and Kozhikode are the two major cities which are located in the coastal area. Kochi is the major port. Kovalam Beach is an important tourist place.

Kerala Special - Kerala is a land of rivers and backwaters. Forty-four rivers cut across Kerala with their many tributaries. Snake-boat races are a special attraction of Kerala. Kerala's handicrafts are very famous. They are beautiful articles made from shells, wood, ivory, stone and other metals.

The Eastern Coastal Plains - From Kanyakumari, the eastern coastal line moves northwards along the border of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal. This part of the coastline moves along the Bay of Bengal. The Eastern Coastal Plains lie between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It is much wider than the Western Coastal Plains. There are two main parts of the Eastern Coastal Plains.

(a) The Northern Circars - The northern part of the Eastern Coastal Plains between the Mahanadi and the Krishna rivers is called the Northern Circars. 

(b) The Coromandel Coast - The southern part of the Eastern Coastal Plains between the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers is known as the Coromandel Coast. Most of the rivers of this area form big deltas. These deltas make the area very fertile. Hence, it is called the 'Rice Bowl of India'. Visakhapatnam and Chennai are the important ports in this area. 

Life in the Eastern Coastal Plains - The states which lie along the coast of Bay of Bengal are: West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Orissa and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. You have already read about West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in previous chapters. Let us study about the rest of the states in the Eastern Coastal Plains. 

Odisha - Odisha is located towards the south-west of West Bengal. The Mahanadi River forms the largest delta on the coast of Odisha. The northern and central parts of Odisha are plateaus.. Three rivers flow here - the Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani. Bhubaneshwar is the capital of Odisha.

Occupation - The people of Odisha are engaged in farming, fishing and industries. Rice, pulses, oilseeds, jute, sugarcane, coconut and turmeric are the important crops of the state. Many tribal people make bidis with tendu leaves as they are easily available here. Cuttack is the main business and industrial city of Odisha. 

Lifestyle - Oriya is the main language of the people. The popular dress of men is dhoti-kurta and women wear saree-blouse. Odissi is the dance form of Odisha which is based on Natyashastra. 

Famous Places - Paradip is the seaport. Famous Chilka Lake is also located in Odisha. Many migratory birds come here every year. The temples of Puri and Konark are known for their carvings and great sculpture. Lingaraja Temple, Mukteshwar Temple and a number of Buddhist rock-cut caves are also famous for their great architecture. 

Odisha Special - Puri is famous for its annual Rath Yatra of Lord jagannatha at Puri Temple. The textile and silver work of Cuttack is very famous. The world's largest dam, the Hirakud Dam is built here on the Mahanadi. 

Puducherry - To the south of Chennai in Tamil Nadu lies the union territory of Puducherry. It lies on the Coromandel Coast. Its capital is Puducherry. Puducherry was ruled by the French for many years even at the time when most of the parts of India were under British rule. Earlier, it was known as Pondicherry.

Occupation - Farming is the major occupation here. They grow rice, sugarcane, oilseeds and coconuts. 

Lifestyle - The influence of French culture can still be seen on the lifestyle of people here. People speak Tamil and French in Puducherry.

Famous Places - Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a very famous place. Auroville, the City of Dawn, is the main attraction of Puducherry. It is famous for Maitri Mandir. 

The Islands - An island is a piece of land surrounded by water on all sides. India has a large number of islands. There are two main groups of islands in India. However, these islands are quite far from the seacoasts.

Life on the Islands - The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep Islands are the two island groups in India. These islands are quite far from India's coastal region. 

Lakshadweep Islands - Off the Malabar Coast, in the Arabian Sea is the Lakshadweep group of islands. It consists of small, horseshoe shaped 36 islands in the Arabian Sea out of which only 10 are inhabited. These islands are made of coral reefs. Kavaratti is the capital of the Lakshadweep Islands. They are not very far from the coastal city Kochi. Banana, papaya, colocasia, guava, drumstick, wild almond, coconut and jack fruit grow here in abundance. Fishing is the major occupation of the people here. Coconut is the major crop. Malayalam is the language spoken here. Thousands of tourists come here every year to enjoy the scenic beauty. 

Andaman and Nicobar Islands - The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are considered a part of overseas possessions of India. On 1st November, 1956, these islands were constituted into a union territory of India. Port Blair is the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This island group is situated in the Bay of Bengal. It is a group of about 572 big and small islands. A majority of them are uninhabited and thickly forested. Most of the islands (about 550) are in the Andaman group, out of which 26 are permanently inhabited. The smaller Nicobar Islands comprise-some 22 main islands, out of which only 10 are inhabited. These islands are of volcanic origin. Barren Island is located here. It is the only active volcano found in India. 

Occupation - Rice, maize, pineapple, coconut, rubber and teak are the main products grown here. Fishing is another major occupation and a good source of income. Since large scale development of industries is not possible in these islands, fisheries, tourism and ship repairing are the small industries which provide jobs for the local people. 

Lifestyle - People from different parts of India live here and speak different languages. Mostly people here speak Bengali, Hindi, Nicobari, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. The tribals speak their local dialects. Some very old tribes still live in thick forests and follow their own culture. They collect their food from the forest only and do not mix with the new civilisation.

Famous Places - One of the most famous and historic monuments is the Cellular jail in which many Indian freedom fighters were kept during the Independence Movement. Before independence, these islands were referred to as Kala Pani, During British rule, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru also spent some time on these islands locked in the Cellular Jail. Port Blair is also a port which is linked to Kolkata and Chennai by air and sea routes. 

Andaman and Nicobar Special - The extreme southern point of the Indian Union, which is called the Indira Point, is in these islands.

The Coastal Plains and Islands

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