Lighthouses of India: Andhra Pradesh

The Republic of India (Bhārat in Hindi) is the seventh largest country and second most populous country in the world. It occupies a subcontinent of Asia that projects southward into the North Indian Ocean, separating the Bay of Bengal on the east from the Arabian Sea on the west. Before 1947 it was a patchwork of regions governed as British colonies and semi-independent princely states under British supervision. In 1947 this British Raj was partitioned into the independent states of India and Pakistan. Several French and Portuguese colonies embedded in the territory of India were absorbed in 1950 and 1961, respectively.

India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories. This page lists lighthouses of Andhra Pradesh, a large state occupying the central portion of India's east coast. Facing the Bay of Bengal, this coastline is almost everywhere low and sandy with numerous offshore shoals. The largest port in the state is Vishakhapatnam (often called Vizag for short) but there are many smaller ports. For administration the state is divided into 13 districts.

India's lighthouse heritage is British. However, only a fraction of the original British lighthouses remain in use; new towers have been built at most of the stations. India has also built many lighthouses at new locations in recent years. Nearly all of the larger Indian lighthouses are staffed and by long tradition the staff will receive visitors at a specific time, usually late in the afternoon. Several lighthouses have been developed as tourist attractions and have longer hours.

Hindi and English are official languages in India, with English serving as a lingua franca for the entire nation. The Indian Constitution recognizes another 21 languages, called scheduled languages, and each of the coastal states has its own scheduled language in official use. In Telugu, the official language of Andhra Pradesh, the word for a lighthouse is transliterated from English as laiṭ'haus (లైట్హౌస్); dvīpaṁ is an island, nadi is a river, and naukāśrayaṁ is a harbor.

Lighthouses and aids to navigation in India are administered by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), an agency of the Ministry of Shipping. Lighthouses of the Srikakulam District of northernmost Andhra Pradesh are maintained by the Kolkata Directorate of DGLL; the remaining lighthouses of Andhra Pradesh are maintained by the Vishakhapatnam Directorate.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume F of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
Aids to Navigation - Kolkata Region and Vishakhapatnam Region
Lighthouse information from DGLL, including photos for most of the lighthouses.
World of Lighthouses - India
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Lighthouses in India
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Online List of Lights - India
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
India
Historic postcard images posted by Michel Forand.
Leuchttürme Asiens auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for the Bay of Bengal.


Dolphin's Nose Light, Vishakhapatnam, May 2014
ex-Panoramio photo copyright Abraham Mallela; permission requested

Srikakulam District Lighthouses
* Baruva (3?)
2012 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane unknown; two white flashes every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands; lantern painted red. Santosh Allada has a 2015 photo, Biman Sahu has a closeup, Raju Pydi has a 2022 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The previous light was mounted "on port flagstaff," according to NGA, although there does not appear to be an active port at Baruva. This light was deactivated in 2003 and there was no light until the new lighthouse was activated. An 1889 Bay of Bengal Pilot describes an unlit "column," painted with black and white bands, at Baruva. The modern lighthouse stands next to the Haritha Beach Resort. Site presumably open, tower closed. Admiralty F0985; NGA 26951.
* Kalingapatnam (2)
1982 (station established 1877). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) hexagonal cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. A photo is at right, Gowtham Kambhampati has a 2016 photo, Muni Raja Bonthala has a 2018 photo, Wikimedia has photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located at Kalingapatnam, a beach resort town about 30 km (19 mi) east of Srikakulam at the mouth of the Vamsadhara River. Accessible by road. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-036; Admiralty F0982; NGA 26956.
* Kalingapatnam (1)
1877 (inactive since at least 1982). 20 m (66 ft) square stone tower; lantern removed. A photo (halfway down the page) is available and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was abandoned when it was covered by a moving sand dune. The dune has now passed on, revealing the old tower. Located about 3 km (2 mi) south of the active lighthouse. Site open, tower closed.

