Colombo Lighthouse is operated and maintained by the

Sri Lanka Ports Authority Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is the state-owned operator of major commercial ports in Sri Lanka. Founded in 1979, SLPA currently operates ports in Colombo, Galle, Hambantota, Kankesanthurai, Oluvil, Point Pedro and Trincomalee Trincomalee ...

. It is located at Galbokka Point south of the

Port of Colombo The Port of Colombo , (known as Port of Kolomtota during the early 14th Century Kotte Kingdom) is the largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean. Located in Colombo, on the southwestern shores on the Kelani River, it serves as a ...

on the waterfront along the marine drive, in

Colombo fort Fort (Colombo) (Sinhala: ; Tamil: ) is the central business district of Colombo in Sri Lanka. It is the financial district of Colombo and the location of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and the World Trade Centre of Colombo from which the CSE ...

History

The current lighthouse was built in 1952 after the Old Colombo Lighthouse was deactivated when its light became obscured by nearby buildings as part of the Colombo Harbor Expansion project. It was opened by

Rt Hon ''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: The Rt Hon. or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire, and the Commonwealth of Nations. The term is ...

D. S. Senanayake Don Stephen Senanayake (; ; 20 October 1884 – 22 March 1952) was a Ceylonese statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon, having emerged as the leader of the Sri Lankan independence movement that led to the establishment ...

, the first prime minister of Ceylon. Built on a concrete base which is high, it has four statues of lions at its base. Due to the panoramic view of the Indian Ocean it offered, it became a city landmark. With the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War, public access to the site was restricted. This was due to its placement in a high-security zone as it is across the street from the Naval Headquarters and close proximity of the Port of Colombo.

Saluting battery

Located at its base is a naval gun battery that is used by the

Sri Lanka Navy The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) (; ) is the navy, naval arm of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is classed as the country's most vital defence force due to its island geography. It is responsible for the maritime defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its ...

for its traditional

gun salute A gun salute or cannon salute is the use of a piece of artillery to fire shots, often 21 in number (''21-gun salute''), with the aim of marking an honor or celebrating a joyful event. It is a tradition in many countries around the world. Histo ...

s. By tradition the Navy accords a 25-gun salute to the nation on the National day, which is 4 February each year. The tradition originated when the sailors of the

Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve The Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve was the volunteer naval reserve of the British Crown colony of Ceylon from 1938 to 1950. Established as the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) on 1 January 1938 under the Naval Volunteer Ordinance, No, l o ...

fired a 15- Gun Salute at the Galle Face Green on the first Independence Day on 4 February 1948. With the formation of the

Royal Ceylon Navy The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) (; ) is the naval arm of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is classed as the country's most vital defence force due to its island geography. It is responsible for the maritime defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its inte ...

, HMCyS Vijaya, the first warship of the navy according a 25-gun salute on 4 February 1951 with its single QF 4-inch naval gun. In 1952 two additional QF 4-inch naval guns were brought from the United Kingdom and mounted at Galle Buck Bay in the

Colombo harbour The Port of Colombo , (known as Port of Kolomtota during the early 14th Century Kotte Kingdom) is the largest and busiest port in Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean. Located in Colombo, on the southwestern shores on the Kelani River, it serves as ...

in preparation of the

Royal visit A state visit is a formal visit by the head of a sovereign country (or representative of the head of a sovereign country) to another sovereign country, at the invitation of the head of state (or representative) of that foreign country, with th ...

of Princess Elizabeth, which did not occur as she returned halfway due to the death of her father the King. Royal Ceylon Navy awarded a 56 gun salute on the day of the King's funeral. After HMCyS Vijaya was decommissioned its QF 4-inch naval gun was added to the battery. The guns were moved to the lighthouse and fired the gun salute since 2000. In 2000, three 52 mm guns were installed, having been gifted from the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...

which are used to fire the gun salutes till 2020. In 2021, the independence day gun salute was fired from SLNS Samudura and the tradition has been naval ships after the Colombo Lighthouse became landlocked aft the construction of the

Colombo Port City Port City Colombo () is a multi-services special economic zone located in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which is currently under construction on reclaimed land adjacent to the Galle Face Green. The land reclamation work had been completed as of January ...

References

External links

Sri Lanka Ports Authority

Lighthouses of Sri Lanka
{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1952 Lighthouses in Sri Lanka Buildings and structures in Colombo Sri Lanka Navy Government buildings in Colombo

History

Saluting battery

See also

References

External links