The Old Lighthouse was erected in 1903 near St. Aloysius School at One Town area Vizag to help ships and guide them to the harbor. The 59-foot monument still stands tall at the present location. The iconic structure served as a ray of hope for several decades to seafarers and fisherman and inspired them to reach the harbor safe and sound.
The dome and the lantern for the lighthouse were brought from the lighthouse at Chintapalli Village which is 74 kilometers away from Vizag. It had a gas-fired white diopter light which was believed to have a brightness level of 45000 candles. The light used to flash once in 20 seconds and was visible from almost 12 miles away into the sea. In 1934, for the first time ever Vizag experienced the revolving occulting light through this monument.
According to INTACH ( Indian National Trust For Art and Heritage), the first lighthouse of Vizag was commissioned on the Dolphin Nose Hill in 1874 but just after 2 years it was got wrecked in the severe cyclone in 1876. So, between that period it was the only lighthouse which served relentlessly for decades to keep the marine activity of the port city working.
The lighthouse was kept unused from 1962 and was neglected. According to INTACH, it was the first text-book renovation to be done in the city. During the world war II, two anti-aircraft guns were stationed beside the lighthouse to protect the city from the furious Japanese fighter planes. Those were also restored and put up for public display.
After INTACH members expressed concern and took up the lighthouse with VPT, the latter carried out some restoration works. However, VCTP (Visakha Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd.) later came out voluntarily and restored the work in a proper manner and opened the iconic building to the public in June 2015.
Let’s not waste anymore and visit such iconic monuments which represent our historic culture and heritage.
Namaste Vizag 