Kalpeni

Kalpeni is an inhabited Atoll in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, India. It has a distance of 287 km west of the city of Kochi.

Geography
Kalpeni is 218 km west from the port of Kochi and lies 71 km south of Andrott and 201 km to the NNE of Minicoy, with the broad Nine Degree Channel between them. Suheli Par atoll lies 139 km to the west of Kalpeni.

Kalpeni forms a single coral atoll along with the uninhabited islands of Cheriyam, Tilakkam, Kodithala and Pitti islet.

The eastern and southern shorelines of the island have accumulations of coral debris, the result of a violent storm that hit the area in 1847. It has a lagoon area of 25.6 km2.

List of Islands

 * Kalpeni is the main island. it has an area of 2.482 km2, and is located at 10.076°N, 73.646°W.
 * Kodithala is immediately to the north of Kalpeni, at, with an area of 0.0027 km2.
 * Cheriyam is the northernmost island, with a population of 10. The island has a water tank, a pond, a small 2.8 km road from the village to a lighthouse at the north point, constructed by MGNREGS at 2015. it has an area of 0.537 km2, and located at 10.142°N, 73.664°W. It is the largest of Kalpeni's Satellite islands. The land in Cheriyam belongs to 49 families living in Kalpeni. MGNREGS is currently making an economic development on the island to accommodate a new village and resort like on Sentosa. It would impact the economic growth of Kalpeni Island.
 * Tilakkam group are a group of islands off the west of Kalpeni. The land of these islands 0.055 km2 belong to two different families of Kalpeni:
 * Koomel is a small islet off the west tip of Kalpeni. it has an area of 0.2 ha, and located at 10.073°N, 73.635°W.
 * Tilakkam east has an area of 0.88 ha, and located at 10.069°N, 73.633°W.
 * Tilakkam west has an area of 0.82 ha, and located at 10.069°N, 73.631°W.
 * Pitti islet has an area of 3.6 ha, and located at 10.074°N, 73.628°W.

Demographics
Kalpeni was the first island in the Union Territory where women were allowed to go to school and get an education.

Administration
The island belongs to the township of Kalpeni of Andrott Tehsil.

Tourism
Kalpeni has a beach at the northern tip of the island called Tip Beach where one can do snorkeling, sea bath and kayaking. Because of the coral reefs present in the sea near the beach, the water is shallow and calm, making it an excellent spot for beach activities.

There is a 37 m lighthouse in Kalpeni from whose top one can see a bird's eye view of the island, the lagoon with the smaller islands, the reef and the surrounding ocean. From the top of the lighthouse, one can visualize the abundance of coconut trees and the ground is not visible due to dense packing of the tops of these trees.