Mahabalipuram Lighthouse is located in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. 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 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; , ; also known as the Tamil Tigers) was a Tamil militant organization, that was based in the northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The LTTE fought to create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eela ...

. 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 The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of South India, the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The Pallavas played a crucial role in shaping in particular southern Indian history and heritage. The ...

king

Mahendravarman I Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) was a Pallava emperor who ruled over realm covering the southern portions of present-day Andhra region and northern regions of what forms present-day Tamil Nadu in India, in the early 7th century. He was a schol ...

stands next to this modern structure. The Pallava era lighthouse is a protected monument, maintained by the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...

History

Mahabalipuram Lighthouse stands on a natural rock about 35 km south of

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

. In May 1887, the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

installed the first conventional light, a wick lamp within a fourth‑order optic atop the roof of the Olakkannesvara Temple to guide vessels at night. A dedicated 26 m‑high circular masonry tower of dressed stone was built on a nearby rock in 1900, its unpainted exterior left to blend with the surroundings, and the light was commissioned in March 1901. The original oil‑vapor source was replaced by an incandescent electric lamp in 1994, upgraded to a cluster of three 150 W/230 V metal‑halide lamps in August 2004, and fitted with a 236 W LED array, the first of its kind in the DGLL, in August 2020.

Olakkannesvara Temple

Mahabalipuram Mamallapuram (also known as Mahabalipuram), is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of ...

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.dgll
A granite roof was constructed atop the temple to keep the light from 1887 to 1900.

References

External links

*
Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships
* http://mahabalipuramlighthouse.com
More Details Available at TourismTN
{{authority control Lighthouses in Tamil Nadu Mahabalipuram Lighthouses completed in 1900 1900 establishments in India

History

Olakkannesvara Temple

See also

References

External links