The Lighthouse bears its name after the Gopnath Mahadev temple situated nearby on sea and is about a km from the pucca road that links temple to Talaja town on Bhavnagar-Veraval highway.This territory was under Bhavnagar state who built a circular stone masonry tower at Gopnath point in 1878-79. A dioptric apparatus with mirrors and a wick burner, supplied by M/s Chance Bros, Birmingham was installed in the lantern house on this tower. The light was exhibited on 15th April 1879. The Lighthouse Expert D. Alan Stevenson visited the station in February 1927and observed that the lantern ventilation was poor and fog warning was being made by hammering an iron rail hung from the balcony railing. Improvement to lighthouse was carried out in 1932- the wick lamp was replaced by an equipment giving occulting flash and a storm warning signal was added.The PV equipment (M/s. Chance Bros., Birmingham) originally at Diu- head lighthouse was shifted to Gopnath in 1969 and was installed in place of the old equipment. A lighted buoy was laid to mark Saltanpar shoal in the near by vicinity-off Shetrunjya river entrance. This lighthouse tower remained in operation up to 1975. Another 30 m tower was constructed about 500 m east of the old tower.and the PV equipment supplied by M/s J.Stone India was installed on the new tower. The new Lighthouse was inaugurated by Mr H.M.Trivedi, then Union Minister for Shipping &Transport. on 10th March 1975. The PV light was converted into an electrical light on 30th November 1992 anddirect drive system was incorporated on 27th June 1996.The DGPS transmission equipments manufactured by M/s Leica Geo System, USA and supplied by M/s Elcom Marine,Mumbai were installed at the station and put on the air on 30th April, 2003.
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