KOCHI: An evening spent at the pristine beaches of Kovalam is incomplete without visiting the lighthouse standing tall among its trademark rocky beaches and taking in the magnificent view of the ocean and the sunset from the top of the towering structure.
Tourism Prospects
However, the tourism potential of the ‘Vizhinjam Lighthouse’, situated in close proximity to the internationally-renowned Kovalam beach, is yet to be tapped to its full extent. This is despite Government of India announcing in 2013 that plans were on to upgrade the facilities at the lighthouse to attract more visitors.
Visiting Thiruvananthapuram in 2013, Milind Deora, the then Minister of State for Shipping, had said the ministry was considering a proposal to set up a museum and an amphitheatre adjacent to the lighthouse as well as landscaping its surrounding. However, three years on, these plans are yet to come to fruition.
“The primary objective of the lighthouse is to guide mariners and issue communication for their navigation. For this, we have all the latest technologies set up at the Vizhinjam lighthouse. Saving life in deep waters is our utmost importance,” said Madhukar Gudadhe, Director of Lighthouses and Lightships, Kochi region.
The directorate is not completely oblivious to the tourism possibilities of the lighthouses situated across the state. “We are also interested in promoting tourism, but the Ministry does not have the funds for it at the moment, but we will take all the efforts to do it,” the director said.
The Director General of Lighthouses and Lightships had invited tenders to develop all its lighthouses for the purpose of tourism, however, only two lighthouses in Kerala region - Minicoy Lighthouse in Lakshadweep and Kadalur Point Lighthouse in Koyilandy, Kozhikode - generated interested under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
“It was unfortunate that the tenders attracted little interested, meanwhile, the development of the two lighthouses will begin shortly. And we will be reissuing tenders again,” Madhukar said.
Awaiting Funds for Facelift
The light house at Kozhikode beach is all set to get a facelift. If things go as planned the tourists will be able to take a tour of the two light houses. The plan is to open it to tourists after carrying out essential repairs. The project will be jointly carried out by the Harbour Engineering, Tourism and Port departments.
Port officer K Aswini Pratap said that a detailed proposal was sent to the Port Department seeking adequate fund to carry out the beautification of the lighthouse premises and the repair works. “The lighthouse, which was built during British rule, needs better conservation. Beautification works and adequate facilities that will help explore the lighthouse will draw visitors to it,” he said. The department officers expect administrative sanction within few months. “We have forwarded a detailed proposal and the fund will be soon disbursed,” the Port Officer said. The fund will be also utilised towards setting up basic amenities in the lighthouse premises. The visitors will have to pay a minimal amount to explore the lighthouse tower.
Kiosk Draws in Visitors
Salty air, sea shells and the setting sun never fails to quench the thirst of the travellers. Like a jewel on the crown, lighthouses add to the scenic beauty of the beaches. One of the oldest lighthouses in the country, the Puthuvype lighthouse located in the heart of the Arabian sea which was first lit in 1839, has a new feature-a kiosk.
The lighthouse, which has guided more than a million sailors to safety, is attracting more tourists with the addition of the kiosk. The kiosk, which will also act as a small museum to help the visitors, aims at developing the area as a potential tourist destination and to provide them a panoramic view of the scenic location, mostly the coastline, an official said.
The kiosk was formally launched in November last year.
Although the location of this lighthouse doesn’t encourage the inflow of large number of tourists, the extended timings, the new lift and kiosk have played to welcome new faces. The kiosk which encompasses the vast history of all the lighthouses in the Indian Subcontinent will definitely add to the curious minds searching for the story behind behind these life saving lights. The Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) covers a wide range of facilities beginning from a radar, a CCTV, VHF radiotelephony and an automatic identification system which ensures the safe and expedient flow of traffic on busy waters. — Soorya S Shenoy
Homing in Tourists
Around 150 years ago, Alappuzha was an international destination for merchants from England, Holland, Portugal and other European countries. They came to buy pepper, cardamom, and other spices and goods. It was taken by numerous ships through the Alappuzha port owned by the erstwhile Travancore kingdom. Trade was brisk and plentiful. The lighthouse on Alappuzha beach was the main pathfinder for the ships. Visionary leaders of Travancore constructed the lighthouse, with the help of the engineering technology of the west. The foundation stone was laid on April 26, 1860, by Mough Crawford, wife of the then Port Officer Haug Craword. The structure was constructed using the locally available laterite stones and has a teak spiral staircase. Earlier, the tower was painted in white and in 2000 it was changed into red and white to get a long view of the lighthouse. Lighthouse keeper (or Navigational Assistant) K G Binod said, “There are numerous visitors every day.” Navigational Assistant M Sreejesh Kumar added, “It was renovated a few years back and the then Union Minister of State for Shipping Milind Deora rededicated the lighthouse. A museum on the history of the lighthouses in India was also inaugurated by the minister.”