Lighthouses of India: Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Republic of India (Bhārat in Hindi) is the seventh largest country and most populous country in the world. 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 small French and Portuguese colonies embedded in the territory of India were absorbed in 1950 and 1961, respectively.

India is a federal union with 28 states and eight union territories. This page is for lighthouses of the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Andaman Islands and Nicobar Islands are located in the northeastern corner of the Indian Ocean. Together they form an arc between Myanmar (Burma) and Sumatra, separating the Bay of Bengal on the west from the Andaman Sea on the east. There are about 570 islands in all, but only 38 are large enough to be inhabited. The Andamans are in the northern part of the arc and the Nicobars are to the south, the two groups being separated by a broad passage called the Ten Degree Channel.

Following failed attempts at colonization of the Nicobar Islands by Denmark both island chains were colonized by Britain during the mid 1800s and were administered as part of the British Raj. They were occupied by Japan during World War II (1942-45). When India became independent in 1947 the islands were organized as a union territory. In 1974 the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands became separate districts within the territory and in 2006 the Andaman Islands district was divided into two districts.

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 common use. Many of these languages are heard in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands along with several indigenous languages.

The great earthquake and tsunami of 26 December 2004 caused heavy damage throughout the territory. In some areas, especially in the south, the damage was catastrophic, with heavy loss of life.

Aids to navigation in India are administered by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), an agency of the Ministry of Shipping. Lights on this page are maintained by the DGLL district office at Port Blair, the territorial capital.

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
Port Blair District Aids to Navigation
Lighthouse information from DGLL including photos for most of the lighthouses.
World of Lighthouses - India
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - India
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for the islands.

Little Andaman Island Light
Little Andaman Island Light, Little Andaman, March 2011
ex-Panoramio photo copyright RafaNosh; permission requested

North and Middle Andaman District Lighthouses

Narcondam Island Lighthouse
Narcondam Island
1983. Active; focal plane 61 m (200 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 14 m (46 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Lighthouse painted white. Google has a satellite view. Narcondam Island is an isolated volcanic peak rising abruptly from the Andaman Sea; it is uninhabited except for an Indian police contingent posted there to maintain sovereignty. Myanmar (Burma) gave up its claim to the island in a 1986 treaty. The island is a wildlife sanctuary recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located about 120 km (75 mi) east of East Island, Narcondam is the easternmost point of Indian territory. The lighthouse is located near the northern tip of the island. Site and tower closed. Admiralty F1201.1; NGA 26560.

North Andaman Island Area Lighthouses
East Island
1969. Active; focal plane 89 m (292 ft); white flash every 15 s. 37 m (121 ft) cast iron tower with lantern and gallery painted with red and white horizontal bands. This is a staffed station with several buildings. Soma Shekar has the photo at right and a view from the sea, a drone view is available, and Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the northern end of the Andaman Islands. It appears to be another cast iron tower similar to the Indira Point and North Point Lights, built three years later. Located at the highest point of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS AND-001; Admiralty F1201; NGA 26552.
Port Cornwallis (Ross Island, Bopung)
1973. Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with gallery attached to a 1-story masonry keeper's house. Entire lighthouse painted white. Google has a satellite view. Port Cornwallis is named for an early and unsuccessful British settlement (1789). Located at the southern tip of Bopung or Ross Island, off the northeast coast of Great Andaman Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-017; Admiralty F1202; NGA 26556.
Brush Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) white concrete tower. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. Located on a small island in the middle of Aerial Bay about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) west of Ross Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1202.2; NGA 26557.

East Island Light, North Andaman, August 2017
ex-Google Plus photo by Soma Shekar

Middle Andaman Island Area Lighthouses
Mayabunder, a town of about 24,000 inhabitants on the east coast of Middle Andaman Island, is the capital of the North and Middle Andaman District.
Interview Island (2)
2005 (station established 1994). Active (?); focal plane 52 m (171 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. The original lighthouse was a 12 m (39 ft) square masonry tower also painted with black and white horizontal bands. Interview Island lies off the northwestern tip of Middle Andaman Island. The original lighthouse was on the southern tip of the island; it was reported "completely destroyed" by the tsunami. The Admiralty lists a new location on the west coast of the island but no tower is seen at that location in Google's satellite view; another satellite view may show the station but does not show a tower. Site status unknown. ARLHS AND-008; Admiralty F1202.3; NGA 26542.
Square Rock
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 15 s. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock off the south point of Sound Island and on the north side of the entrance to Mayabunder. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1202.4; NGA 26548.
Awes (Aves) Island
2008. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 7 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. DGLL's photo is at right, Google has a satellite view. Located at the highest point of a small island on the south side of the entrance to Mayabunder. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1202.45; NGA 26544.
Cape Portman (North Passage Island)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); white flash every 5 s. Square masonry tower, height unknown. No photo available but Bing has a satellite view. This light marks the northern entrance to Diligent Strait. Located on a sharp cape at the northern tip of North Passage Island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1202.58; NGA 26539.
Strait Island (Cross Point)
1983. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base, painted white. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a small island on the north side of the Diligent Strait, which separates the Ritchies Archipelago from Middle Andaman Island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1202.66 NGA 26520.
Baratang Island (Andaman Strait Eastern Entrance)
1985. Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); white flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base, painted with black and white horizontal bands. Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a small island off the entrance to the narrow Andaman Strait, which separates South Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1202.8; NGA 26516.

