Lighthouses of India: West Bengal and Odisha

The Republic of India (Bhārat in Hindi) is the seventh largest country and 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 India's northeast coast, including the states of West Bengal and Odisha (formerly Orissa). This coastline faces the head of the Bay of Bengal and is almost everywhere low and sandy, with numerous offshore shoals. The major port is Kolkata (Calcutta) on the Hooghly River, one of the distributaries of the Ganges Delta at the head of the Bay. Paradip in Odisha is a second modern port.

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 Bengali, the official language of West Bengal, the word for a lighthouse is bātighara (বাতিঘর); dbīpa or dwip is an island, nadī is a river, and bandara is a port or harbor. In Odia, the official language of Odisha, the English word "lighthouse" is transliterated as linhathausē (ଲିଂହଥୌସେ).

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 West Bengal and Odisha are maintained by the Kolkata Directorate of DGLL.

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
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.


Chandrabhaga Light, Puri District, Odisha, December 2011
Google Maps photo by Sangeeta Kumari

Lighthouses of West Bengal

South 24 Pardenas District (East Side Hooghly Estuary) Lighthouse
* Sagar Island (Saugor, Middleton Point) (3)
1909 (station established 1821). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 3 s. 23 m (79 ft) round cast iron tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. The base of the lighthouse is surrounded by a square pyramidal observation platform of recent construction. A photo by Dipak Das is at right, Sandip Kumar Jana has a 2019 photo, Nishant Kumar has a 2021 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The second lighthouse (1852) was also a cast iron tower. Ownership was transferred to DGLL from the Kolkata Port TRust in 2011. The present lighthouse has a very attractive setting in the center of a square reservation, surrounded by a moat and buildings now used for offices. In 2015 the lighthouse was identified for future tourist development. Located at Middleton Point on Sagar Island, marking the east side of the entrance to the Hooghly estuary and Kolkata (Calcutta). The island is accessible by ferry; it is a pilgrimage site, being the place where the Ganges meets the sea. Site open, tower closed but visitors can climb the observation platform. ARLHS IND-060; Admiralty F1028; NGA 26860.
Diamond Harbour (?)
Date unknown (station established 1898). Active; focal plane unknown; quick-flashing white light. The light lists do not describe this light. The listed location, also charted by Navionics, is at or near the Diamond Harbor passenger ferry terminal. Pradipta Jana's photo of the ferry wharf shows a tall mast rising from a square base about 6 m (20 ft) tall; this is a possible location for the light. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Diamond Harbour is on the east side of the Hooghly on the southern edge of the Kolkata metropolitan area. It has no port facilities but it was a protected anchorage for ships waiting to proceed to the city's docks. In 1904 the light was listed with a focal plane of 14 m (46 ft). A note is in order here concerning persistent reports of a historic Diamond Harbour lighthouse. Numerous Indian web sites repeat the claim that there is an "old lighthouse" close to a ruined Portuguese fort in Diamond Harbour. The fort ruins are real but they have washed into the river in recent years. A frequently posted historic engraving of a "Diamond Point" lighthouse is almost certainly an image of the lost Cowcolly (Kaukhali) lighthouse on the other side of the estuary. As best one can determine there was never a European-style light station at Diamond Harbour (nor would there have been a need for one). Assuming the light is at the ferry terminal: site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1035; NGA 26892.

