List of lighthouses in Sri Lanka

This is a list of lighthouses in Sri Lanka. There are 14 active lighthouses in Sri Lanka. Most of the lighthouses in Sri Lanka are operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). However several are operated by the Sri Lanka Navy, while some are inactive.[1][2]

History

Most of the lighthouses in Sri Lanka were built during the British rule of the country (then known as Ceylon). These were operated and maintained by the Imperial Lighthouse Service, however some lighthouses had keepers sent from Trinity House. After Sri Lanka gained independence the operation of the lighthouses was taken over by the Navy on a piecemeal basis with the completion of transfer by 1976. There are twenty five lighthouses in Sri Lanka, with sixteen of those being still active. Most of these lighthouses now fall under the control of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, whilst the remainder are under the control of the Sri Lanka Navy.

There are four international lighthouses, they are:

  1. Barberyn (Beruwala) Lighthouse
  2. Dondra Head Lighthouse
  3. Little Basses Reef Lighthouse
  4. Great Basses Reef Lighthouse

Lighthouses

Name Image Year
built
Location &
coordinates
Class of Light Focal
height
NGA
number
ARLHS
number
Range
nml
Barberyn Lighthouse 1890 Beruwala
6°27′48.5″N 79°58′05.7″E / 6.463472°N 79.968250°E / 6.463472; 79.968250
Fl W 20s. 46 metres (151 ft) 27288 SLI-002 27
Batticaloa Lighthouse 1913 Batticaloa
7°45′17.2″N 81°41′07.8″E / 7.754778°N 81.685500°E / 7.754778; 81.685500
Fl W 3s. 27 metres (89 ft) 27260 SLI-003 10
Chapel Hill Lighthouse n/a Trincomalee District
8°32′52.3″N 81°14′39.4″E / 8.547861°N 81.244278°E / 8.547861; 81.244278
Fl W 10s. 111 metres (364 ft) 27248 SLI-004 10
Colombo Lighthouse 1952 Colombo
6°56′10.8″N 79°50′27.0″E / 6.936333°N 79.840833°E / 6.936333; 79.840833
Fl (3) W 10s. 26 metres (85 ft) 27336 SLI-005 25
Colombo Island Breakwater North End Lighthouse Image Archived 2016-10-17 at the Wayback Machine 1907 Colombo Harbour
6°57′39.2″N 79°51′04.7″E / 6.960889°N 79.851306°E / 6.960889; 79.851306
Fl G 3s. 13 metres (43 ft) 27320 SLI-006 10
Colombo Island Breakwater South End Lighthouse Image Archived 2016-10-17 at the Wayback Machine 1905 Colombo Harbour
6°57′18.9″N 79°50′49.0″E / 6.955250°N 79.846944°E / 6.955250; 79.846944
Fl R 3s. 13 metres (43 ft) 27316 SLI-007 10
Dondra Head Lighthouse 1889 Dondra Head
5°55′16.6″N 80°35′38.8″E / 5.921278°N 80.594111°E / 5.921278; 80.594111
Fl W 5s. 47 metres (154 ft) 27276 SLI-001 28
Foul Point Lighthouse Image Archived 2016-10-13 at the Wayback Machine 1863 Trincomalee
8°31′31.4″N 81°19′07.3″E / 8.525389°N 81.318694°E / 8.525389; 81.318694
inactive (tower)
32 metres (105 ft)
n/a SLI-009 n/a
Galle Lighthouse 1939 Galle Fort
6°01′28.48″N 80°13′09.76″E / 6.0245778°N 80.2193778°E / 6.0245778; 80.2193778
Fl (2) W 15s. 28 metres (92 ft) 27284 SLI-018 25
