Lighthouses of India: West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh

This page lists lighthouses of India's east coast, including the states of West Bengal, Odisha (Orissa), and Andhra Pradesh. This coastline, facing the Bay of Bengal, is almost everywhere low and sandy, with numerous offshore shoals. The major ports are Kolkata (Calcutta) in the north, Vishakhapatnam (Vizag) in the center, and Kakinada in the south, but there are many smaller ports.

Note: The name of the former Orissa State was changed to Odisha by the Indian Parliament in November 2010. This change was effective in November 2011.

The northern half of this coast is an economically depressed region well off the usual routes of foreign tourists. Photos of many of the lighthouses of this region are needed.

India was part of the British Empire until 1947, so the lighthouse heritage is British. However, only a fraction of the original British lighthouses remain in use; new towers have been built at most of the stations. India has also built many lighthouses at new locations in recent years. Lighthouses and aids to navigation in India are administered by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), an agency of the Ministry of Shipping.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume F of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
DGLL - Kolkata District Lighthouses
Lighthouse information from the DGLL district office in Kolkata (Calcutta).
DGLL - Vizakhapatnam District Lighthouses
Lighthouse information from the DGLL district office in Vizakhapatnam.
Indian Lighthouses
Historic postcard images posted by Michel Forand.
Leuchttürme Asiens auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Dariapur Light
Dariapur Light, Contai, West Bengal, June 2010
Flickr photo copyright Kit Walker; permission requested

Lighthouses of West Bengal

South 24 Pardenas District (East Side Hooghly Estuary) Lighthouse
* Sagar Island (Middleton Point) (3)
1909 (station established 1821). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 3 s. 23 m (79 ft) round cast iron tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. The base of the lighthouse is surrounded by a square pyramidal observation platform of recent construction. We have a DGLL photo (also seen at right), Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse has a very attractive setting in the center of a square reservation, surrounded by a moat and buildings now used for offices. Located at Middleton Point on Sagar Island, marking the east side of the entrance to the Hooghly estuary and Kolkata (Calcutta). The island is accessible by ferry; it is a pilgrimage site, being the place where the Ganges meets the sea. Site open, tower closed but visitors can climb the observation platform. ARLHS IND-060; Admiralty F1028; NGA 26860.

East Midnapore District (West Side Hooghly Estuary) Lighthouses
Nayachara Outer Column
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round masonry obelisk. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located near the northeastern end of Nayacharya Island, opposite Haldia. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1034; NGA 26868.
Nayachara Inner Column
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 1.5 s. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round masonry obelisk. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located near the northeastern end of Nayacharya Island, about 800 m (1/2 mi) west southwest of the outer column. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1034.5; NGA 26869.
Haldia Channel South
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; white flash every 10 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower, probably with gallery. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This light marks a bend in the Hooghly channel. Located on the west side of the Hooghly estuary about 7 km (4 mi) south of Haldia. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1032.7; NGA 26865.
Sandia Outer Column
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round masonry obelisk. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the Hooghly estuary about 8 km (5 mi) north of Gangra. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1031.45; NGA 26862.
Sagar Island Light
Sagar Island Light; DGLL photo
Sandia Inner Column
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 1.5 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round masonry obelisk. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the Hooghly estuary about 5 km (3 mi) north of Gangra. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1031.46; NGA 26863.
*** Dariapur (2)
1968 (station established 1943). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); two long (1.4 s) white flashes every 20 s. 26 m (85 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands. We have another DGLL photo, and Google has a satellite view. Kit Walker's 2010 photo at the top of this page shows the lighthouse freshly painted and apparently in excellent condition. The original light was on a 20 m (66 ft) steel mast. Listed as a tourist attraction, this lighthouse is apparently open for climbing. About 8 km (5 mi) northeast of this station is the location of the Cowcolly Light, built in 1810 and active until the 1920s; Cowcolly was India's first British-built lighthouse. Located near Contai (Kanthi) on the west side of the entrance to the Hooghly estuary and Kolkata (Calcutta), about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Janput. Site open, tower apparently open but we do not know the schedule. ARLHS IND-030; Admiralty F1029; NGA 26861.

