BITRA ISLAND

Located 483km from Cochin, this is the least inhabited island in the Union Territory. A small shrine dedicated to Malik Mulla, an old Arab Saint, who is said to have been buried here, is a place of pilgrimage.

Bitra island used to be covered by thick shrubs and was the breeding ground for sea birds. In the early 19th century the birds left the place due to human interference. Sir Robinson who visited the islands in 1848 heard the people say that the birds had lived on Bitra till around 1835. Terns are also found on the Pitti island. People visited this island to collect the eggs.

The island was frequently visited by fishermen from Kiltan and Chetlat but it was only in 1909 that an attempt was made to settle some families on this islet. By 1935 the population had increased. It is said that the first permanent settler was a woman from Chetlat, who with her son, set up permanently by 1945.