Vizianagaram District Lighthouse
* Santapille (Santhapalli) (3)
1903 (station established 1840). Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 22 m (72 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands; lantern dome painted red. Dayal Saran has a closeup 2016 photo, Kartheek Dummu has a 2019 photo, and the lighthouse and several station buildings are seen in a Google satellite view. The original light, a temporary structure on the beach, was destroyed by a typhoon. Ruins of the second (1849) lighthouse, which had a light tower attached to a keeper's house, can also be seen. According to DGLL remains of a primitive 18th century Dutch lighthouse are found 1.25 km (3/4 mi) northeast. Located about 50 km (30 mi) northeast of Bhimunipatnam. The entrance to the light station from highway 147 is unmarked. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-061; Admiralty F0980; NGA 26960.

Kalingapatnam Light, Kalingapatnam, February 2017
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by రహ్మానుద్దీన్ (Rahmānuddīn)

Vishakhapatnam District Lighthouses
Vishakhapatnam (Vizag) is the second-largest city on the east coast of India after Chennai; its population is about 2 million. The city is a major port, known for its seafood exports and a shipyard that builds and repairs ships for the Indian Navy.
* Bhimunipatnam (Bheemili, Bheemunipatnam)
1903. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 9 s. 11 m (36 ft) masonry tower, painted white. A 2017 photo is at right, Matt Kutsch also has a good photo, Laxmi Saha has a 2022 photo, and Google has a satellite view. In January 2013 it was announced that this historic lighthouse would be demolished and replaced, but these plans were dropped. Google's January 2017 street view shows the old tower very much in place, with visitors on the gallery. In March 2022 government officials visited to survey sites for a new lighthouse; it would have a height of about 30 m (100 ft). Located near the port office in Bhimunipatnam (Bheemili), a seaport at the mouth of the river Gosthani about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Vishakhapatnam. Site open, tower appears open. ARLHS IND-023; Admiralty F0978; NGA 26964.
** Vishakhapatnam (2)
1960 (station established 1903). Inactive since 2008. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. Sujith Chandra has a 2018 photo, Prithvi Poosapati has a photo, Manikanta Bathinedi has a 2021 photo, Saroj Dhakal has a street view from the nearby Park Hotel, and Google has a satellite view. Lantern removed; an observation platform with a telescope was placed atop the tower. Endangered. This lighthouse replaced the historic lighthouse in the harbor area (next entry). In 2004 the site was donated to the Vishakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) and developed as a children's beach park called the Kids Pride Adventure Park, part of a larger Vuda Park. In early 2011 VUDA announced a plan for a new hotel on the property. This caused alarm among preservationists, but the hotel developers promised to maintain public access to the lighthouse. Wikimedia's 2020 photo shows the lighthouse in very poor condition. Located on the beach road near the Park Hotel in the northeastern part of Vishakhapatnam. Site and tower open. . ARLHS IND-066; ex-Admiralty F0973.