Lighthouses of Odisha (Orissa)

Kendrapara District Lighthouse
* False Point (Batighar)
1837. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 38 m (125 ft) round granite tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. The lighthouse traditionally carried a 10-point star-shaped daymark, placed in recent years on one of the white bands; it's uncertain whether recent repaintings have included the star. We have a DGLL photo, a local web site has a small photo and some information about the lighthouse (near the bottom of the page) and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was built to mark the entrance to the Mahanadi River; it also marks the nearby cape, which is called False Point because mariners bound for Calcutta sometimes mistook it for Palmyras Point farther north. This is one three lighthouses in Odisha designated for tourist development in 2011. Located about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) from the coastline and south of the point near Paradip (Paradeep). Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-033; Admiralty F1006; NGA 26900.

Jagatsinghpur District Lighthouses
Paradip Inner Harbor Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); quick-flashing white light. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) round concrete tower, painted with horizontal bands. No photo available. This is one of at least seven range lighthouses that guide vessels in the new harbor of Paradip; data is not available for many of them. Located on the west side of the harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1005.8; NGA 26924.
Paradip Inner Harbor Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) round concrete tower, painted with horizontal bands. No photo available. This appears to be the tallest of the range lighthouses at the new harbor of Paradip. Located on the west side of the harbor, 300 m (980 ft) northwest of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1005.81; NGA 26928.
* Paradip
1988. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); three white flashes every 30 s. 40 m (131 ft) round concrete tower with lantern, gallery, and a circular observation and control room about 1/3 the way up the tower. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands; lantern dome painted red. Md. Rabiul Islam's photo is at right, Debasish Dey has a 2011 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Paradip is Odisha's only deepwater port; it is an artificial harbor constructed in 1962-66. Located behind the beach about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of downtown Paradip. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IND-049; Admiralty F1004.4; NGA 26936.
Paradip Light
Paradip Light, April 2008
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Md. Rabiul Islam

Puri District Lighthouses
* Chandrabhaga
1968. Active; focal plane 37 m (122 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) round masonry tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. Two 1-story keeper's houses. We have a DGLL photo, Shubhankar Tarafdar has a 2009 photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This is one three lighthouses in Odisha designated for tourist development in 2011. Located just off the beach near Konarak (Konark). Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-025; Admiralty F1003; NGA 26940.
* Puri (4)
2002 (station established 1887). Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 25 m (82 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and double gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands. Several 1-story keeper's cottages nearby. A photo is at right, we also have a DGLL photo, and Google has a satellite view. Early lights were mounted on the wall of the Circuit House; in 1956 a skeletal tower was mounted atop a new Circuit House. The Puri area is a very popular seaside resort; H.G. Mukhopadhyay has a photo of the lighthouse standing among the beachfront buildings. Located just off the beach to the southwest of Puri. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-056; Admiralty F1002; NGA 26944.

Ganjam District Lighthouse
* Gopalpur (4)
1967 (station established 1871). Active; focal plane 48 m (148 ft); white flash every 5 s. 32 m (105 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to several 1-story keeper's houses. Lighthouse painted with horizontal red and white bands. We have a DGLL photo, a good closeup photo is also available, Purnima Roy has a more distant view, and Google has a good satellite view. The original mast light was replaced by a skeletal tower in 1925; a second skeletal tower was built in 1948. Gopalpur-on-Sea is also a very popular seaside resort, and this is one three lighthouses in Odisha designated for tourist development in 2011. Located just off the beach at Gopalpur-on-Sea, about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Brahmapur in southern Odisha. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-035; Admiralty F0988; NGA 26948.
Puri Lighthouse
Puri Light, January 2007
anonymous Flickr Creative Commons photo

Lighthouses of Andhra Pradesh

Srikakulam District Lighthouses
* [Baruva]
Date unknown. Inactive since 2003. Light mounted "on port flagstaff," according to NGA, although there does not appear to be an active port at Baruva. No photo available. In February 2011, funds were allocated for a new lighthouse at this location. Site presumably open. ex-Admiralty F0986; ex-NGA 26952.
* Kalingapatnam (2)
1982 (station established 1877). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) hexagonal cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. We have a DGLL photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at Kalingapatnam, a beach resort town about 30 km (19 mi) east of Srikakulam at the mouth of the Vamsadhara River. Accessible by road. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-036; Admiralty F0982; NGA 26956.
* Kalingapatnam (1)
1877 (inactive since at least 1982). 20 m (66 ft) square stone tower; lantern removed. No photo available. The lighthouse was abandoned when it was covered by a moving sand dune. The dune has now passed on, revealing the old tower. Located about 3 km (2 mi) southwest of the active lighthouse. Site open, tower closed.

