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Coastal India
Region bordering the Indian coastline From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Coastal India is a geo-cultural region in the Indian subcontinent that spans the entire coastline of India.[1]
In 2024, the Indian total coastline was estimated to be 11,098.81 km.[2] Earlier in 1970, the National Hydrographic Office and Survey of India had calculated the coastline to be 7,516 km; as per the then existing techniques and technologies of measurement. As per 2024 data, Gujarat has the longest coastline with 2,340 km. The 2nd longest coastline belongs to Tamil Nadu with 1,068 km; followed by Andhra Pradesh with 1,053 km and West Bengal with 721 km.[2]
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Geography
Coastal India, lies with in Coastal South Asia and which in turn lies within Indo-Pacific. Coastal India is the coastal area of South India (also known as Peninsular India), and non-coastal area of South India is known as the Deccan Plateau. Coastal India's southern coast is bound by Laccadive Sea to the south and Deccan plateau to its north.
Eastern Coastal India
Eastern Coastal India's Eastern coast is bound by the Eastern Ghats to its west and Bay of Bengal in the east. Coastal states of India are on the eastern side are West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry union territories, Tamil Nadu, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Western Coastal India
Western Coastal India's is bound by Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east. Coastal state of India on the west side are Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu union territories, and Lakshadweep Islands.
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History
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Perspective
A thriving trade existed between the Mediterranean world and Coastal Indian regions [3][4][5][6] This led to significant intermingling between the people of Coastal India and the west asian world, particularly along the South West Indian Coastline along the Arabian Sea. Several west Asian communities have also settled and become part of the diversity of coastal south west India. These include the Parsis,[7] Bohras[8] and Baghdadi Jews[9] in the westernmost region, The descendants of west Asian and mediterranean traders like The Bearys of Kanara region and the Mappilas [10] along Malabar region, and the cochin jews[3][4][5][10][11][12][13] and Syriac Nasranis[3][4][5][10][11][12][13] along the southernmost region of South India. The Chola Empire established vast Tamil influence across South East Asian region [14][15][16] across Indonesia, Java, Bali, Sumatra, Malaysia and Singapore. This brought South Indian Heritage to Cambodia, Indonesia and Bali where the Balinese Hindu traditions still thrives. This also lead to intermingling between coastal India and the south east Asia particularly in the South eastern Cholamandalam coastline along the Bay of Bengal.
Maritime tarde routes from coastal India were responsible for the spread of Indian influence, thus creating the Greater India region which had sanskritised-Indosphere, especially in Southeast Asia, resulting in dissemination of Buddhism and Hinduism and Indianization of Southeast Asia. Today, Indian diaspora is world's largest diaspora.
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Culture
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The linguistic diversity of Coastal India includes languages of the Dravidian language family including Tamil, Telugu, Tulu, Malayalam, Beary and Kannada; languages belonging to the western zone of Indo Iranian language families including Gujarati, Marathi, Konkani, languages belonging to the central zone of the Indo-Iranian language families including Urdu and Persian and languages belonging to the eastern zone of Indo Iranian language family including Odia and Bengali. The region also has speakers of Semitic languages like Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic. The common elements of the people of coastal India includes cuisine that consists of agrarian and coastal products and clothing that involves long flowing drapes with bare midriff for both men and women suited for humid and warm climate.[17] Throughout coastal India women wear drapes called saree in various styles.[17] In the western corner of the region the drapes are called as Dhoti for men.[17] and Chaniya choli for women,[17] further southwards the drapes are called as lungi or mundu for men.[17] and veshti for women.[17] Towards the southernmost tip of coastal south western India the social system of inheritance was once matrilineal.[17][18][19][20][21] There are various festivals celebrated in the coastal states centered on deities.[22]
Economy
Ancient trading routes
Coastal India and its Indian Ocean trade since ancient times has facilitated several trading routes:
Modern shipping routes
- Westbound: India → Nine Degree Channel → Oman/Iran → Strait of Hormuz (Persian Gulf)
- Southwestbound: India → Socotra Gap → Red Sea/Suez Canal
- Eastbound: Middle East → Eight Degree Channel → Malacca Strait
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Channels
Bay of Bengal channels
Laccadive Sea channels
Arabian Sea channels
The Arabian Sea contains several significant shipping channels and straits that connect the Indian Ocean with the Persian Gulf and Red Sea:
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Museum
Gallery
Sunrise at Digha Beach.
Puri Beach as it viewed from a light House.
Marina Beach's Bird eye view.
Varkala Beach, Kerala is the highest Cliff beach in India.
Om Beach is known as one of seven important centers of pilgrimage in Hinduism.
Palolem Beach is a tourist destination in South Goa.
Somnath Temple with Veraval Beach in the background.
Promenade Beach at Night.
Wandoor Beach is an attraction of Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park.
Minicoy is an island in Lakshadweep.
Sunset at Devka Beach, Daman.
Scenic view of coastal plain fields near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
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See also
References
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