Aves Island Light, Middle Andaman
Dir. Gen. of Lighthouses and Lightships photo

Barren Island Lighthouse
Barren Island (2?)
1993(?) (station established 1982). Inactive since 2013. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower with an enclosed equipment shelter in the base, painted white. No photo available, and the tower is not seen in Google's satellite view. Barren Island is a volcanic island about 100 km (65 mi) east of Middle Andaman Island. The 1982 lighthouse was destroyed when the volcano suddenly erupted in 1990 after some 180 years of inactivity. Eruptions have continued intermittantly since that time. Apparently the light was re-established in 1993. Located on the southwest coast of the island. Site and tower closed, since landing on the island is not permitted. ARLHS AND-018; ex-Admiralty F1202.7; ex-NGA 26536.

South Andaman District Lighthouses

Ritchie's Archipelago Lighthouses
Ritchie's Archipelago is a loose group of islands lying to the east of the main Andaman Islands. The Diligent Strait separates the two groups. The islands are named for John Ritchie, a British marine surveyor who charted the Andaman and Nicobar islands in the 1770s and 1780s.
North Button Island
1983. Active; focal plane 57 m (187 ft); white flash every 10 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has an indistinct satellite view. The three Button Islands lie in the northern entrance to the Diligent Strait. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1202.6. NGA 26532.
Middle Button Island
1983. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The DGLL photo is at right and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The island is protected as a national park. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1202.62. NGA 26528.
South Button Island
1983. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 15 s. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery and a partially enclosed equipment shelter in the base, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A view from the sea is available and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the southernmost of the three Button Islands. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1202.64 NGA 26524.
Wilson Island
1994. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Bing has a distant satellite view. Wilson Island is an island in the central part of Ritchie's Archipelago. The light guides vessels in the narrowest section of the Diligent Strait. Located at the northwestern point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1202.68; NGA 26518.

Middle Button Island Light, Diligent Strait
Dir. Gen. of Lighthouses and Lightships photo
[Havelock Island (Stowe Point)]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); white flash every 10 s. 4 m (13 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. A 2018 photo and a 2022 photo are available and Khayyam Wakil has a December 2006 photo, but the tower is inconspicuous in Google's satellite view. Havelock (Swaraj) Island is the southernmost major island of the Ritchie's group. About 50 km (30 mi) northeast of Port Blair, it is the location of several ecotourism resorts. Except for Port Blair, it is the location in the Andamans best known to Western visitors. Located at the north point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1202.9; NGA 26514.
Sir Hugh Rose Island
1969. Active; focal plane 57 m (187 ft); white flash every 7 s. 23 m (75 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The Indian Quarterly has a great closeup photo (third photo in the article) by Ramesh Menon and Google has a satellite view. The light was converted to solar power in 1993. Located on a small island, the southernmost island of the Ritchie Archipelago, about 40 km (25 mi) east northeast of Port Blair. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS AND-015; Admiralty F1203; NGA 26512.