Bhimunipatnam Light, Bhimunipatnam, December 2017
Google Maps photo by Anand n
* Vishakhapatnam (1) (Old Harbour)
1903. Inactive since 1962. 18 m (59 ft) round stone tower with lantern. Tower painted red with white trim. A photo is at right, Sarath Polavarapu has a 2015 closeup, T.V. Ramakrishna has a 2019 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The abandoned lighthouse had been in very poor condition. One 2009 visitor found the lighthouse to be a hangout for drug dealers. In 2012, however, the Vishakhapatnam Port Trust transferred the building to Visakha Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd. (VCTPL), and that company announced plans to restore and relight the lighthouse in 2013. The company contributed the photo at right, taken as the restoration neared completion in 2014. Forand has a historic postcard view, and Huelse has a second postcard view. In June 2015 public tours of the lighthouse were conducted for the first time. In 2016 the port announced plans to add a maritime museum adjacent to the lighthouse. Located off Beach Road on the slope above the VCTPL terminal. Site and tower generally closed (private property) but may be open for tours; check locally. Owner/site manager: Visakha Container Terminal.
* Vishakhapatnam Sector
Date unknown. Inactive since 2015 but still listed by NGA. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery. Joy Chanda has a photo, Tanvir Mohammed has a distant view across the harbor and Google has a satellite view. This tower showed a complex pattern of lights marking both the entrance channel and an internal channel of the harbor. It is now abandoned and rusting. Located on the south side of the entrance to the inner harbor of Vishakhapatnam. Site status unknown, but the tower is easily seen many places in the harbor area. ex-Admiralty F0974.4; NGA 26980.
*** Dolphin's Nose (4)
1957 (station established 1874). Active; focal plane 173 m (568 ft); white flash every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands; lantern dome painted red. Abraham Mallela's photo is at the top of this page, Jaydip Bhattacharya has a 2017 closeup photo, Pallab Ghosh also has a photo, the lighthouse can be seen atop the rock in a distant view of the headland, and Google has a satellite view of the station. A light was displayed at the nearby fort as early as 1874, but there was no proper lighthouse until about 1905. The first lighthouse at the present site was built in 1940. The Dolphin's Nose is a huge rocky headland, which is quite a rarity on this coast. It is claimed locally that the light can be seen 64 km (40 mi) at sea; NGA lists the range as 32 nautical miles, which is 59 km (37 mi). Located about 8 km (5 mi) south of Vishakhapatnam. Site open, lighthouse open daily 3 pm to 5 pm. . ARLHS IND-032; Admiralty F0970; NGA 26972.
Vishakhapatnam Light
1903 Vishakhapatnam Light, April 2014
photo copyright Visakha Container Terminal; used by permission

Gangavarem Range Front
2009. Active; focal plane about 18 m (59 ft); quick-flashing white light. 14 m (46 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located in the huge Vizag Steel plant on the south side of the Dolphin's Nose. Site and tower closed. Site manager: Vizag Steel. Admiralty F0969.2; NGA 27010.
Gangavarem Range Rear
2009. Active; focal plane about 35 m (115 ft); white light occulting once every 10 s. 29 m (95 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located in the Vizag Steel plant 550 m (1/3 mi) west of the front light. Site and tower closed. Site manager: Vizag Steel. Admiralty F0969.21; NGA 27010.5.
*** Pudimadaka (Pudi Madaka, Pudimada) (2)
1991 (station established 1971). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 26 m (85 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. Sivakodandarao Yeripalli has a 2017 photo, a closeup photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The history of this station is not clear but apparently the present tower was built in 1991. Located on a sandy promontory at Pudi Madaka, about 55 km (35 mi) southwest of Vishakhapatnam. Site open, tower open daily. . ARLHS IND-054; Admiralty F0968; NGA 27012.

East Godavari District (Kakinada Area) Lighthouses
Between the cities of Machilipatnam and Kakinada is the broad, fan-shaped delta of the Godavari River, which drains a large part of the Deccan Plateau in central India. North of the delta, the trend of the coastline is northeast-southwest; south of the delta it is north-south.

Pentakota
1957. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 15 s. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands; lantern dome painted red. Guduguntla Karthik has the 2017 photo at right, Raju Boddapu has a 2022 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at Pentakota, about 12 km (7.5 mi) southeast of Tuni and 40 km (25 mi) north of Kakinada. Site and tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-051; Admiralty F0966; NGA 27016.

