Passengers travelling by sea route from the mainland to Lakshadweep can now reach their destination five hours sooner. On Thursday, the high-speed vessel "Parali" ferried 160 passengers from Lakshadweep Islands to the Mangaluru old port in just seven hours, compared to the earlier 13 hours, on an experimental basis.
The first batch of tourists on the 'HSC Parali' said that it was a different experience and that the new vessel has not only high-speed connectivity but is also smoother by far than the earlier vessels that were modified to ferry passengers from cargo carriers.
The Lakshadweep Islands Tourism Development Authority, formed under the Central Tourism Ministry, have started the Mangalore-Lakshadweep tourist liner service after a few trial runs last week. However, it is not known how rough the sea will be once the monsoon starts. The LITDA has already ramped up facilities at the receiving point in Kadmatt, which is the nearest port of arrival from the mainland, according to officials.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lakshadweep Island earlier this year, the island administration (union territory) took many steps to improve the connectivity between the mainland at Kochi and at Mangaluru.
According to the officials, this is the first step in making it easier for people of Lakshadweep to arrive in Mangaluru for several types of tourism, including western ghats eco-tourism, educational, health and recreation tourism in the mainland.
Karnataka and Lakshadweep share a common history since 1783 as Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan protected the entry of mainland marauders into Lakshadweep Islands and prevented them from pillaging the island paradise. However, after 1799, when Tippu Sultan died in Srirangapatnam near Mysore, the people of Lakshadweep lost their freedom again as the British conquered the islands.
The beautiful cluster of small islands, Lakshadweep, is one of the world's most spectacular tropical island systems. Thirty-two square kilometres of land spread over 36 islands surrounded by 4,200 square kilometres of lagoon are rich in marine wealth. The heritage of ecology and culture is supported by an extremely fragile ecosystem.
Committed to the cause of eco-tourism, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep has consciously followed a middle path between tourism promotion and environmental conservation. The administration is carefully monitoring the environmental impact of coastal tourism and has taken steps to promote tourism in a way that is consistent with ecological concerns.
The first passenger vessel 'M.V.Aminidevi' set sail for Kadmatt island in Lakshadweep Islands on 6 November with 150 tourists in 2010. This opened new horizons in tourism for Karnataka. Earlier, this circuit was very circuitous for the people in the interior parts of Karnataka, but the new initiative will help high-value tourists from Bangalore, Mysore, Panaji, and Mumbai to use Mangalore as a port of departure to Lakshadweep.
The authorities have already prepared ultra-modern tourism facilities in three islands out of the nine that are closer to Mangalore in terms of navigation. The two islands of Minicoy and Kalpeni are closer to Kochi. At Kadmatt, water sports like snorkelling, kayaking, diving, cruising, and a combination of tourist activities, including the local and world culinary attractions, have been arranged.
The authority is hoping that tourists from Bengaluru will take advantage of this facility. Earlier, they had to go to Kochi. IT and business tourists can travel to Lakshadweep at a cost of INR 5,000 per head on this ship. The travel time is less than 14 hours, and if they can squeeze in three days, the authorities have devised a weekend package that is very rejuvenating, said an official from the Union Territory Authority of Lakshadweep Islands.
Earlier, only a cargo ship 'Tipu Sultan' was plying between the Islands and the mainland. This route is stated to be one of the oldest in Indian maritime history.
Accommodation in Minicoy, Kalpeni, Kadmatt, and Aminidevi is limited, and the ship will take tourists only when there is accommodation available on the islands. However, the rush has already begun as tourists from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Baroda, and other places are booking their seats. They will treat Mangaluru as a port of departure, according to officials.
(With inputs from PTI)