Study Guides/Geography/Indira Point — Southernmost Point of India
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Indira Point — Southernmost Tip of India

Indira Point is the southernmost point of India. It is located on Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory, at approximately 6°45'N latitude. It was earlier known as Pygmalion Point and was renamed Indira Point after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

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What is Indira Point?

Answer

Indira Point is the southernmost point of India, located on Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at approximately 6°45'N latitude. It was earlier called Pygmalion Point and was renamed after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It is about 150 km from Sumatra, Indonesia, and was severely damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

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Key Facts

Indira Point: southernmost point of India, Great Nicobar Island (~6°45'N).

Earlier name: Pygmalion Point; renamed after PM Indira Gandhi.

Located on Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (UT).

~150 km from northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

Severely damaged by 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Southernmost point of mainland India: Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), Tamil Nadu (8°4'N).

Northernmost point of India: Indira Col, Siachen Glacier, Ladakh (~37°6'N).

Indira Point — Location and Key Facts

Name: Indira Point Earlier name: Pygmalion Point Renamed after: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi Location: Great Nicobar Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (UT) Coordinates: approximately 6°45'N, 93°49'E Significance: Southernmost point of India

Geographic Context: • Great Nicobar Island is the southernmost and largest island of the Nicobar group • Indira Point is approximately 150 km from the northern tip of Sumatra (Indonesia) • This is the closest land point of India to the equator • The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in the Bay of Bengal, southeast of mainland India

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: • Indira Point was severely affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami (26 December 2004) • The lighthouse at Indira Point was submerged/damaged; the island's land level changed • Many lives were lost in the Nicobar Islands due to the tsunami

Northernmost Point of India: • Indira Col (Sia La) — in the Siachen Glacier area, Ladakh — approximately 37°6'N • This is the northernmost point of the Indian territory as claimed

Extreme Points of India:

DirectionPointLocation
SouthernmostIndira PointGreat Nicobar Island (~6°45'N)
NorthernmostIndira ColSiachen, Ladakh (~37°6'N)
EasternmostKibithu/DongArunachal Pradesh (~97°25'E)
WesternmostSir Creek / Ghuar MotaGujarat/Rann of Kutch (~68°7'E)

Note on Mainland India: • Southernmost point of mainland India: Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari), Tamil Nadu — approximately 8°4'N • Indira Point (6°45'N) is the actual southernmost point of India (including islands)

About Great Nicobar Island: • Largest island in the Nicobar group • Biosphere Reserve: Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO) • Tribes: Shompen and Nicobarese • India is developing a major port and naval base at Great Nicobar Island (strategic importance near Malacca Strait)

Questions and Answers

What is Indira Point?+

Indira Point is the southernmost point of India, located on Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at approximately 6°45'N latitude. It was earlier called Pygmalion Point and was renamed after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It is about 150 km from Sumatra, Indonesia, and was severely damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

What is the difference between Indira Point and Kanyakumari?+

Indira Point (6°45'N) on Great Nicobar Island is the southernmost point of India including islands. Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin, 8°4'N) in Tamil Nadu is the southernmost point of mainland India. Since Indira Point is further south and on an island, it is the overall southernmost point of the country.

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