Pentakota Light, Pentakota, September 2017
Google Maps photo by Guduguntla Karthik
Vakalapudi (2)
1879 (station established 1868). Inactive since 2005. Approx. 28 m (89 ft) round masonry tower with gallery, painted white; lantern removed. Surendra Vatturi's photo is at right, Thyaga Raju has a photo of both Vakalapudi lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the entrance to Kakinada Bay. In 2003 it was reported that the lighthouse was to be demolished and replaced, but there was interest in preserving it and it was not taken down. Located at Vakalapudi about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Kakinada. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IND-065.
** Vakalapudi (3)
2005 (station established 1868). Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 45 m (148 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and double gallery. Lighthouse painted with horizontal red and white bands. Bhuvan Eswar's photo is at right, Thyaga Raju has a photo of both Vakalapudi lighthouses, there's a closeup of the top of the tower, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the mainland side of the entrance to the bay of Kakinada, which is sheltered by a long, curving sand spit. Located at Vakalapudi about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Kakinada. Site open, tower open in late afternoons. . ARLHS IND-064; Admiralty F0964; NGA 27020.
Kakinada Bay Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); quick-flashing white light. 16 m (52 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located in the bay about 1.2 km (3/4 mi) southeast of the Kakinada Deepwater Port. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F0959.
Kakinada Bay Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 31 m (102 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, mounted on a square platform. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located in the bay 900 m (0.56 mi) southwest of the front light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F0959.1.
Hope Island (Godavari Point)
Date unknown. Apparently inactive; listed with focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white flash every 15 s. 8 m (26 ft) round tower with gallery and an external spiral stairway. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands. Chandra Mouli Pasagadugula has a closeup 2017 photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Hope Island (really a spit, although portions of it may be awash) is the 25 km (15 mi) long curving barrier that protects the Bay of Kakinada. Rapid erosion, exacerbated by dredging of the nearby channel, has endangered the lighthouse. Ramana Murthy's March 2020 photo shows the tower leaning seaward by at least 15°. Located at the end of the spit, opposite the Vakalapudi lighthouses. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F0960; NGA 27024.

Old and new Vakalapudi Lights, Vakalapudi, December 2022
Google Maps photo by Bhuvan Eswar
Godavery (Godavari, Hope Island) (2)
1868 (station established 1817). Inactive since about 1900. Originally this was a 30.5 m (100 ft) round tower with four ribs. The long-abandoned tower is now in ruins. Sangadi Gangadhara has a 2021 closeup photo, Wikimedia has a photo and Google has a satellite view. The Wikimedia photo identifies the lighthouse as Konaseema, a name for this region of the Godavari delta. In 1817 one of the first lighthouses of British India, an 18 m (60 ft) stone tower, was built at Cape Godavery (as it was then called). This was replaced with the 30.5 m (100 ft) tower in 1868. Located in what is now a mangrove swamp at the south end of the Bay of Kakinada. Site remote and probably impossible to find without good local guidance, tower closed. ARLHS IND-034.
Sacramento (Karavaka) (1)
Date unknown. Inactive. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower; lantern removed. Sai Charan has a photo of both the old and new lighthouses, a 2016 photo taken from the gallery of the new lighthouse is available and Google has a good satellite view. Located next to the new lighthouse (next entry).
Sacramento (Karavaka) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1895). Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); white flash every 5 s. 45 m (148 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern dome painted red. Sai Charan has a 2018 photo of the two towers, a 2017 photo and a 2021 photo of the station are available, and Google has a good satellite view. This is one of the tallest lighthouses of India; it marks a sandy cape south of the mouth of the Vrudha Godavari, the northernmost mouth of the river. The Sacramento lighthouses replaced the former Cape Godavery lighthouses, as the mouth of the river has moved southward over the years, taking the location of the cape with it. Located on a point of land about 60 km (38 mi) south of Kakinada. Reported accessible by a walk of about 2 km (1.2 mi) from the village of Bojjovarepeta. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IND-059; Admiralty F0958; NGA 27032.
Ravaport (Ravva Port)
2013. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 30 m (98 ft) round fiber-reinforced composite tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Suman Mazumder has a 2019 photo, Kōṭi Vaṅgā has a 2018 photo, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This is the world's tallest (and first?) fiber-reinforced composite lighthouse. Ravva is a new port serving the offshore Ravva oil field. Located about 50 km (30 mi) northeast of Antervedi. Site status unknown. Admiralty F0957.5.
** Antervedi (Narsapur, Narasapur)
1971. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); two white flashes every 15 s.26 m (85 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. 4th order clamshell Fresnel lens in use. TManik Sehgal's photo is at right, Ganesh Maddula has a 2018 photo, a 2023 closeup is available, Arjun Am has a distant street view from the beach, Suresh Tirumani has a street view from the gallery, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Narsapur Point on the east side of the mouth of the Vasishta Godavari, the southern branch of the Godavari, about 20 km (13 mi) south of Narsapur (Narasapuram). Site open, tower open in the afternoons. . ARLHS IND-021; Admiralty F0957; NGA 27040.

