Silver Beach (India)
Encyclopedia
Silver Beach is a beach on the southeast coast of India
. It is located 2 km (1.2 mi) from downtown Cuddalore
, the headquarters of Cuddalore district
in the state
of Tamil Nadu
. Silver Beach, however, is untouched by the busy life of the city. It is the second longest beach on the Coromandel Coast
and one of the longest beaches in Asia
. The 57 km-long stretch of beach faces severe seafront erosion.
forests teeming with birds. On the coast there is century-old lighthouse
. A few resorts have sprung up in the area. Most of these are sponsored by the state government for promoting tourism.
. An arts college, Periyar College of Arts and Science, is situated near the beach. There are summer festivals celebrated in Silver Beach yearly during April or May.
, Tamil Nadu. The death toll at Silver Beach was more than 2,700.
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 is located 2 km (1.2 mi) from downtown Cuddalore
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
, the headquarters of Cuddalore district
Cuddalore District
Cuddalore District is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The city of Cuddalore is the district headquarters. For the first time, urn burial grave goods were found in the village of Marungur in the district, carrying inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi from the 1st century...
in the state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. Silver Beach, however, is untouched by the busy life of the city. It is the second longest beach on the Coromandel Coast
Coromandel Coast
The Coromandel Coast is the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian Subcontinent between Cape Comorin and False Divi Point...
and one of the longest beaches in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The 57 km-long stretch of beach faces severe seafront erosion.
Water sports
To the south of the beach the South Cuddalore Bay area appears as if it is a separate island. The backwater separating the main beach from the island-like structure is a safe place for water sports. Boats are available to rent.Mangrove
To the west a river flows into dense mangroveMangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
forests teeming with birds. On the coast there is century-old 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....
. A few resorts have sprung up in the area. Most of these are sponsored by the state government for promoting tourism.
Forts in the beach
Silver Beach is also the location of Fort St. David, which has a long history as one of the three important forts built by the British EmpireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. An arts college, Periyar College of Arts and Science, is situated near the beach. There are summer festivals celebrated in Silver Beach yearly during April or May.
Tsunami
The beach was struck by the 2004 Asian tsunami. It was the second most heavily affected area, after NagapattinamNagapattinam
Nagapattinam is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Nagapattinam District. It is a prominent seaport on the east coast of India and an important centre of trade and commerce.The town of Nagapattinam dates back to the Sangam period...
, Tamil Nadu. The death toll at Silver Beach was more than 2,700.