Mahabalipuram Lighthouse

Mahabalipuram Lighthouse is located in Tamil Nadu, India.[1] 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 on the roof of the Olakkannesvara Temple. The lighthouse, with a circular masonry tower made of natural stone, became fully functional in 1904. India's oldest lighthouse, built around 640 CE 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]

Mahabalipuram lighthouse
LocationMamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates12°36′55″N 80°11′31″E
Tower
Constructionstone (tower) Edit this on Wikidata
Height26 m (85 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
Shapecylinder Edit this on Wikidata
Markingsunpainted (tower), red (dome) Edit this on Wikidata
Power sourcemains electricity Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1900 Edit this on Wikidata
Focal height42 m (138 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
Lenssecond order Fresnel lens Edit this on Wikidata
Range30 nmi (56 km; 35 mi) Edit this on Wikidata
CharacteristicFl W 10s Edit this on Wikidata

Olakkannesvara Temple
Main article: Olakkannesvara Temple

Mahabalipuram was a busy port under the Pallavas as early as the 7th century CE. Bonfires were lit on rocks even at that time to aid the mariners. The British first used the temple atop the Mahishasuramardini cave as a light. The new lighthouse and the old lighthouse are adjacent to each other.[3]

A granite roof was constructed atop the temple to keep the light from 1887 to 1900.[4]

See also

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mahabalipuram lighthouse.
  1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of India: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  2. 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.
  3. dgll Archived 2013-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Mahabalipuram Lighthouse" (PDF). Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships. 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2018.


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