VU7T Team will be active again from Lakshadweep Islands, IOTA AS - 011, 22 May - 28 May 2025.
They will be active on HF Bands and also QO - 100 satellite.
Recent DX Spots VU7T
VU7T Log search They will be active in CQ WW WPX CW Contest, 24 - 25 May 2025.
Previous activity:
Manoj, VU2CPL inform dxnews.com A team of 6 DXers are activating Lakshadweep Islands from 11th October till 20th October 2017 as VU7T.
They will be landing on Island of Agatti by air and then take shift boat to Kavaratti to setup station by the beachside place.
Will be active on the air on SSB, CW and Digital on 80m to 10m.
Planned setup:
Up to three stations will be on the air throughout the duration of the operation. A detailed roster has been prepared to optimise operations during the propagation windows to various geographies.
Antennas:
80 mtr ,40 mtr, 30 mtr - verticals
20, 17, 15 12 and 10 mtr - Spider beam
Rigs:
Elecraft K3 - 1
ICOM IC 7300 – 2
KX3 -2
Amplifiers:
Juma PA 1000
Expert 1.3K FA
Furuno PA2500
Operators:
VU2CPL Manoj, VU2WH Sangeeth, VU2XE Kiran, VU3NXI Siddhu, VU3HPF Gopan and A65DR Paul as remote support.
QSL Info:
QSLs will be handled by Manoj, VU2CPL. Logs will be uploaded to LOTW as soon as possible and this is the preferred QSL mode. OQRS will be active once the team is back on mainland. Direct QSL requests are highly discouraged and if this is the only option to request, please include an SAE and 3 GS. Please write to vu7t2017@gmail.com for log check and other enquiries. Internet connection is very poor on the island and please don't expect any replies during the operation.
Financial Note:
This is completely self-funded operation. Our goal is to do some serious operation to give ATNOs and as much band fills to DXers around the globe and have fun. We welcome any donations which will go towards offsetting our costs of transportation and other large expenses. You may help us to cover our costs by donating any amount using link PayPal.me/vu7t or through donate option in OQRS.
IOTA AS - 011.
The Lakshadweep Islands — a paradise in the Arabian Sea
The Lakshadweep Islands (also known as the Laccadive Islands) are a group of 36 islands that have the status of a Union Territory of India. Only 11 of them are inhabited, and only a few small islands are open to visitors. But even these few will leave an unforgettable impression.
Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep Islands. Author - beetle_0042000.
The owners of a hundred thousand islands
“A hundred thousand islands” is how the name Lakshadweep is translated from Sanskrit. Today they belong to India, but this was not always the case.
The existence of this small group of islands in the Arabian Sea has been known for a very long time. So much so that scientists are still debating even the approximate date. In ancient times, the islands were called “Puranuru Lands” and were part of the Dravidian Empire, which occupied impressive territories. Not much is known about this period, and it is precisely this that causes the most controversy.
It is believed that the Chera dynasty controlled the Laccadives until the 7th century, after which the islands passed into the possession of the Pallavas, who decided that there were exactly 100,000 islands. However, it is very possible that this was simply a poetic comparison.
Another equally legendary, but more materially substantiated, evidence of human presence on the islands is the story of the shipwrecked king of Kerala, Cheruman Perumal, dating back to the early 12th century. At that time, most of the islanders believed in Hindu deities, but the first seeds of Islam began to appear as early as the 7th century. The first to profess faith in Allah was the merchant Hazrat Ubaidullah, who, like King Cheruman, was the victim of a shipwreck. Today, he is considered a saint, and his burial place is revered by the islanders.
Buddhists also visited the island, as evidenced by a statue of the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni. However, their settlements did not last long.
Over time, the island's inhabitants became almost entirely Muslim, which is not surprising, given that for almost two millennia, the Lakshadweep Islands were crossed by the trade routes of Arab merchant sailors who stopped here to replenish their food supplies. At the same time, the islands belonged to the most powerful Indian dynasties for several centuries.
Europeans also tried to gain a foothold on the islands. At first, the Portuguese tried to take over the Laccadives, but they encountered fierce resistance from the local population. Then the islands, like the rest of India, came under British rule. They were briefly owned by the Indian raja Hyder Ali, who did not want to submit to the British occupiers. However, after the death of the ruler's son, Tipu Sultan, the British crown gained absolute power over the Laccadive Islands.
The news that Britain's overseas colonies were gaining independence and that the territories the British had owned in India were being divided into the Indian Union and Islamic Pakistan did not reach the island immediately. However, the Indians managed to act quickly, sending their fleet to the islands. They rightly reasoned that since the majority of the inhabitants of the Laccadives were Muslims, Pakistan would certainly try to get these territories for itself.
The Pakistani government was only a few hours late in its response — when it sent ships to the islands, Indian vessels were already sailing in the waters of the Lakshadweep Islands. The Pakistani fleet had no choice but to return to Karachi.
The islands became a separate union territory under Indian rule in 1956, and in the 1970s, they were given the name Lakshadweep.
Agatti Island, Lakshadweep Islands. Author - Alok Gurtu.
The Laccadives are almost the same as the Maldives
This statement is both true and false at the same time. For example, the Maldives are located in the Indian Ocean, while the Laccadives are located in the Arabian Sea. In both places, the main religion is Islam, which has an impact on vacationing. Tourists go to both the Laccadives and the Maldives primarily for the beaches and rich underwater world, but the Maldives has more developed infrastructure. The similarities and differences could be listed ad infinitum...
Islamic traditions are not comfortable for everyone
Anyone who is even slightly familiar with the peculiarities of the Muslim worldview, upon learning that Islam reigns supreme in the Laccadives, can roughly imagine what restrictions await them during their vacation: no alcohol, no nudity. Therefore, those who cannot imagine a vacation without alcohol will have to stock up in advance, and those who like to sunbathe naked will have to give up this idea. Women are also advised to choose swimsuits that are not too revealing. But that's not all. It is also forbidden to
- pick coconuts without permission. They are private property, so anyone who covets them becomes a thief. Of course, thieves are not treated as they were in the past, so instead of having their hands cut off, they will get off with something less bloody, but it will still not be very pleasant;
- breaking corals or in any other way damaging the integrity of the underwater world and its inhabitants. This is theft, and it also causes harm to nature;
- littering on land and at sea;
- swimming anywhere unaccompanied and, even more so, trying to sneak into places where foreigners are not allowed;
- distributing narcotic substances or being under their influence yourself.
Lakshadweep Islands. Author - Jennifer.
Tourists are welcome on these islands
Laccadives are a paradise for divers and snorkelers. After landing at the only airport in the entire archipelago, adventure seekers can immediately head to one of the islands — Calpeni or Bangaram. The former is popular among divers, while the latter is popular among those who want to swim with a mask and snorkel. But you don't have to go far, as Agatti Island, where the airport is located, is also famous for its densely populated coral reefs.
Kadmat is an island of beaches. Of course, you can dive and go yachting here, but it is the white sand beaches in the south of the island and the secluded bungalows that allow you to get the most out of your beach vacation.
Kavratt is the capital of the Lakshadweep Islands. It is from here that most sea excursions and trips to small uninhabited islands begin. On the island, you can hire a boat, yacht, or helicopter to travel around the Laccadive region. There are also over fifty mosques here, some of which are incredibly beautiful.
On Manikiy Island, which is shaped like a cross, you can see how people with a unique culture and a special form of self-government live, or visit an old lighthouse built in the 1880s.
Perhaps this will not be enough for some, but many tourists do not have time to visit all the islands open to visitors during their short vacation, as it takes several hours to get from one island to another.
