Minicoy, the southernmost island, and the only place in India where Mahal is spoken

Background

Minicoy is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep, 398 km (215 nautical miles) south-west of Kochi, with a land area of 4.80 sq km and a lagoon of 30.60 sq km. It lies near the Nine Degree Channel, one of the busiest shipping routes, and about 130 km from the northernmost island of the Maldives; the closest land to it is Thuraakunu island in the Maldives, about 100 km to the south across the Vangaaru Channel. The island is crescent shaped, about 11 km long, and is the second largest in the territory. Its lighthouse, one of the oldest in the islands, was constructed in 1885. Minicoy is set apart from the northern group of islands by its culture: its ten villages, called Avah, each have their own village house and internal organisation, and the languages spoken are Hindi, English, Malayalam and Mahal, the people of Minicoy being the only Mahal-speaking linguistic minority in India.