Las Islas Bonitas

Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy Found a Small Cluster of Islands in Karnataka to ‘hop’, Which Also Happen to Be Jewels of India’s Maritime Past

If you’ve always wondered about island life, ask someone who mans a lighthouse on a remote island and gets to visit the mainland only once a month for supplies. For romanticists, an island quest means marine adventure. For Govind, the caretaker at Oyster Rock Lighthouse on Devgad, it is a lonely vigil shared by another attendant. Their sole responsibility is the daily maintenance of the lighthouse, so that it can efficiently help vessels navigate the high seas at night.

We were visiting a group of five islands within a radius of 5–10 miles from the mainland—the only such cluster along the 5,700km Indian coastline—consisting of Kurumgad, Devgad (Oyster Rock), Madhyalingad (Sanyasi island), Puttadweepa and Anjediva. They shelter the coast from winds and storms, making Karwar an all-season harbour. Arabian seafarers called Karwar’s port Baithkol (Bait-e-kol, Arabic for ‘Bay of Safety’). It is claimed to be one of the world’s three natural ports and the safest too. In 150CE, Ptolemy accurately mapped the position of Anjediva. Great powers vied to control this strategic nook—from Arab sailors, the sultans of Bijapur, the Vijayanagar empire, the Sonda dynasty, the Marathas, Tipu Sultan, to the Portuguese and the British.

The island that was once Devaragudda or ‘god’s hillock’ became Devgad over time. Then the British named it Oyster Rock after finding its rocky fringes full of oysters. Today, a cannon and the 1864 British stonemasonry lighthouse remains. It looms 66-ft high and its beam can be seen from 37km away.

Govind took great care of the polished antique lights, gleaming copper oilcans and spectacular mirrored discs. He led us up the smooth teak steps out onto the slim balcony and said, “It’s peaceful here.” Among the waves were just a few boats silhouetted against the horizon as fishing eagles pirouetted over their eyries.