| Bay of Bengal is a triangular shaped bay in the Indian Ocean, and has derived its name from West Bengal, which lies on the north. Bay of Bengal lies in the north eastern part of the Indian Ocean. It is in fact a triangular shaped salt-water sea. The bay is surrounded by the Malay Peninsula on the east, and by the Indian subcontinent on the west. The northern section of the bay borders the Bengal region, comprising the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh. As it surrounds the Bengal region, the bay has derived the name Bay of Bengal. The southern tips margin the island country of Sri Lanka, and the Indian Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Many large rivers including Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Ganga and Brahmaputra flow into it. Climate of Bay of Bengal The monsoon currents regulate the climate of the Bay of Bengal and the regions around it. During the months of January to October, the current flows towards the north in a clockwise circulation pattern and is called the East Indian Current. The Bay of Bengal monsoon moves in a northwest direction hitting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at the end of May and then the North Eastern Coast of India by the end of June. Throughout the remaining part of the year, a counter-clockwise current flows towards the southwest direction, and is called the East Indian Winter Jet. During the months of September and December the weather is very active. The monsoon season often brings in severe cyclones, which affect Eastern India as well as parts of other countries. The 1971 Orissa cyclone is one of the worst. Bay of Bengal lies in the north eastern part of the Indian Ocean. It is in fact a triangular shaped salt-water sea. The bay is surrounded by the Malay Peninsula on the east, and by the Indian subcontinent on the west. The northern section of the bay borders the Bengal region, comprising the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh. As it surrounds the Bengal region, the bay has derived the name Bay of Bengal. The southern tips margin the island country of Sri Lanka, and the Indian Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Many large rivers including Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Ganga and Brahmaputra flow into it. Beaches on Bay of Bengal There are many beautiful beaches along the bay. Cox's Bazaar, on the north eastern shore of the bay, is one of the longest continuous natural beaches of the world. Other beaches by the side of the bay include Bakkhali, Digha, Chandipur, Puri, Waltair and Marina Beach in India. The region has many sacred sites like the Kumari Kandam, the remains of the Sri Vaisakheswara Swamy temple, the Seven Pagodas of Mahabalipuram and the Ramanathaswami Temple at Dhanushkodi. Another significant site, which has been conserved, is the Vivekanandar Illam. In the year 1897, Swami Vivekananda's legendary lectures were recorded here at Castle Kernan. The Bay of Bengal was an important centre for British trade. One of the first business enterprises along the Bay of Bengal was of the British East India Company. Gopalpur was one of their major trading centres. The bay provides a means of livelihood for numerous fishermen. Fishermen can catch around 26 to 44 species of marine fish. The average catch is 2 million tons of fish per year from the Bay of Bengal alone. |
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