Kalpeni
Encyclopedia
Kalpeni is an inhabited island in the Union Territory
of Lakshadweep
, India
. It lies 71 km south of Androth and 201 km to the NNE of Minicoy
, with the broad Nine Degree Channel
between them. The uninhabited Suheli Par
atoll lies 139 km to the east of Kalpeni.
Kalpeni forms a single coral
atoll
along with the uninhabited islands of Cheriyam, Tilakkam and Pitti islet.
The eastern and southern shorelines of the island have accumulations of coral debris
, the result of a violent storm that hit the area in 1847.
Kalpeni was the first island in the Union Territory where women were allowed to go to school and get an education.
There is a 37 m high lighthouse
in Kalpeni from whose top one can see a bird's eye view of the island, the lagoon with the smaller islands, the reef and the surrounding ocean. From the top of the lighthouse, one can visualize the abundance of coconut trees and the ground is not visible due to dense packing of the tops of these trees.
Union Territory
A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the federal framework of governance. Unlike the states of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal government; the President of India appoints an Administrator or...
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...
, 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...
. It lies 71 km south of Androth and 201 km to the NNE of Minicoy
Minicoy
Minicoy, locally known as Maliku is a census town in the Indian union territory of Lakshadweep and was formerly a part of Maldive Islands.-Etymology:...
, with the broad Nine Degree Channel
Nine Degree Channel
The Nine Degree Channel is a channel in the Indian Ocean between the Laccadive Islands of Kalpeni and Suheli Par, and Maliku Atoll. These two subgroups of islands, together with the Amindivi Subgroup, form the Indian Union Territory of Lakshadweep....
between them. The uninhabited Suheli Par
Suheli Par
Suheli Par is a coral atoll in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It is located at , 52 km to the SW of Kavaratti, 76 km to the south of Agatti, 139 km to the west of Kalpeni and 205 km to the NNW of Minicoy, with the broad Nine Degree Channel between them. There are two uninhabited islands...
atoll lies 139 km to the east of Kalpeni.
Kalpeni forms a single coral
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...
along with the uninhabited islands of Cheriyam, Tilakkam and Pitti islet.
The eastern and southern shorelines of the island have accumulations of coral debris
Debris
Debris is rubble, wreckage, ruins, litter and discarded garbage/refuse/trash, scattered remains of something destroyed, or, in geology, large rock fragments left by a melting glacier etc. The singular form of debris is debris...
, the result of a violent storm that hit the area in 1847.
Kalpeni was the first island in the Union Territory where women were allowed to go to school and get an education.
Tourism
Kalpeni has a beach at the northern tip of the island called Tip Beach where one can do snorkelling, sea bath and kayaking. Because of the coral reefs present in the sea near the beach, the water is shallow and calm, making it an excellent spot for beach activities.There is a 37 m high lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Kalpeni from whose top one can see a bird's eye view of the island, the lagoon with the smaller islands, the reef and the surrounding ocean. From the top of the lighthouse, one can visualize the abundance of coconut trees and the ground is not visible due to dense packing of the tops of these trees.