Culture & History
For over a thousand years, the people of Lakshadweep have built a world apart — a culture forged from Islam, the ocean, and the coconut palm, unlike anything else in India.
An island civilisation unlike any other
Lakshadweep's culture is the product of extraordinary isolation. Separated from the Indian mainland by 200–400 km of open sea, these coral atolls developed their own language, architecture, music, cuisine, and social order — shaped by the rhythms of the monsoon, the demands of deep-sea fishing, and the teachings of Islam that arrived here in the 7th century CE.
Today, the islands are home to around 65,000 people — almost entirely Muslim, speaking Jeseri (also called Dweep Bhasha) in the northern islands and Mahl (a dialect of Dhivehi, closely related to Maldivian) in Minicoy. The culture is matrilineal in many islands, meaning property and family identity pass through the mother's line — a tradition that gives women a central role in island society.
1,400+
years of recorded history
Through the centuries
A brief history
7th century CE
Arrival of Islam
According to tradition, the Arab saint Ubaidullah brought Islam to Lakshadweep in the 7th century CE. The islands converted peacefully, and Islam has been the defining force of island culture ever since. The oldest mosques in the archipelago date to this era.
1498
Portuguese contact
Vasco da Gama's fleet encountered the islands during his voyage to India. The Portuguese attempted to establish control over the islands' strategic position on the spice trade routes, leading to decades of conflict with the local population.
1787
British administration
The islands came under British East India Company control, later becoming part of the Madras Presidency. The British built the famous Minicoy lighthouse in 1885 — still operational today — and established the administrative structures that persist in modified form.
1956
Union Territory
After Indian independence, Lakshadweep was constituted as a Union Territory in 1956, separating it from the state of Kerala. The islands have been governed directly by the central government ever since, with a resident Administrator appointed by the President of India.
Today
A protected culture
Strict entry permit requirements and limits on land ownership by non-islanders have helped preserve Lakshadweep's culture and ecology. The islands remain one of the most intact indigenous cultures in India — a living civilisation, not a museum exhibit.
How the islands live
Traditions & way of life
Matrilineal society
In most Lakshadweep islands, society is organised along matrilineal lines — property, family name, and inheritance pass through the mother. Women own the family home and land. This tradition, rare in Muslim communities worldwide, gives Lakshadweep women a social standing and economic independence that is remarkable in the Indian context. Marriages are celebrated with elaborate ceremonies, and the groom traditionally moves into the bride's family home.
Pole-and-line tuna fishing
Fishing is the heartbeat of island life. Lakshadweep's fishermen are among the world's finest practitioners of pole-and-line tuna fishing — a sustainable, bycatch-free method where live bait fish are used to attract skipjack tuna to the surface, then caught one by one with barbless hooks. The technique requires extraordinary skill, teamwork, and knowledge of the sea. Lakshadweep tuna is exported worldwide and is certified as one of the most sustainably caught tuna in the Indian Ocean.
Coir weaving
The coconut palm provides everything — food, timber, thatch, and fibre. Coir, the coarse fibre extracted from coconut husks, is woven into rope, mats, and baskets by island women using techniques passed down through generations. Amini Island is the acknowledged centre of coir craft in Lakshadweep — its women produce some of the finest coir work in India. Coir products are sold across the archipelago and exported to the mainland.
Boat building
The traditional island boat — the odi — is a large, ocean-going vessel built entirely from coconut wood, without nails, using only wooden pegs and coir lashing. Master boat builders (called odikars) are among the most respected craftsmen in the islands. The knowledge of how to read the sea, navigate by stars, and build a vessel capable of surviving the Arabian Sea's monsoon swells has been passed down orally for centuries.
The calendar of celebration
Festivals & celebrations
Eid ul-Fitr
End of Ramadan
The most important festival in the islands. After a month of fasting, Eid is celebrated with communal prayers, feasting, new clothes, and the exchange of gifts. The entire island community comes together — mosques overflow, homes are open to all, and the air is filled with the smell of biryani and halwa. The celebrations last several days.
Eid ul-Adha
10th of Dhul Hijjah
The festival of sacrifice commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son. On Lakshadweep, it is marked by communal prayers, the sacrifice of goats, and the distribution of meat to neighbours and the poor. The day is also an occasion for visiting family and renewing community bonds.
Milad un-Nabi
12th of Rabi al-Awwal
The Prophet's birthday is celebrated with great devotion across the islands. Mosques are decorated with lights, religious songs (qasidas) are sung, and scholars deliver lectures on the life of the Prophet. The celebrations are particularly elaborate in Androth, which has a long tradition of Islamic scholarship.
Muharram
1st month of Islamic calendar
The Islamic New Year is observed with prayers and reflection. In some islands, the occasion is marked by communal gatherings and the recitation of religious poetry. It is a time for spiritual renewal and community solidarity.
Rhythm, movement & devotion
Music, dance & performing arts
The performing arts of Lakshadweep are as distinctive as the islands themselves — a blend of Arabic, Maldivian, and South Indian influences, shaped by centuries of ocean isolation.
Origin: Minicoy Island
Lava dance
The Lava is Minicoy's most celebrated art form — a group dance performed by men in two facing rows, accompanied by the beat of a large drum (the dandi). The dancers move in precise, synchronised patterns, their white costumes and colourful sashes creating a striking visual spectacle. The Lava is performed at weddings, festivals, and on special occasions, and is considered a symbol of Minicoy's distinct cultural identity.
Words of the sea
Language & literature
Lakshadweep is home to two distinct languages. Jeseri (also called Dweep Bhasha or Mahl in some contexts) is spoken in the northern and central islands — a language with roots in Malayalam but with significant Arabic, Sanskrit, and Maldivian influences. Mahl, spoken in Minicoy, is a dialect of Dhivehi (the language of the Maldives) and is written in the Thaana script. Both languages have rich oral literary traditions — songs, proverbs, riddles, and epic narratives — that encode centuries of island knowledge and history.
Odi
Traditional ocean-going sailing vessel
Jeseri
The language of the northern islands
Mahl
The language of Minicoy, related to Maldivian
Dandi
The large ceremonial drum of Minicoy
Odikar
Master boat builder
Qasida
Devotional song in Arabic or Jeseri
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Everything you need to plan your visit to the islands.