SantaPille Lighthouse

Santapille Lighthouse is situated about 20 km from Vizianagar Railway Station on Howrah-Chennai route. The main objective of this light is to warn about the shoal about six miles off the shore. A light used to be exhibited from a column like structure on a hillock about 2 km North-East of the present Lighthouse. The ravines of the lighthouse and attached room and Keepers dwellings can be seen there. It is more than 200 years old construction said to have been carried out by the Dutch. A log used to be burnt on the column for the whole night. The British constructed a temporary lighthouse first on the beach in 1840 which was washed off by a cyclone. The present Lighthouse was built by British in 1848. The inner stone lining of the uppermost portion of the Lighthouse Tower has been made into 3.6m diameter Lantern house by providing glazing over it. On the outer side, a cornice and a platform has been provided. The wick lamp was placed in this lantern in March 1849. In the year 1903 the wick lamp was removed and 500 mm optic assembly and P.V. burner supplied by M/s Chance Bros., Birmingham was installed. It was commissioned on 27th March, 1903. The P.V. light source has been replaced by 230V, 400W MH Lamp on 27th March 1995.