Mangroves: April 2020

" Get ready for the trip immediately " I received a phone call from the Higher Secondary Directorate. My long time dream of traveling to Lakshadweep is about to come true.

The first voyage of life to the peninsula. I have been assigned to Minicoy Island by the Examination Department. Knowing that, I have started searching in Google and YouTube for information about the island of Minicoy. ”

"Minicoy or Maliki is an island in the Lakshadweep community. Maliki Island is culturally closer to Maldives than Lakshadweep. The 9o channel separates Maliki Island from other islands." It is a place where there are a few innocent people who speak the Mahal language. I started preparing for the trip.

19 -02 -2020, Cochin

The screening for the cruise is over. The ship MV Minicoy, scheduled to leave at precisely three o'clock, is delayed indefinitely for some technical reason. After waiting some time, exactly 6 pm MV Minicoy started the journey from Kochi to the island. Minicoy Island is about 400 km from Kochi.

The ship MV Minicoy

126 passengers including myself on the ship. Though I was allotted a first-class ticket, my fellow traveler, GSSS Minikoy, Principal of the school, GK. Muhammad Sir invited me to his Honor's Cabin (GK later explained to me that the Owner's Cabin is a ship's owner's all-encompassing cabin.)

The sea has been quiet since the journey began. However, since the first voyage, there was little discomfort. GK was constantly looking for my comfort. He arranged for me the tea and other food I needed. As of this writing, the taste of tuna fish and Minicoy specialties has not changed. You have to learn from GK what hospitality is.

Live Minicoy ( Video Part1 )

GK is what the locals call GK. Muhammad sir. GK can dominate anyone's mind with kindful behavior. I turned the cabin's side curtain and looked out. The day is dark. There is only occasional light in small distances .

The sea around …… The voyage convinces us how insignificant the man is. (In the absence of modern amenities, we sail to Europe and elsewhere without knowing the SK Pottekad who shared the sights we had).

Late at night, I continued to ask GK about Minicoy's specialty. It was twelve o'clock in the night when we didn't know how to talk. The ship is slightly shaking. Looking out the window, the sea is slightly irritated. I was scared for the first time on the trip. Unconsciously, I went to bed. Sometime in the last hours of the night, I go to sleep .......

GK and Me

I woke up when GK called for Subahi * prayer. Over time, I have grown to love and respect him. After prayer, I boarded the ship deck. We witnessed the rare sight of the sun rising from the sea.

We have now reached the middle of the sea. GK introduced me to the ship captain. A Fort Kochi man. I talked with him a little bit about ship navigation. The current fleet uses modern equipment like GPS. From his talk, I learned that there is still a 5-6 hour journey.

sun rising from the sea

I am fond of travel descriptions. It is being shared here that I am a fan of S K Pottekad and Santhosh George Kulangara. Now I realize how realistic SK's words are that each journey is a one-on-one experience.

"Seen is beautiful and unseen is more beautiful "

From the deck of the ship, we could see some of the land. The blue of the sea is mixed with the green light.....A sailboat approached the ship's anchor. The descent of the rope into the boat is a difficult task. When the foot slipped into the deep sea .........

After loading up all the passengers and their luggage, the boat headed towards the Minicoy boat jetty.

The glass-like sea was a new experience for me. By sitting on the side seat of the boat, you could see the coral reefs under the sea. Its colorful fish is beyond my imagination ....

Panoramic sandy shores

As the boat approached the shore, the only peaks of the island began to appear. The boat was close to the jetty. There were very few vehicles in the jetty, only one or two cars and motorbikes countable. There is also an ambulance parked to transport any sick people. I and GK Sir got off the boat with the Travel bag.

Panoramic sandy shores

The ambulance, which was parked at a distance, came to us and the driver got down, took the travel bag and luggage back to the ambulance. (I was later told that this ambulance was the only system on the island for transporting people on official duty).

The battered women's police

The battered women's police, I had the first time in my life. Total police station on the island. They have one station officer and five to ten policemen on the island of Minicoy who are in charge of law and order. Those who come from outside the island for official duty must report to the police station before the SHO.

Islanders who love to entertain

From the time I landed on the island, I knew what the island was like. Food items lacking tuna on Minikoy Island are few and far between. (Tuna fish is also an important source of finance Canned tuna, tuna fermented masks, tuna pickles, tuna whips, and Bondu (the big goaty-like delicacies are all shipped here and there).

Tuna Fish

Most of the Tuna fish lives in the tropical oceans, though some canes are found in the cold ocean. There are many different types of Tuna. The largest species is the Pacific Bluefin Tuna, which can weigh up to four meters and weigh up to eight hundred kilograms.

Minicoy Villages

The population of the eleven villages on the island of Minicoy is approximately 12,000. Every village has an elder and an elder. The village manager is the elder. Everyone unanimously chooses the elder. Every village is obliged to obey the elder. Each village is separated by a short walk. Minicoy is still the norm in the island.

An island wedding

test duty has passed ... The ship to the country is only four days away. There are some unlucky people, as Benjamin said.

In the morning, GK Sir phoned me. Sir said we were going to have a wedding. Going without a wedding call? I hesitated at first. In the end, GK decided to compromise.

It is the wedding of the teacher of the school. Most of to prepare for a full-conservatism. All the same dress for the wedding ladies. And that is a very simple dress code ... to realize that our country's boasting has not yet arrived. The cost of the full wedding line of the house ... female home furniture, clothing line and an ornament of Belonging to the household. The girls don't have to be a burden to the household ... (mind you, It is not an easy task to go island and get a girl ..). Good fish biryani ... Mind blowing experience...

Dollipat

Dollipat is a Soofi music occassionaly used in various islands in lakshadweep..

Diversity of Nature

Nature has always surprised me. On the island of Minicoy, there is a fruit of the same kind as the berries that we call in our country. A 'Potika' Make Over .. Wondering how nature is all set !!

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