South Andaman Island Area Lighthouses
The capital of the union territory, Port Blair is by far the territory's largest community with a population of about 140,000. The city has an international airport, a cruise terminal, and important Indian naval and coast gurd bases.
*** North Point (2)
1972 (station established 1887). Active; focal plane 72 m (236 ft); two white flashes every 12 s. 35 m (115 ft) cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white spiral stripes. 4th order Fresnel lens in use. A photo is at right, Jatin Patel has a 2019 closeup, Kalle Anka has a view from the sea, Hindol Bhattacharya has an August 2006 closeup, and Google has a satellite view of the station. The best known lighthouse of the Andamans, this cast iron tower appears to be a twin of the Indira Point Light in the Nicobar Islands. Both towers were built in 1972. Located on a promontory on the north side of the entrance to the harbor of Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, on the east side of South Andaman Island. Excursions from Port Blair to the lighthouse are available. Site open, tower open by arrangement with the keeper. ARLHS AND-012; Admiralty F1205; NGA 26492.
North Point Light
North Point Light, Port Blair, November 2010
Flickr photo copyright savishy; used by permission
Perseverance Point
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white flash every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round tower, painted red with one white horizontal band. A photo is available and Google has a satellite view. Located just off a headland on the north side of the harbor of Port Blair, on the east side of South Andaman Island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS AND-013; Admiralty F1207; NGA 26496.
Command Point
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 6 m (30 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the tip of a headland on the north side of the harbor of Port Blair. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1208; NGA 26500.
Atlanta Point (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); white flash every 5 s. NGA describes a 10 m (33 ft) square masonry tower, painted white with one red horizontal band. No such tower has been found. The light is almost certainly on a skeletal radar tower standing behind the Mercantile Marine Department building; the top of this tower is seen in a street view by Titu Biswas. Vinay Avasthi has a distant street view but the tower is hard to see in Google's satellite view of the building. Located on a headland on the south side of the entrance to the harbor of Port Blair. Site status unknown. ARLHS AND-005; Admiralty F1209.5; NGA 26502.
Ross Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 15 s. 11 m (33 ft) concrete post mounted on a square concrete pier. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands. Urvesh Patel has a 2019 closeup photo, Vicky Peters has a 2007 photo, Saibal Roy has a closeup, and Google has a distant satellite view. The light was damaged by the 2004 tsunami but it has been repaired. Located on the northern tip of Ross Island, a triangular island off the entrance to Port Blair. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1204; NGA 26508.
Chiriyatapu (Chidiyatapu, Chidiya Tapu)
2009. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) square masonry tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. P. Lalith Kumar Mantena's photo is at right, Pandurang Thatkar has a 2019 photo, Arjun Vijay has a photo, Delson Davis has a closeup of the base of the tower, and Google has a satellite view. Chidiya Tapu is a small resort town at the south end of Great Andaman Island. The light marks the entrance to the town and to the MacPherson Strait separating Great Andaman and Rutland Islands. Located on a small island off the southeastern tip of Great Andaman Island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1210.5; NGA 26513.
Petrie Island
2020. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 7 s. 12 m (39 ft) square white skeletal tower mounted on a 1-story equipment building. Equipment building painted yellow. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on an island off the west coast of South Andaman, 33.5 km (54 mi) north northwest of Port Blair. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1212.7.

Chiriyatapu Light, Port Blair, May 2022
Google Maps photo
 by P. Lalith Kumar Mantena

Rutland Island and Cinque Islands Lighthouses
[Rutland Island]
1976. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 3 m (10 ft) square white concrete tower. Google has a distant satellite view. Rutland Island is the southernmost main island of the Great Andaman group; the island is about 60 km (38 mi) long and 30 km (19 mi) wide. Located at the south end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1211; NGA 26476.
North Cinque Island
1972. Active; focal plane 153 m (502 ft) ; white flash every 10 s. 7 m (23 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower attached to a 1-story masonry keeper's house. Upper half of the lighthouse painted red, lower half white. A DGLL photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. North Cinque Island is a high island off the southeastern tip of Great Andaman Island about 50 km (30 mi) south of Port Blair; the lighthouse is a landfall light marking the Mannars Strait, the passage around the south end of Rutland Island that is the beginning of the approach to Port Blair. Located on the highest point of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS AND-004; Admiralty F1212; NGA 26480.
Sister Islands
2019. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery painted with black and white horizontal bands. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on East Sister Island, one of a small group of islands about 10 km (6 mi) south of the Cinque Islands. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1212.3.

North Cinque Island Light, Cinque Islands
Dir. Gen. of Lighthouses and Lightships photo

Little Andaman Island Area Lighthouses
South Sentinel Island
1997. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 15 s. 36 m (118 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Bing has a satellite view. South Sentinel Island is a low, dangerous reef about 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Little Andaman Island. This light marks the west entrance to the Duncan Passage, the gap between Rutland and Little Andaman Islands. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1212.8; NGA 26482.
North Brother Island
1993. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Lighthouse painted white. Bing has an indistinct satellite view. North Brother Island is a low island about 18 km (11 mi) northeast of Little Andaman Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1212.5; NGA 26481.
Little Andaman
1986. Active; focal plane 51 m (167 ft); white flash every 10 s. 46 m (151 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. Lantern removed. A 2011 photo is at the top of this page, Sunny Chaurasiya has a closeup photo, there is a February 2007 closeup, Patel Dhirubhai Chhaganbhai has a 2021 photo, a photo of the view from the lighthouse is available, and Google has a satellite view. This design is common among modern lighthouses on the Indian mainland but this is the only lighthouse of this type in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Located at the southern tip of Little Andaman Island, marking the north side of the Ten Degree Channel, the passage between the Andamans and the Nicobars. Probably accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-011; Admiralty F1214; NGA 26484.