Antervedi Light, Krishna District, September 2019
Google Maps photo by Manik Sehgal

Krishna District Lighthouses
The Krishna District includes the delta of the Krishna River, India's fourth largest river. During the colonial period the river's name was also spelled Kistna.

Machilipatnam Entrance (?)
Date unknown. Inactive at least since 2007. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower atop a square masonry tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The Admiralty reported the lighthouse to be "destroyed" in 2007, but apparently it is still standing. Located in wetlands about 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Machilipatnam and 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of the Machilipatnam River entrance. Site status unknown. ARLHS IND-042; ex-Admiralty F0956; ex-NGA 27048.
* Machilipatnam (Manginapudi Beach, Masulipatnam) (4)
1984 (station established 1858). Active; focal plane 51 m (167 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 45 m (148 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and two galleries, painted with horizontal black and white bands; lantern dome painted red. Roopesh Kohad has a good photo, Samaresh Biswal has a 2018 photo, Vineeth Chimata has a 2020 photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The great tsunami of 26 December 2004 swept away hundreds of people on the beach and reached the base of the lighthouse but the tower was not damaged. The original light was on a flagstaff; the current lighthouse replaced a much shorter tower built in 1930. Located behind Manginapudi Beach, about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Machilipatnam. Accessible by road. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-043; Admiralty F0955; NGA 27044.
Nagayalanka (Kistna River) (2)
1972 (station established 1902 but inactive 1940-1955). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); one long (1.2 s) white flash every 15 s. 37 m (121 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white spiral bands. Tandavakrishna Tungala's 2012 photo is at right, Tandava Krishna Pidikiti has a 2015 photo, a 2018 photo is available, Shanmukha Anirudh has a 2020 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse replaced an older light known as Kistna or False Devil Point; the old tower was demolished and its bricks used to build retaining walls protecting the approach to the new light. Lighthouse Digest has I.C.R. Prasad's account of a severe tropical cyclone that flooded the station in November 1977. Located on the east side of the mouth of the Krishna River south of the village of Nagayalanka. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower status unknown. . ARLHS IND-046; Admiralty F0953; NGA 27052.

Nagayalanka Light, Krishna District, January 2012
ex-Panoramio photo copyright Tandavakrishna Tungala
used by permission

Guntur District Lighthouse

The southern coast of Andhra Pradesh (starting from this area) is part of the Coromandel Coast, which extends southward through the state of Tamil Nadu.

** Nizampatnam (Nizamapatnam) (3)
2004 (station established 1860, but inactive 1940-1958 and 1968-2004). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 5 s. 31 m (102 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and double gallery painted with horizontal red and white bands. Naresh Jonnakuti's 2022 photo is at right, a 2009 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was activated in July 2004. Located next to the port office at Nizampatnam, about 15 m (9 mi) east of Bapatla. Site open, tower open in the afternoons. ARLHS IND-047; Admiralty F0952.8; NGA 27054.

Prakasam District Lighthouses
* Vodarevu (Chirala)
2002. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and double gallery. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands. Raju Boddapu has a 2022 photo, Sambasiva Rao has a 2010 photo of the lighthouse in action, a 2018 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was the first in India built using a new technique called slip-form construction, which shortens construction time dramatically. Lighthouse Digest has I.C.R. Prasad's November 2002 article on the lighthouse. Located at Vodarevu, a relatively new port being developed about 7 km (4 mi) southeast of Chirala. Site open, tower probably closed. ARLHS IND-067; Admiralty F0952.9; NGA 27055.
** Ramayapatnam (Ramaypatnam) (2)
2005 (station established 1982). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 10 s. 35 m (115 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. Ramesh Pagidipalli has a 2023 photo, Yespear Kay has a photo, Chaitanya Ramireddy has a 2020 closeup, Kiran Darling has a street view from the gallery, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse and the next several to the south stand on the northern Coromandel Coast, a low shore devastated by the great tsunami of 26 December 2004. There was a news report that the "oldest lighthouse at Ramayapatnam" collapsed in the waves; presumably this was the 1982 tower. Located at Ramayapatnam, a fishing village about 25 km (15 mi) north of Kavali. Accessible by road. Site open, tower open in late afternoons. ARLHS IND-057; Admiralty F0952.5; NGA 27056.