Vizianagaram District Lighthouse
Santapille (Santhapalli) (3)
1903 (station established 1840). Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 22 m (72 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands; lantern dome painted red. We have a DGLL photo; the lighthouse and several station buildings are seen in a Google satellite view. The original light, a temporary structure on the beach, was destroyed by a typhoon. DGLL also has a photo of the ruins of the 1849 lighthouse, which had a light tower attached to a keeper's house. According to DGLL, remains of a primitive 18th century Dutch lighthouse are found 1.25 km (3/4 mi) northeast. Located about 50 km (30 mi) northeast of Bhimunipatnam. Site and tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-061; Admiralty F0980; NGA 26960.

Vishakhapatnam District Lighthouses
* Bhimunipatnam (Bheemili, Bheemunipatnam)
1903. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 9 s. 11 m (36 ft) masonry tower, painted white. A photo appears at right, Satya Josyula has a photo, Matt Kutsch also has a good photo, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located near the port office in Bhimunipatnam, a seaport at the mouth of the river Gosthani about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Vishakhapatnam. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-023; Admiralty F0978; NGA 26964.

Bhimunipatnam Light, June 2006
anonymous Flickr Creative Commons photo
** Vishakhapatnam (2)
1960 (station established 1903). Inactive at least since 2008. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. A good photo is available, Nadir Aziz also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Lantern removed; there is an observation platform with a telescope atop the tower. This lighthouse apparently was in use for only a few years. In 2004, the site was donated to the Vishakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (Vuda) and developed as a children's beach park called the Kids Pride Adventure Park. In early 2011, Vuda announced a plan for a new hotel on the property. This caused alarm among preservationists, but the hotel developers have promised to maintain public access to the lighthouse. Located on the beach road near the Park Hotel in the northeastern part of Vishakhapatnam. Site and tower open. ARLHS IND-066; ex-Admiralty F0973.
* Vishakhapatnam (1)
1903. Inactive since 1960(?). 18 m (59 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. The abandoned lighthouse is in very poor condition. Mourya Dandu has a 2009 photo and says the lighthouse is a hangout for drug dealers. Forand has a historic postcard view, and Huelse has a second postcard view. Located near the center of the city. Site open but dangerous, tower closed.
* Vishakhapatnam Sector
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); white, red or green light, fixed or flashing, depending on direction. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) skeletal tower (possibly a communications tower). No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This tower shows a complex pattern of lights marking both the entrance channel and an internal channel of the harbor. Located on the south side of the entrance to the inner harbor of Vishakhapatnam. Site status unknown, but there should be good views from nearby. Admiralty F0974.4; NGA 26980.
** Dolphin's Nose (4)
1957 (station established 1874). Active; focal plane 173 m (568 ft); white flash every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands; lantern dome painted red. A photo is at right, we have a DGLL photo, a 2009 photo is available, the lighthouse can be seen atop the rock in a distant view of the headland, and Google has a satellite view of the station. A light was displayed at the nearby fort as early as 1874, but there was no proper lighthouse until about 1905. The first lighthouse at the present site was built in 1940. The Dolphin's Nose is a huge rocky headland, which is quite a rarity on this coast. It is claimed locally that the light can be seen 64 km (40 mi) at sea; NGA lists the range as 32 nautical miles, which is 59 km (37 mi). Located about 8 km (5 mi) south of Vishakhapatnam. Site open, lighthouse reported open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. ARLHS IND-032; Admiralty F0970; NGA 26972.
Pudimadaka (Pudi Madaka)
1971. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 26 m (85 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. We have a DGLL photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a sandy promontory at Pudi Madaka, about 55 km (35 mi) southwest of Vishakhapatnam. Site and tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-054; Admiralty F0968; NGA 27012.
Dolphin's Nose Light
Dolphin's Nose Light, July 2009
Flickr photo copyright HarryCool; permission requested

