Pamban Lighthouse

Pamban Lighthouse
Pamban Lighthouse
LocationPamban Island, Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates9°17′17″N 79°13′07″E / 9.288145°N 79.218554°E / 9.288145; 79.218554
Tower
Constructed1845 (first)
Constructionmasonry tower
Height20 m (66 ft)
Shapecylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markingswhite and black bands tower, white lantern, red roof
Light
First lit1879 (current)
Focal height29 m (95 ft)
CharacteristicFl (3) W 9s.

The Pamban Lighthouse is a lighthouse on the Pamban Island in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The original tower commissioned in 1846 was 41 ft (12 m) tall and used coconut oil based wick lamps. The current 66 ft (20 m)-high tower was constructed in 1902 into a 66-foot cylindrical tower with a fourth order Fresnel lens. The lighthouse served as a navigational aid for ships transiting the Pamban canal. It was modernized in 2019, and features a solar powered LED-based flash lamp, along with satellite-based communication and response systems.