Sagar Island Light, Sagar Island, January 2017
ex-Google Maps photo by Dipak Das

Purba Medinipur (East Midnapore) District (West Side Hooghly Estuary) Lighthouses
Navigation on the Hooghly is traditionally guided by a series of tall stone or cencrete beacons. Only a fraction of them are listed by the Admiralty as lighted and it's not clear that any of them are active.
Panchpara Range Rear
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) tower, lower half square and upper half round. Timir Baran Saha has the 2023 photo at right, Manoj Parui also has a 2023 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The tower does not appear to be lighted. This range guides ships departing Kolkata. Located in the Bisco Bricks Field, a brick manuf has the 2023 photo at right, acturing yard in the Hatgatccha neighborhood on the west side of the Hooghly. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1043.61.
Ludlow Inner
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane about 30 m (98 ft); red light, pattern unknown. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) square tower. The tower is seen at the start of Arindam Bhairav's 2021 video and Google has a satellite view. This was originally the rear light of a range; today it serves more as an aircraft warning light. Located in a jute mill on the west bank of the Hooghly in Ludlow. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1037.61.
* Uluberiya Reach Range Rear (1?)
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) 2-stage tower, lower half square and upper half round. Subhrajit Chatterjee has a 2022 photo and Google has a satellite view. This is a downstream (southbound) range. Located on the west bank of the Hooghly south of Uluberiya. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1035.91.
Nayachara Outer Column
Date unknown. Inactive since 2017. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round masonry obelisk. No photo available but Bing has an indistinct satellite view of the station. The Nayacharya lights have been replaced by a series of three buoys. Located near the northeastern end of Nayacharya Island, opposite Haldia. Site status unknown. ex-Admiralty F1034; NGA 26868.

Panchpara Range Rear Light (right), Kolkata, March 2023
Google Maps photo by Timir Baran Saha
Nayachara Inner Column
Date unknown. Inactive since 2017. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) round masonry obelisk. No photo available but Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located near the northeastern end of Nayacharya Island, about 800 m (1/2 mi) west southwest of the outer column. Site status unknown. ex-Admiralty F1034.5; NGA 26869.
Haldia Channel South
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane unknown; white flash every 10 s. Described only as a "framework tower." No photo available but Bing has an indistinct satellite view that probably shows the tower. This light marks a bend in the Hooghly channel. Located on the west side of the Hooghly estuary about 7 km (4 mi) south of Haldia. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1032.7; NGA 26865.
Sandia Outer Column
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square masonry tower. Subhajit Panja has a distant 2021 street view from the riverbank and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the Hooghly estuary about 8 km (5 mi) north of Gangra. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1031.45; NGA 26862.
Sandia Inner Column
Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane 18 m (59 ft); white flash every 15 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) round masonry obelisk. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the Hooghly estuary about 5 km (3 mi) north of Gangra. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1031.46; NGA 26863.
** Dariapur (2)
1968 (station established 1943). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); two long (1.4 s) white flashes every 20 s. 26 m (85 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands. Biswarup Ganguly's photo is at right, Wikimedia has several good photos, a 2012 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The original light was on a 20 m (66 ft) steel mast located 1 km (0.6 mi) to the east. Listed as a tourist attraction, this lighthouse is open for climbing. In 2015 it was identified for future tourist development. About 8 km (5 mi) northeast of this station is the location of the Cowcolly Light, built in 1810 and active until the 1920s. Located near Contai (Kanthi) on the west side of the entrance to the Hooghly estuary and Kolkata (Calcutta), about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Janput. Site open, tower open late afternoons daily except Sunday. ARLHS IND-030; Admiralty F1029; NGA 26861.
** Tajpur
2019. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 27 m (89 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and two large observation galleries. A 2020 photo is available, Suvajit Manna has a good photo, T. Suman has a closeup and a street view, and Google has a satellite view. Located in Tajpur, about 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Contai. Site open, tower open late afternoons daily . Admiralty F1028.5.

Dariapur Light, Contai, West Bengal, June 2016
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Biswarup Ganguly

Lighthouses of Odisha (Orissa)

Kendrapara District Lighthouse
False Point (Batighar)
1836. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 38 m (125 ft) round granite tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. The lighthouse traditionally carries a 10-point star-shaped daymark, placed in recent years on one of the white bands. Pravir Sahoo's photo is at right, Somanath Debnath has a 2022 photo, Smrutirekha Dey has a photo, Alok Swain has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was built to mark the entrance to the Mahanadi River; it also marks the nearby cape, which is called False Point because mariners bound for Calcutta sometimes mistook it for Palmyras Point farther north. This is one of three lighthouses in Odisha designated for tourist development in 2011 but lack of land access has these plans on hold. Located about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) from the coastline and south of the point, about 30 km 19 mi) northeast of Paradip (Paradeep). Site open but not easy to reach, tower status unknown. ARLHS IND-033; Admiralty F1006; NGA 26900.

