Bitra
Encyclopedia
Bitra or Bitrā Par is a coral
atoll
belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep
in India
, 33 km to the north of Perumal Par
and 41 km to the southeast of Byramgore Reef
. The island of Bitra is located at the northern end of the Bitrā Par coral reef.
Prior to the 20th century islanders from Kiltan
and Chetlat visited the island to collect the eggs of pelagic birds 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 site of pilgrimage.
The 2001 census determined that only 267 people made this island their home, thus being officially the least populated among the inhabited islands in Lakshadweep. Bangaram Island is oficially uninhabited, although 61 people (mainly resort staff) lived there according to the 1991 census.
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep , formerly known as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, is a group of islands in the Laccadive Sea, 200 to 440 km off the coast of the South West Indian state of Kerala...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 33 km to the north of Perumal Par
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 is located at , 33 km south of Bitra Par and 25 km to the northwest of Bangaram Atoll....
and 41 km to the southeast of Byramgore Reef
Byramgore Reef
Byramgore Reef, also known as Chereapani Reef , is a coral atoll belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is located 33 km south of Cherbaniani Reef and 41 km to the northwest of Bitrā Par, in the northwestern area of Lakshadweep at . The whole...
. The island of Bitra is located at the northern end of the Bitrā Par coral reef.
Prior to the 20th century islanders from Kiltan
Kiltan
Kiltan Island is a coral island belonging to the Amindivi Subgroup of islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago in India. It is located 47 km to the northeast of Amini Island and 37 km to the southeast of Chetlat Island...
and Chetlat visited the island to collect the eggs of pelagic birds 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 site of pilgrimage.
The 2001 census determined that only 267 people made this island their home, thus being officially the least populated among the inhabited islands in Lakshadweep. Bangaram Island is oficially uninhabited, although 61 people (mainly resort staff) lived there according to the 1991 census.