Lighthouses tend to fascinate me. The mere architecture,history, functionality , beauty, vibrant color usage and the symbolic aspect- how it stands for dependability , strength and guidance .
A Lighthouse , as we know, is a tower with a beacon on top. The functionality aspect includes navigational aid and to warn boats of dangerous areas. It takes me to the bygone era and my mind wonders to the time where maritime travel was the rule of the day and these lighthouses would have served like traffic lights !!
Given India's considerable coastline, there are many along the coastline and connected Islands.
Lighthouses all over the world are providing an excellent travel trail for the ones bitten by the travel bug.
FAQ's about lighthouses in India, managed by Directorate general of Lighthouses and Lightships :
Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships
I was staying at a beach house on the Payyambalam Beach, and the Lighthouse was located nearby,
Next to it were Government Guest House and Sea View Park.
Cannanore is the old English name for the town named Kannur. The lighthouse at Kannur is still often referred to as the Cannanore lighthouse.This is an active lighthouse and overlooks the
Arabian Sea,
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| Entrance to the Lighthouse (Timing :10am-1pm and 2pm-6pm) Closed on Monday |
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| Ticket counter (Adult=20, photography-20) covers both lighthouse and the musuem |
We got the tickets and proceeded inside. What strikes you is the impeccably maintained property and the aesthetics of it. I was feeling relaxed, weather was pleasant and there was light fragrance in the air.
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| Beautiful entryway to the lighthouse |
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| Office of the head light keeper, impressive.. |
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| Beautifully maintained property |
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| Lighthouse Museum |
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| Check the Beacon, an important part of the Lighthouse |
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| Sea view park walk- mesmerizing !! |
I really was looking forward to going inside the museum. I love going to museums in general but this was my first time at a lighthouse museum. We took off our slippers at the entrance, as is customary in South of India, walked past a small souvenir shop to check the difference facets of a Lighthouse.
Again a beautifully maintained museum.
Inside the Lighthouse Museum-
Once outside we proceeded towards the lighthouse. There is a staircase which leads all the way to the get a beautiful view of the Arabian sea and Kannur. It was very windy up there and i was glad to be carrying a bag pack purse. In went my camera and water bottle before i made a dash to the top.
View of the Lighthouse -
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| All set to climb up the spiral staircase inside |
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| The new lighthouse was commissioned into service on 25 July 1976. |
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| View from the top |
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| Finally climbed the staircase to reach the top |
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| Major breezy in here! |
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| View of Araban Sea and Kannur |
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| Beautiful walk around the sea , entrance from the Sea View park gate |
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| View of the Arabian sea |
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| Government Tourist Bungalow |
Related news :
Lighthouse news
Brief History (adapted from Wikipedia)
Cannanore (now Kannur) was an important seaport under the 15th century rulers of North Malabar, the Kolathiris and the Arakkal Kingdom. The port had maritime links with the ports of Madras, Colombo, Tuticorin, Alleppey, Mangalore, Bombay and Karachi.
The Portuguese led by Vasco Da Gama first landed at Kappad beach in 1498. They built the St. Angelo Fort at Kannur in the early 16th century. Almost two centuries later, the region came under the control of the British, who established a cantonment at Cannanore in the 19th century.
In 1902, the Presidency Port Officer of Madras state government sanctioned an amount of Rs. 3430/- for the construction of a lighthouse tower atop the fort. This stone tower was commissioned in the year 1903, but at a later date the tower, along with a part of the fort, was taken away by the sea. After this only, a mast was installed inside the fort to hoist a lighthouse lantern.
In order to warn ships at sea of land, a system of hoisting a lantern with an oil wick lamp was introduced in 1843 by the British. A masonry pedestal was constructed in 1903 on the rampart of the fort and a double wick oil lamp inside the 4th order dioptric lens and lantern with arrangement for occultation was placed on this pedestal. The light was made available during fair seasons only, from September to May every year.
In 1924, some enhancements were made. The light was shifted in 1939 on to a 16-metre steel trestle erected on the northern bastion of the Fort. The steel trestle can still be seen today at the Fort.
The equipment was replaced by a flashing light with 10 second character running on DA gas in 1948. This light remained in operation till the new lighthouse tower was constructed at the present location during 1975-76.
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