Jagatsinghpur District (Port of Paradeep) Lighthouses
The port of Paradeep (Paradip), Odisha's only deepwater port, is an artificial harbor constructed in 1962-66. The area surrounding the port has been developed as an industrial center. The Admiralty uses the spelling Paradip, but DGLL lists the main lighthouse as Paradeep and that spelling prevails locally.

Paradip North Breakwater (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); green flash every 5 s. 8 m (26 ft) round barbell-shaped tower colored with green and white horizontal bands. Jitendra Dash has a distant view and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the north breakwater of the harbor entrance. Site and tower closed. Admiralty F1005.4; NGA 26912.

False Point Light, Batighar, November 2015
Google Maps photo by Pravir Sahoo
Paradip Entrance Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) tower carrying a daymark painted with black and white horizontal bands and flanked by similar towers defining the two sides of the channel. Asish Behera has a photo of the central tower, Manoj Dayak also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the harbor entrance. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1005.6; NGA 26916.
Paradip Entrance Range Middle
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white light, 2 s on, 3 s off. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower carrying a rectangular slatted daymark painted with black and white horizontal bands flanked by similar towers defining the two sides of the channel. No photo available but Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. Located 1650 m (1.026 mi) northwest of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1005.605; NGA 26918.
Paradip Entrance Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); white light, 5 s on, 5 s off. Approx. 40 m (131 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower topped by a skeletal mast carrying a rectangular slatted daymark painted with black and white horizontal bands flanked by similar towers defining the two sides of the channel. No photo available but Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located 740 m (0.46 mi) northwest of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1005.61; NGA 26920.
Paradip Inner Harbor Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); quick-flashing white light. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) tower carrying a daymark painted with black and white horizontal bands and flanked by towers defining the two sides of the channel. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1005.8; NGA 26924.
Paradip Inner Harbor Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) tower carrying a daymark painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This appears to be the tallest of the range lighthouses at the new harbor of Paradip. Located on the west side of the harbor, 300 m (980 ft) northwest of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1005.81; NGA 26928.
Paradip Customs Office
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); nine red flashes every 15 s. 14 m (46 ft) mast atop a building. No photo available and the light is inconspicuous in Google's satellite view. Located on the west side of the harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1005.92; NGA 26936.
Paradip Port Control
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft) (?); green flash every 2 s. Light mounted on a mast on a 5-story port control building. Deepak Kumar has a 2018 closeup photo, Santhosh Mosa has a distant photo, Muhammad Raheem has a 2021 view from the harbor, and Google has a satellite view. The listed focal plane is much too low. Located on the west side of the harbor. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1005.9; NGA 26932.
*** Paradip (Paradeep)
1988. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); three white flashes every 30 s. 40 m (131 ft) round concrete tower with lantern, gallery, and a circular observation and control room about 1/3 the way up the tower. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands; lantern dome painted red. Sujit Kumar Mishra's photo is at right, Linga Raju has a 2017 photo, Jitendra Dash has a 2022 closeup, Sitansu Sekhar Sutar has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. In 2013 the lighthouse was identified as one of three Odisha light stations scheduled for development as tourist attractions. Located behind the beach about 10 km (6 mi) southwest of downtown Paradip. Site open, tower open daily. ARLHS IND-049; Admiralty F1004.4; NGA 26937.

