Bitra, the smallest inhabited island of Lakshadweep: 0.105 sq km of land inside a 45.61 sq km lagoon

Background

The Lakshadweep Administration records Bitra as the smallest inhabited island in the territory, with a land area of 0.105 sq km. It is 0.57 km long and 0.28 km wide at its broadest point, but its lagoon covers 45.61 sq km. Bitra lies at 11 degrees 36 minutes North and 72 degrees 11 minutes East, 483 km or 261 nautical miles from Kochi. The recorded population is 271. The administration notes that before 1835 the island was a breeding ground for seabirds. The first permanent settler was a woman from Chetlat who, with her son, set up a house there around 1945. A small shrine to Malik Mulla, an Arab saint said to be buried there, draws pilgrims from the neighbouring islands.