Prong's Lighthouse
.jpg) Photo of the lighthouse taken on 5 April 1874. | |
 | |
| Location | Mumbai, India |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 18°52′45″N 72°47′59″E / 18.879238°N 72.799750°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1844 (first) |
| Construction | stone tower |
| Height | 41 metres (135 ft) |
| Shape | tapered cylindrical tower with double balcony and lantern |
| Markings | black basement, white tower with a horizontal red band, white lantern |
| Operator | Mumbai Port Trust[2] |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1871 (current) |
| Focal height | 41 metres (135 ft) |
| Lens | 1st order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi)[1] |
| Characteristic | Fl W 10s. |
Prong's Lighthouse is an offshore lighthouse situated at the southernmost point of Bombay (present-day Mumbai), India in the Colaba (Navy Nagar) area. It marks the entrance to Mumbai Harbour. The lighthouse is a Grade-I heritage structure.
History
During the 18th century, with an increase in the number of shipwrecks in the Bombay harbour region, a need for a lighthouse was met by modifying an onshore watch tower, built by the Portuguese, into the first lighthouse by British port authorities. This was known as the Colaba Point Lighthouse.[3]
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The Prong's Lighthouse was built later, in 1875, by Thomas Ormiston at the cost of Rs. 620,255.[3][4] The lighthouse had a cannon during the British rule, to secure the bay. Once the Prong's Lighthouse was completed and commissioned, the older Colaba Point Lighthouse was rendered obsolete and it was demolished and no trace of it remains today.[3][5][6]
Description
The tapering 44 metres (144 ft) high circular stone tower has a 23 metres (75 ft) range and a beam that can be seen at a distance of 30 kilometres (19 mi).[3] The tower is painted in three horizontal bands, red, white, and black respectively.[7] It displays a white light, flashing every ten seconds.[8]
Staffing
The Prong's Lighthouse is one of the few offshore lighthouses in the world that are still staffed.[5] It is maintained by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships, that comes under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.[8] The lighthouse has restricted access as it is in a military area. It is accessible during low tide by foot and during high tide by boat, with special permission from the Indian Navy and the Mumbai Port Trust.[9]
Heritage designation
The lighthouse is one of the three lighthouses in the Mumbai Harbour. The other two lighthouses include the Dolphin Lighthouse and the Sunk Rock Lighthouse.[5]
The lighthouse (and the mangrove area extended between it and Colaba point) was designated a Grade-I heritage structure by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (MCGM) basis the recommendations of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee.[10]
See also
References
- ^ Prong’s Reef Lighthouse Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of India: Goa and Maharashtra". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Prongs reef Lighthouse". Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Darkness dawns on city's lighthouses". Daily News and Analysis. 3 September 2005. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Shankar, Anuradha (17 August 2017). "The lighthouses of Mumbai harbour". Times Travel. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Lighthouses of India: Maharashtra". The Lighthouse Directory. Archived from the original on 8 July 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Prongs reef lighthouse" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ a b R.K. Bhanti. "Indian Lighthouses - An Overview" (PDF). Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Tindall, Gilian (1 June 1992). City of gold. Mumbai: Penguin Books.
- ^ "Mumbai Metropolitan Region – Heritage Conservation Society's Regulation Guidelines" (PDF). MMR-HCS. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 July 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
External links
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