Paradip Light, Paradeep, January 2019
Google Maps photo by Sujit Kumar Mishra

Puri District Lighthouses
*** Chandrabhaga
1968. Active; focal plane 37 m (122 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) round masonry tower, painted with horizontal red and white bands. Two 1-story keeper's houses. Sangeeta Kumari's closeup photo is at the top of this page, Chandra Shekhar Satti has a 2023 photo, Subhajit Mishra has a 2016 photo, and Google has a satellite view. This is one three lighthouses in Odisha designated for tourist development in 2011. Located just off the beach near Konarak (Konark). Site open, tower open but no schedule information is available. . ARLHS IND-025; Admiralty F1003; NGA 26940.
*** Puri (4)
2002 (station established 1887). Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 25 m (82 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and double gallery, painted with horizontal black and white bands. Several 1-story keeper's cottages nearby. A photo is at right, Suprriya Basak has a 2022 photo, Aditya Biswaman has a 2017 closeup, Tamal Guha has a late evening street view from the beach, and Google has a satellite view. This is by far the best known lighthouse of Odisha. Early lights were mounted on the wall of the Circuit House; in 1956 a skeletal tower was mounted atop a new Circuit House. The Puri area is a very popular seaside resort; H.G. Mukhopadhyay has a photo of the lighthouse standing among the beachfront buildings. Located just off the beach to the southwest of Puri. Site open, tower open 4 pm to 5 pm daily. . ARLHS IND-056; Admiralty F1002; NGA 26944.

Ganjam District Lighthouses
Prayagi (Pryagi, Proyagi)
2012. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 32 m (105 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white spiral bands. Susanta Patra has a closeup 2020 photo, Manoj Pradhan has a 2017 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the coast about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Ganjam. Site open, tower status unknown. Admiralty F1000; NGA 26946.
Gopalpur Range Front
2018. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); quick white flash every 0.5 s. 12 m (39 ft) skeletal tower. A photo is available, the tower is at lower right in a photo of the port, the range lights are at the far right in a view from the harbor, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located at a new port developed by Penna Cement Industries about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Gopalpur. Site status unknown. Admiralty F0988.1.
Puri Lighthouse
Puri Light, Puri, January 2007
ex-Flickr Creative Commons photo by frisse82
Gopalpur Range Rear
2018. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); quick white flash every 2 s. 21 m (69 ft) skeletal tower. The range lights are at the far right in a view from the harbor, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 400 m (1/4 mi) west of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty F0988.2.
*** Gopalpur (4)
1967 (station established 1871). Active; focal plane 48 m (148 ft); white flash every 5 s. 32 m (105 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to several 1-story keeper's houses. Lighthouse painted with horizontal red and white bands. Saurabh Chatterjee's photo is at right, a good closeup photo is available, Narasingh Naik has a 2022 photo, Purnima Roy has a more distant view, Subham Patra has a similar view, Umashankar Behera has a street view from the beach, and Google has a good satellite view. The original mast light was replaced by a skeletal tower in 1925; a second skeletal tower was built in 1948. Gopalpur-on-Sea is also a very popular seaside resort, and this is one of the three lighthouses in Odisha designated for tourist development in 2011. Located just off the beach at Gopalpur-on-Sea, about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Brahmapur in southern Odisha. Site open, tower open 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm daily. . ARLHS IND-035; Admiralty F0988; NGA 26948.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

  • Cowcolly (Kaukhali) (1810-1940s?), Purba Medinipur District, West Bengal. This was a round brick tower, 27 m (88 ft) tall. It was the first British-built lighthouse in India. The lighthouse was deactivated in the 1920s but is still mentioned in U.S. sailing directions as late as 1941. Oddly, despite its long life extending into the 20th century no photos of it have been found. However, Wikimedia's engraving of a lighthouse identified as "Diamond Point" is almost certainly an image of the Cowcolly lighthouse. The original of this well-known engraving is captioned "Diamond Point, the entrance to the port of Calcutta." This has led many to believe that the lighthouse must have been near Diamond Harbour, but there was never a large lighthouse in that area during the 19th century and Diamond Harbour is many miles above the entrance to the Hooghly. The Cowcolly lighthouse was on the west side of the Hooghly, northwest of Sagar Island, where it did indeed mark the the entrance to the port of Calcutta. Google has a satellite view of the area. The fate of the historic lighthouse is not known but apparently nothing remains of it. ARLHS IND-028.

Gopalpur Light, Gopalpur-on-Sea, September 2014
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Saurabh Chatterjee

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Bangladesh | South: Andhra Pradesh

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Posted January 20, 2006. Checked and revised June 26, 2023. Lighthouses: 28. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.