Mahabalipuram Lighthouse
Mahabalipuram Lighthouse is located in Tamil Nadu, India. It has been open to tourists since 2011. It was closed in 2001 following a perceived threat from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The first light was commissioned here in 1887. The lighthouse, with a circular masonry tower made of natural stone, became fully functional in 1904. India's oldest lighthouse, built around 640 AD by Pallava king Mahendravarman I stands next to this modern structure. The Pallava era lighthouse is a protected monument, maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.[2]
![]() The lighthouse in 2015 | |
![]() ![]() Mahabalipuram Lighthouse Mamallapuram Tamil Nadu | |
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Location | Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu India |
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Coordinates | 12.615241°N 80.191840°E |
Year first constructed | 1887 (first) |
Year first lit | 1900 (current) |
Construction | stone tower |
Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
Markings / pattern | unpainted tower, red lantern dome |
Tower height | 26 metres (85 ft) |
Focal height | 42 metres (138 ft) |
Current lens | 2nd order Fresnel lens |
Light source | mains power |
Range | 30 nautical mile ![]() |
Characteristic | Fl W 10s. |
Admiralty number | F0932 |
NGA number | 27108 |
ARLHS number | IND-016[1] |
Olakaneeswara Temple
This temple was dedicated to lord Siva. By the end of the eighteenth century or in the beginning of the nineteenth century, the sivalinga was possibly removed by some vandals. A granite roof was constructed atop the temple to keep the light from 1887 to 1900.[3]
![](../I/Olakkaneesway_Temple.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Old_and_new_lighthouses_at_Mahabalipuram.jpg.webp)
Gallery
- Mahabalipuram Lighthouse at night
- Light house at Mahabalipuram
See also
Now Mahabalipuram lighthouse has its own official website. http://mahabalipuramlighthouse.com
References
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of India: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- D, Madhavan. "Mamallapuram light house opens for tourists". The Times of India. 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 October 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- "Mahabalipuram Lighthouse" (PDF). Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships. 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- dgll Archived 2013-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Mahabalipuram Lighthouse in Lighthouse Digest's Lighthouse Explorer Database
- Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships
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