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Life in the Eastern Coastal Plains

Odisha: As we move along the coast towards the South from West
Bengal, we come to Odisha (formerly known as Orissa). Its capital is

Bhubaneswar. Puri and Cuttack are other important cities.

The Delta formed by the Mahanadi River is very fertile. The main
crop grown here is rice. Handloom sarees of Odisha, and jewellery
and decorative items made of silver are very popular. Mining is an Odissi Dance

important industry.

Odia (Oriya) is the main language spoken here. Odissi is the popular dance form.
Lots of people turn up to see Rath Yatra of Puri. The temples at Bhubaneswar,

Puri and Konark, and the Chilika Lake with its Bird Sanctuary, are the other tourist
attractions.

Andhra Pradesh: You have already read about Andhra

Pradesh and its people. Vishakhapatnam, a city on the

coast, is a major port and ship building centre. It also
has an oil refinery and an iron and steel plant.

Tamil Nadu: Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, lies on Vivekanand Rock

the Coromandel Coast. It is an important port. The Marina Beach in the city is the
longest beach in India.

The delta formed by the Kaveri river is very fertile. It is
called the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. Kanyakumari in Tamil

Nadu is the southernmost tip of the Indian mainland.
The Vivekananda Rock Memorial has been built on a

Port Blair small Island near the coast, called Vivekanand Rock.

Andaman and Nicobar Island

The capital of this group of among 300 islands in the Bay of Bengal is Port Blair.
Only a few of the islands are inhabited. Most of these people live in the forests in
groups or tribes.

The Cellular Jail at the Port Blair was once used by
the British to imprison Indian freedom fighters. It is
now a national monument. Fishing is an important

occupation. Tourism is an important industry because
of the beautiful beaches. Coconut and rice are the
main agricultural products. Aurobindo Ashram

44 Social Studies-4