Nicobar District Lighthouses

Car Nicobar Subdistrict (Northern Nicobar Islands) Lighthouses
Keating Point
1969. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 10 s. 37 m (121 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. This is a staffed station with crew quarters and other buildings. Anup Patil's photo is at right, Sanjay Kumar has a 2018 closeup, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the northern end of the Nicobar Islands group and therefore the southern side of the Ten Degree Channel, the passage between the Andamans and the Nicobars. The 2004 tsunami swept the point clean of vegetation and destroyed all the structures except the lighthouse, but the light station staff survived the flood. The Coast Guard aerial photo at the bottom of this page shows the devastation around the lighthouse. The station buildings have since been rebuilt. Located at the northern point of Car Nicobar Island, the northernmost island of the Nicobar group. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-010; Admiralty F1220; NGA 26464.
Battimalv (Batti Malv)
1991. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Lighthouse painted white. Note: the photo on the DGLL page is the same as the photo presented for the Pulo Milow light (see below). The light is not seen in the forest in Google's satellite view. Battimalv is a small, uninhabited island about 30 km (19 mi) south of Car Nicobar. Located on the northern tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1222.4; NGA 26452.

Nancowrie Subdistrict (Central Nicobar Islands) Lighthouses
Chowra Island
1991. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 15 s. 24 m (79 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Lighthouse painted white. Maajid Ali has a distant 2021 view but the tower is barely visible in Google's indistinct satellite view. Chowra is a small, isolated island at the northwestern corner of the Nancowry group. Located near the settlement on the eastern side of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1222.5; NGA 26451.4.

Keating Point Light, July 2010
Google Maps photo by Anup Patil
Tillanchang (Tillangchong) Island
1998. Active; focal plane 114 m (374 ft); white flash every 10 s. 24 m (79 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands. Google has an indistinct satellite view. 15 km (9 mi) long but only about 1 km (0.6 mi) wide, Tillanchang is a long, narrow island at the northeastern corner of the Nancowry group. It is uninhabited except for the staff of a small police station. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-016; Admiralty F1222.8; NGA 26451.2.
Bompoka (Bompuka) Island
1989. Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has a distant and indistinct satellite view. Bompoka is a small island off the southeastern tip of Teressa Island in the northern part of the central Nicobar group. Located near the south end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-006; Admiralty F1222.55; NGA 26451.3.
Trinkat (Trinket) Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 9 m (30 ft) round masonry tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at the southern tip of Trinkat Island, a smaller island off the east coast of Nancowry Island. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1222.58; NGA 26451.1.
Cape Connaught (Nancowry Island) (2)
1993. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) square masonry tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. A DGLL photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. The light was reported heavily damaged by the tsunami and out of service; it was rebuilt at a higher elevation. Located on the southern tip of Nancowry Island, which is about 10 km (6 mi) east of Katchall Island. Accessible by boat; land access to this site is difficult. ARLHS AND-020; Admiralty F1222.65; NGA 26450.
* Katchal (Katchall) East Bay (2)
2005 (?) (station established 1986). Active; focal plane 43 m (141 ft); white flash every 5 s. 24 m (79 ft) square skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has a satellite view of the station. This light apparently replaced a concrete tower damaged by the tsunami. Located on a point of land on the east side of the entrance to the bay, on the northeastern coast of Katchal Island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-009; Admiralty F1223; NGA 26446.
* Katchal (Katchall) West Bay (2)
2005 (?) (station established 1985). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower. Google has a satellite view. This light replaced a square concrete tower destroyed by the tsunami. Katchall Island, in the central part of the Nicobar group, suffered great damage and loss of life during the tsunami. Located on a point of land on the west side of the entrance to the bay, on the southwestern coast of Katchal Island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-021; Admiralty F1223.4; NGA 26448.
Cape Connaught Light
Cape Connaught Light, Central Nicobar
Dir. Gen. of Lighthouses and Lightships photo