Great Basses Reef Lighthouse 1873 Southern Province
6°10′55.5″N 81°28′52.8″E / 6.182083°N 81.481333°E / 6.182083; 81.481333
Fl W 15s. 34 metres (112 ft) 27272 SLI-010 25
Hambantota Lighthouse Image 1913 Hambantota
6°07′19.2″N 81°07′37.6″E / 6.122000°N 81.127111°E / 6.122000; 81.127111
inactive (tower)
14 metres (46 ft)
n/a SLI-011 n/a
Jaffna Channel Lighthouse n/a
9°37′37.2″N 80°01′58.0″E / 9.627000°N 80.032778°E / 9.627000; 80.032778
Fl (3) W 15s. 6 metres (20 ft) 27220 n/a 13
Kankesanthurai Lighthouse Image Archived 2016-10-23 at the Wayback Machine 1893 Kankesanthurai
9°48′57.9″N 80°02′41.4″E / 9.816083°N 80.044833°E / 9.816083; 80.044833
inactive (tower)
22 metres (72 ft)
ex-27224 SLI-012 n/a
Kovilan Point Lighthouse Image Archived 2016-10-17 at the Wayback Machine 1916 Karainagar
9°45′42.4″N 79°51′47.9″E / 9.761778°N 79.863306°E / 9.761778; 79.863306
inactive 31 metres (102 ft) 27212 SLI-013 11
Little Basses Reef Lighthouse Image 1878 Southern Province
6°24′26.3″N 81°43′48.8″E / 6.407306°N 81.730222°E / 6.407306; 81.730222
V Q (2) W 10s. 34 metres (112 ft) 27268 SLI-014 27
Mannar Island New Lighthouse 1915 Talaimannar
9°06′26.8″N 79°43′51.8″E / 9.107444°N 79.731056°E / 9.107444; 79.731056
Fl W 5s. 17 metres (56 ft) 27364 SLI-015 10
Mannar Island Old Lighthouse 1915 Talaimannar
9°05′37.85″N 79°41′53.8″E / 9.0938472°N 79.698278°E / 9.0938472; 79.698278
n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Mullaitivu Lighthouse 1896 Mullaitivu
9°17′26.9″N 80°48′38.35″E / 9.290806°N 80.8106528°E / 9.290806; 80.8106528
destroyed 1996
Fl (2) W 10s.
20 metres (66 ft) 27232 SLI-016 10
Old Colombo Lighthouse 1860 Colombo
6°56′05.2″N 79°50′34.3″E / 6.934778°N 79.842861°E / 6.934778; 79.842861
inactive
since 1952
(tower)
29 metres (95 ft)
n/a SLI-021 n/a
Oluvil Lighthouse 1999
7°17′25.4″N 81°52′02.2″E / 7.290389°N 81.867278°E / 7.290389; 81.867278
Fl W 10s. 25 metres (82 ft) n/a SLI-026 n/a
Point Pedro Lighthouse 1916 Point Pedro
9°49′36.8″N 80°14′59.1″E / 9.826889°N 80.249750°E / 9.826889; 80.249750
Fl W 5s. 31 metres (102 ft) 27228 SLI-017 10
ILavalai Light House [ 1916 ILavalai
9°49′36.8″N 80°14′59.1″E / 9.826889°N 80.249750°E / 9.826889; 80.249750
Fl W 5s. 31 metres (102 ft) 27228 SLI-017 10
Pungudutivu Lighthouse n/a Pungudutivu Lighthouse
9°34′04.1″N 79°51′14.7″E / 9.567806°N 79.854083°E / 9.567806; 79.854083
Fl W 5s. 11 metres (36 ft) 27216 n/a 11
Round Island Lighthouse 1863 Trincomalee
8°30′46.8″N 81°13′33.3″E / 8.513000°N 81.225917°E / 8.513000; 81.225917
Fl (3) WR 15s. 31 metres (102 ft) 27244 SLI-019 10
Sangamankanda Point Lighthouse Image Archived 2016-11-15 at the Wayback Machine 1947
7°01′32.8″N 81°52′40.7″E / 7.025778°N 81.877972°E / 7.025778; 81.877972
Fl W 5s. 7.5 metres (25 ft) 27264 SLI-020 10

See also

References

  1. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Sri Lanka". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  2. ^ NGA List of Lights – Pub.112 Retrieved 14 November 2016