East Godavari District (Kakinada Area) Lighthouses
Note: Between the cities of Kakinada and Machilipatnam is the broad, fan-shaped delta of the Godavari River, which drains a large part of the Deccan Plateau in central India. North of the delta, the trend of the coastline is northeast-southwest; south of the delta it is north-south.
Pentakota
1957. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 15 s. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands; lantern dome painted red. We have a DGLL photo, and Google has a satellite view. The photo on DGLL's page is incorrect. Located at Pentakota, about 12 km (7.5 mi) southeast of Tuni and 40 km (25 mi) north of Kakinada. Site and tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-051; Admiralty F0966; NGA 27016.
Vakalapudi (2)
1879 (station established 1868). Inactive since 2005. Approx. 28 m (89 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Thyaga Raju has a photo of both Vakalapudi lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. The photo on the DGLL page is of this lighthouse, but the lantern has since been removed. This lighthouse marks the entrance to Kakinada Bay. In 2003 it was reported that the lighthouse was to be demolished and replaced, but there was interest in preserving it, and it was not taken down. Located at Vakalapudi about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Kakinada. Site status unknown. ARLHS IND-065.
* Vakalapudi (3)
2005 (station established 1868). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 23 m (75 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and double gallery. Lighthouse painted with horizontal red and white bands. A DGLL photo is at right,Thyaga Raju has a photo of both Vakalapudi lighthouses, there's a closeup of the top of the tower, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the mainland side of the entrance to the bay of Kakinada, which is sheltered by a long, curving sand spit. Located at Vakalapudi about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Kakinada. ARLHS IND-064; Admiralty F0964; NGA 27020.
Hope Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white flash every 15 s. 8 m (26 ft) round tower with gallery and an external spiral stairway. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Hope Island (really a spit, although portions of it may be awash) is the 25 km (15 mi) long, curving barrier that protects the Bay of Kakinada. Rapid erosion, exacerbated by channel dredging, has endangered the lighthouse. Located at the end of the spit, opposite the Vakalapudi lighthouses. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F0960; NGA 27024.
Kakinada Bay Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); quick-flashing white light. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located in the bay about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) southeast of the Kakinada Deepwater Port. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F0959.
Kakinada Bay Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 31 m (102 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located in the bay 900 m (0.56 mi) southwest of the front light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F0959.1.
Vakalipudi Light
New Vakalapudi Light; DGLL photo
Sacramento (Karavaka)
1895. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); white flash every 5 s. 45 m (148 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; lantern dome painted red. The photo on DGLL's page for this lighthouse is incorrect. We have a correct DGLL photo, and Google has a good satellite view. This is one of the tallest lighthouses of British India; it marks a sandy cape south of the mouth of the Vrudha Godavari, the northernmost mouth of the river. The mouth of the river has moved southward over the years, taking the location of the cape with it. In 1817, one of the first lighthouses of British India, an 18 m (60 ft) stone tower, was built at Cape Godavery (as it was then called). This was replaced with a 30.5 m (100 ft) tower in 1868. The site of these lighthouses, about 18 km (11 mi) north of the present station, has apparently gone to sea. Located on a point of land about 60 km (38 mi) south of Kakinada. Reported accessible by a walk of about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the village of Bojjovarepeta. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IND-059; Admiralty F0958; NGA 27032.

West Godavari District Lighthouse
Antervedi (Narsapur, Narasapur)
1971. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); two white flashes every 15 s.26 m (85 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. The photo on DGLL's page for this lighthouse is incorrect (it shows the Pondicherry lighthouse). We have a correct DGLL photo, Satya Josyula has a similar photo, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on Narsapur Point on the east side of the mouth of the Vasishta Godavari, the southern branch of the Godavari, about 20 km (13 mi) south of Narsapur (Narasapuram). Accessible by a walk of about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the Antervedi Temple. Site status unknown. ARLHS IND-021; Admiralty F0957; NGA 27040.

