The Columnar Basaltic Lava in Malpe near Udupi in Karnataka is one of it’s kind geological monuments in India!
St Mary islands of Malpe is a collection of four small islands that can be reached only by boats. The islands were indeed formed due to volcanic activity that occurred on the surface of the earth.
Though the four islands were formed as a result of the volcanic eruptions, researchers say that only the northern most island has hexagonal columns, making them the only ones found in India.
According to History, Vasco da Gama landed at St. Mary’s Islands on his journey from Portugal, fixed a cross on the island and named one of these islands, O Padrão de Santa Maria, as a dedication to Mother Mary, before proceeding to Kozhikode in Kerala. It is from this name that the islands got their current name
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