Great Nicobar Subdistrict (Southern Nicobar Islands) Lighthouses
Pulo Milow (Pulo Milo, Pulomilo)
1986. Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); white flash every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Lighthouse painted white. An aerial view is available and Google has a satellite view. Note: the photo on the DGLL page is the same as the photo presented for the Batti Malv light (see above). Pulomilo is a small island just off the northwestern tip of Little Nicobar Island. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-014; Admiralty F1223.6; NGA 26440.
Tries (Daanish) Island
2018. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); four white flashes every 20 s. 24 m (79 ft) tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available; the lighthouse is possibly seen in an indistinct Google satellite view of the island. This new lighthouse was announced in a July 2018 notice to mariners. Located on a small island off the north end of Little Nicobar Island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1223.5.
Menchal Island
2004. Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) skeletal tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Menchal is a small island about 3 km (2 mi) off the northeast coast of Little Nicobar Island. Located on the south side of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1223.8; NGA 26439.
Kabra Island
1998. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 12 m (39 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed equipment shelter in the base. Lighthouse painted black with one white horizontal band. Bing has an indistinct satellite view and the light is barely visible in T. Shanmukh Rao's aerial view of the island. Kabra Island is a small, heavily vegetated island about 8 km (5 mi) north of the northern tip of Great Nicobar Island. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-002; Admiralty F1224.1; NGA 26437.
* Koltapalm (Campbell Bay)
2015. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) square white skeletal tower. Google has an indistinct satellite view of the listed location. The village of Campbell Bay includes several govenment installations. Located in the village. Site open, towr closed. Admiralty F1224.9; NGA 26436.5.

Menchal Island Light, Great Nicobar
Dir. Gen. of Lighthouses and Lightships photo
* Campbell Bay Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); quick-flashing white light. 8 m (26 ft) rectangular tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This light was reported heavily damaged by the tsunami, but it has been repaired. Located on the waterfront in Campbell Bay, a town of about 6000 residents on the east side of Great Nicobar Island. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1226; NGA 26432.
* Campbell Bay Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 5 s. 19 m (62 ft) square tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located 200 m (220 yd) northwest of the front light. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-019; Admiralty F1226.1; NGA 26436.
Chosen (Chisen)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 6 m (20 ft) square white concrete tower. No photo available but Bing has a distant satellite view. Located on a promontory on the south side of Campbell Bay. Site status unknown. Admiralty F1225; NGA 26428.
Rosen Point
2003. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 10 s. 21 m (69 ft) two-stage tower, with a 6 m (20 ft) skeletal tower mounted atop a 15 m (49 ft) square masonry tower. Lighthouse painted with black and white horizontal bands. A Google satellite view shows the lighthouse. Located on a prominent cape of Great Nicobar Island about 5 km (3 mi) southeast of the entrance to Campbell Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F1227.1; NGA 26426.
Indira Point (Pygmalion Point, Parsons Point)
1972. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 20 s. 35 m (115 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white spiral stripes. 3rd order Fresnel lens in use. A photo by Mohammed Ramees is at right, Lightphotos.net has a 2013 aerial photo, Mohammed Ramees has a 2018 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Marking the southernmost point of Indian territory, this lighthouse is an important landmark for ships bound to or from the Strait of Malacca. The point of land, formerly called Parsons Point and later Pygmalion Point, was renamed Indira Point after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made a visit to the light station. A monument to her has been placed to mark the point. The tsunami of December 26, 2004, swept away all the structures of the station except the lighthouse. 16 people were killed, including the keepers and a number of scientists who happened to be visiting at the time. Geologists later estimated that the land in the area subsided 4.5 m (almost 15 ft) as a result of the earthquake that caused the tsunami; this subsidence left the lighthouse standing in the water, where it is clearly endangered. Nonetheless, the Indian Coast Guard succeeded in reactivating the lighthouse by the end of February 2005. When the light failed in 2007 the repair crew could not reach the tower from land, so they were lowered to the tower by helicopter. The January 2018 photo at right shows that sand has washed around the base of the tower, bringing it just barely onto the beach at low tide. Located at the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island; the station is said to be accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS AND-007; Admiralty F1224; NGA 26424.

Indira Point Light, Great Nicobar, January 2018
Google Maps photo by Mohammed Ramees

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Myanmar (Burma) | South: Aceh

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Keating Point Lighthouse
Keating Point Light, 28 December 2004 (two days after the tsunami)
Indian Coast Guard photo

Posted December 21, 2006. Checked and revised June 19, 2023. Lighthouses: 47. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.