New Delhi: Want to spend a summer holiday on India's islands? Well, there are many, apart from the Lakshyadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. India has a total of more than 600 individual islands spread over Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and other parts of India. Here we present a list of 10 must see islands of India:1. Willingdon Island (Artificial Island)Willingdon Island in the state of Kerala forms a part of the city of Kochi. Much of the present Willingdon Island was claimed from the Lake of Kochi, filling dredged soil around a previously existing tiny island in 1936 during the construction of Kochi Port. The Willingdon Island holds significance because it is home to Port of Kochi, Kochi Naval Base and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology. This island is a very popular tourist attraction. 2. Crocodile Island Central Island, also known as Crocodile Island, is a volcanic island located in the middle of Lake Turkana in Kenya. It is also the location of Central Island National Park, which is governed by the Kenya Wildlife Service.It is composed of more than a dozen craters and cones, three of which are filled by small lakes. The two largest lakes partially fill craters up to a kilometre wide and about 80 m deep, the floors of which are near sea level. The highest point on the dominantly basaltic island reaches 550 m, about 190 m above the lake surface. 3. Great Nicobar IslandGreat Nicobar Island located in the Bay of Bengal is the southernmost Island of the Andaman & Nicobar group of islands. The island covers an area of 1045 sq. km and is sparsely populated. It is mostly covered by rainforest and is known for its diverse wildlife. Indira Point located at its southern tip is also the southernmost tip of India. Indira point has a cast iron light house. 4. New Moore Island (Submerged Island)New Moore Island (South Talpatti) was a small uninhibited island in Sunderbands off the coast of Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta region. It emerged in the aftermath of Bhola cyclone in 1970. This island covered an area of 2500 sq. meters. Both India and Bangladesh argued over the claim over this small sandbar in the Bay of Bengal. In 2010, it was discovered that the island had completely submerged possibly due to global warming.5. Dhanushkodi Island (India's Ghost Town)Dhanushkodi was a small island at the southern tip of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. Dhanushkodi has the only land border between India and Sri Lanka. The island was completely washed out in the cyclone of 17 December, 1964. Before the cyclone, Dhanushkodi was a popular tourist spot and a pilgrimage town. There were hotels, shops, dharamshalas serving pilgrims, railway station, higher secondary school, post office, customs and port offices. During the cyclone a train carrying 115 passengers was washed away killing everyone onboard. Following the aftermath of the disaster, government declared Dhanushkodi a ghost town and unfit for living.6. Loktak Lake Islands (Floating Islands)Loktak Lake located in the state of Manipur is the largest freshwater lake in northeast India. It is also called the only floating lake in the world due to the floating phumdis. Phumdis are a mass of vegetation, soil and other organic matter that accumulate over a period of time that resemble a landmass that float freely in the lake. The largest floating island covers an area of 40 sq. km. and constitutes the world's largest floating park, Keibul Lamjao National Park. 7. Majuli Island (India's largest river island)Majuli Island located in Brahmaputra river in Assam is India's largest river island. The island covered a total area of 1250 sq. km., but has been reduced to an area of less than 450 sq. km in recent years, largely due to floods and erosion. It is located 200 km east of Guwahati. The island houses many east Indian Tribes with villages numbering 144 and a population of 1,50,000. The island is connected to mainland only with a ferry operating twice daily. 8. Barren IslandBarren island located in Bay of Bengal is the most easterly island of Andaman. It is the only active volcano in South Asia. The island is located 135 km northeast of the capital of Andaman, Port Blair. The first recorded eruption of the volcano dates back to 1787. Since then the volcano has erupted more than 10 times, the most recent of which was in September 2010 that continued through January 2011 spewing lava and ash. Approximately 150 km northeast of Barren Island is Narcondum.9. Cross IslandCross Island is an uninhabited island located in Mumbai harbour.. The island is host to an oil refinery and several large gas holders.Cross Island, bearing the ruins of a fort is located about 400 m from Ferry Wharf on the east coast of Mumbai. The island is locally known as Chinal Tekdi.It is sparsely inhabited by fisher folk although it seems to have no natural source of fresh water. At the base of the fort, some brick and mortar construction lies in dilapidated condition. It is obviously more recent as compared to the fort and seems to have been deserted by the occupants for unknown reasons. 10. North Sentinel Island North Sentinel Island located in the Bay of Bengal lies west to the archipelago of Andaman Islands. Most of the island is heavily forested, surrounded by coral reefs and it lacks a natural harbor. The island is popular due to the Sentinelse people, who inhabit the island. They reject any contact with any outsider to the island and are among the last people to remain virtually untouched by modern civilization. The islanders survived the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that led to uplifting of the island. Various expeditions have been ordered to establish friendly contact with the tribe by presenting them with coconuts, buckets, dolls, pigs and metal pots.
