Lighthouses have history. Lighthouses have navigational purpose. Lighthouses have beauty. There are around 18,600 lighthouses across the world. India has 204 lighthouses, icons of maritime heritage, along its magnificent coastline, according to the Indian Directorate of Lighthouses and Lightships, that are still being maintained.
This stone lighthouse, built in 1904, offers gorgeous panoramic views of the Bay of Bengal. It is right next to the India's oldest lighthouse, constructed 640 CE or AD by Pallava maharaja Mahendravarman I.
The lighthouses on these sun-dappled coral isles are relatively young. The 38-m tower on Kavaratti Atoll was completed in 1985.
A stone's throw away from Colaba is the revered Mumbai lighthouse, which dates from 1768 (a lighthouse has stood on or near this location since then, but rebuilt several times), when the British took over Bombay & Old Woman's Island (Colaba), one of Mumbai's seven islands, from the Portuguese. Too many ships were washing up and wrecking on this rocky coast and hence the need for it.
At Kollam beach is one of India's tallest lighthouses at 135 ft. Built in 1902, open daily 10 am to 5 pm, its beacon can be seen from 20 km away.
Situated near Kodungallur in Kerala's Thrisssur district, the 30-m high lighthouse was built in 1982. Come here for serene beachside views and beautiful sunsets.
A hidden gem of south Goa, the 1906-built structure looks out over the Sal River and towards the Arabian Sea.
At quiet Dwarka, is a more modern lighthouse near Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat, on the Arabian Sea. It was completed in 1962.
Standing tall on pretty Kapu Beach in Udupi, the 80-ft tall lighthouse was built in 1901. Open daily from 4 pm to 6pm, you can climb to the top for awesome views of the Konkan coastline and catch the sun dip into the ocean in a blaze of orange, red and saffron.
Located inside the historic Ratnadurg Fort, it's a rather old lighthouse, dating from 1867, that guided vessels entering the bay with its wick lamp, that has now been replaced with a metal halide lamp. Open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, view the green, palm-treed Konkan belt from its top.
Many lighthouses in the Andamans are more like squat, lookout towers on the edge of the water nestled in betel and coconut palms, like this one. Situated at the far southern tip of India, on Great Nicobar Island, at Indira Point, established in 1972, it marks the southernmost point of Indian territory. It is also India's southernmost lighthouse.
Smack on Madras' Marina Beach, it's one of the city's landmarks, opened in 1977. It houses the local meteorlogical offices and intestingly has an elevator and is perhaps the only lighthouse within city boundaries.
At Vishakhapatnam, offering views of the Yarada Beach, Gangavaram Port, Ross Hill Church and the Bay of Bengal when you reach its top, the 174-m lighthouse, located at a height, is open daily from 3 pm to 5 pm. Built in 1840, its extra strong beacon can be seen by ships passing in the night from 65 km away.
A massively fat and rather old structure, dating from 1841 it began life as an oil lamp lighthouse
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