Nizampatnam Light, Nizampatnam, September 2022
Google Maps photo by Naresh Jonnakuti

Nellore District Lighthouses
Iskapalli (Iskapallipalem, Isakapalle)
2008. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white spiral bands. Raju Boddapu has a 2022 photo, Brahma Reddy has a 2018 photo, Arvind Swamy has a view from atop the lighthouse, and Google has a good satellite view. This new lighthouse is located at the village of Isakapalli in the Repalle municipality, north of Nellore. Site status unknown. Admiralty F0952.3; NGA 27057.
* Krishnapatnam (3)
2003 (station established 1938). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) hexagonal masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands. Vijay Kanth has a 2020 photo, Prithvi Ravvarapu has a 2017 photo, a more distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 5 km (3 mi) north of the harbor at Krishnapatnam, a former fishing village where private interests have developed port facilities, about 40 km (25 mi) southeast of Nellore. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS IND-040; Admiralty F0952; NGA 27060.
Krishnapatnam (1)
1938. Inactive since 1978. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) 2-stage tower, the gallery supported by posts atop a square 1-story masonry tower. Lantern removed. Visible to the left in a distant view of the current lighthouse. Google has a satellite view. Site open, tower closed.
Krishnapatnam (2)
1978 (station established 1938). Inactive since 2003. 30 m (98 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands. A DGLL photo is at right, Eric Willems has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located in an industrial area at Krishnapatnam. Site and tower closed.
Krishnapatnam Range Front
Date unknown. Active (privately maintained?); focal plane 13 m (36 ft); isophase green light, period unknown. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) skeletal tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. This is the entrance range for the Krishnapatnam port. Located on the south side of the harbor. Site and tower closed. Admiralty F0952.15.

1978 Krishnapatnam Light, Krishnapatnam
DGLL photo
Krishnapatnam Range Rear
Date unknown. Active (privately maintained?); focal plane 40 m (131 ft); green flash every 4 s. 37 m (121 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. The tower is visible to the right of center in Daniel Wesley's distant view and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located in wetlands on the south side of the harbor, 650 m (0.4 mi) west of the front light. Site and tower closed. Admiralty F0952.151.
Armagon Shoal (Monapalem) (1)
1853. Inactive 1928-1938 and since 1983. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower mounted on a square 1-story concrete base. The tower was originally painted white, but little paint remains. The lighthouse was abandoned in 1928 because the site was unhealthy and keepers quickly became ill with malaria. It was reopened a decade later after surrounding marshes were drained. Murali Krishna has a photo taken from the current lighthouse and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was built to warn ships away from the shoal, which is about 11 km (7 mi) offshore. In 1983 the tower, originally 30 m (98 ft) in height, was reduced in height to support the station's water tank.
Armagon Shoal (Monapalem) (2)
1983 (station established 1853). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 15 s. 30 m (98 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. Prasanna Kumar Uppala's 2017 photo is at right, Ashish Agrawal has a good 2022 photo, Xavier Benedict has another 2017 photo, Vamsi Reddy has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 300 m (0.2 mi) from the beach at Monapalem, about 11 km (7 mi) south of Durgarajupatnam and 25 km (15 mi) north of India's spacecraft launch facilities at Sriharikota. Site status unknown. ARLHS IND-022; Admiralty F0951; NGA 27064.
 

1983 Armagon Shoal Light, Monapalem, February 2017
Google Maps photo by Prasanna Kumar Uppala

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: West Bengal and Odisha | South: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry

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Posted January 20, 2006. Checked and revised July 3, 2023. Lighthouses: 37. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.