Krishna District Lighthouses
Machilipatnam Entrance (?)
Date unknown. Inactive at least since 2007, although still listed by NGA. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower atop a square masonry tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. The Admiralty reported the lighthouse to be "destroyed" in 2007. Located in wetlands about 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Machilipatnam and 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of the Machilipatnam River entrance. Site status unknown. ARLHS IND-042; ex-Admiralty F0956; NGA 27048.
* Machilipatnam (Manginapudi Beach, Masulipatnam) (4)
1984 (station established 1858). Active; focal plane 51 m (167 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 45 m (148 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and two galleries, painted with horizontal black and white bands; lantern dome painted red. We have a DGLL photo, Roopesh Kohad has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. The great tsunami of 26 December 2004 swept away hundreds of people on the beach and reached the base of the lighthouse, but the tower was not damaged. The original light was on a flagstaff; this lighthouse replaced a much shorter tower built in 1930. Located behind Manginapudi Beach, about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Machilipatnam. Accessible by road. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-043; Admiralty F0955; NGA 27044.
Nagayalanka (2)
1972 (station established 1902 but inactive 1940-1955). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); one long (1.2 s) white flash every 15 s. 37 m (121 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white spiral bands. We have a DGLL photo, a 2010 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse replaced an older light known as Kistna or False Devil Point; the old tower was demolished and its bricks used to build retaining walls protecting the approach to the new light. Lighthouse Digest has an account of a severe tropical cyclone that flooded the station in November 1977. Located on the east side of the mouth of the Krishna River south of the village of Nagayalanka. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-046; Admiralty F0953; NGA 27052.
Machilipatnam Light
Machilipatnam Light; DGLL photo

Guntur District Lighthouse
Note: The southern coast of Andhra Pradesh (starting from this area) is part of the Coromandel Coast, which extends southward through the state of Tamil Nadu.
* Nizampatnam (Nizamapatnam) (3)
2004 (station established 1860, but inactive 1940-1958 and 1968-2004). Active; characteristics unknown. 30 m (98 ft) round tower with lantern and double gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. The photo on DGLL's page is incorrect (it shows a lighthouse in the Andaman Islands!) A 2008 photo and a 2009 photo are available, the Andhra Pradesh Ports Department has a small photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was activated in July 2004. Located next to the port office at Nizampatnam, about 15 m (9 mi) east of Bapatla. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IND-047; Admiralty F0952.8; NGA 27054.

Prakasam District Lighthouses
* Vodarevu
2002. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and double gallery. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands. Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was built using a new technique called slip-form construction, which shortens construction time dramatically. Lighthouse Digest has a November 2002 article on the lighthouse. Located at Vodarevu, a relatively new port being developed about 7 km (4 mi) southeast of Chirala. Site open, tower probably closed. ARLHS IND-067; Admiralty F0952.9.
* Ramayapatnam (Ramaypatnam) (2)
2005 (station established 1982). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. We have a DGLL photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse and the next several to the south stand on the northern Coromandel Coast, a low shore devastated by the great tsunami of 26 December 2004. There was a news report that the "oldest lighthouse at Ramayapatnam" collapsed in the waves; presumably this was the 1982 tower. Located at Ramayapatnam, a fishing village about 25 km (15 mi) north of Kavali. Accessible by road. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-057; Admiralty F0952.5; NGA 27056.

Nellore District Lighthouses
Iskapallipalem (Isukapalli, Isakapalle)
2008. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a good satellite view. This new lighthouse is located at the village of Isakapalli in the Repalle municipality, north of Nellore. Site status unknown. Admiralty F0952.3; NGA 27057.
* Krishnapatnam (2)
1978 (station established 1938). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands. DGLL's photo is at right, and Google has a satellite view. Located at Krishnapatnam, a fishing village where private interests are developing port facilities, about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Nellore. Accessible by road. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-040; Admiralty F0952; NGA 27060.
Armagon Shoal (1)
1853. Inactive 1928-1938 and since 1983. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower mounted on a square 1-story concrete base. The tower was originally painted white, but little paint remains. Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was built to warn ships away from the shoal, which is about 11 km (7 mi) offshore. The station was abandoned for a decade after 1928 because of severe malaria epidemics in the area. In 1983 the tower, originally 30 m (98 ft) in height, was reduced in height to support the station's water tank.

Krishnapatnam Light; DGLL photo
Armagon Shoal (2)
1983 (station established 1853). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. We have a DGLL photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a barrier beach about 11 km (7 mi) south of Durgarajupatnam and 25 km (15 mi) north of India's spacecraft launch facilities at Sriharikota. Site status unknown. ARLHS IND-022; Admiralty F0951; NGA 27064.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

  • Cowcolly (1810-1920s?), Hooghly Estuary, West Bengal. ARLHS IND-028.
  • Godavery (1817-1900?), Kakinada area, Andhra Pradesh. ARLHS IND-034. Note: listed as Godavery/Hope Island by ARLHS and by Lighthouse Explorer, but the Hope Island Light is not at this location.

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Bangladesh | South: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry

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Posted January 20, 2006. Checked and revised January 5, 2012. Lighthouses: 41. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.