Indira Point Lighthouse, India’s southernmost!

S. BALAKRISHNAN

Indira Point Lighthouse, India’s southernmost!
The lighthouse at Indira Point is special because it is India’s southernmost lighthouse. Of the 194 lighthouses along India’s coastal line and islands, Indira Point Lighthouse is the most far off and lonesome one. Located at 6?45.10’N, Indira Point is 2?45’ further down south in Indian Ocean than Kanyakumari which is unduly acclaimed as India’s southern tip; Indira Point, therefore, is Indian territory’s real southernmost tip, though Kanyakumari can still be praised as Indian subcontinent’s southern tip.
A lighthouse is technically described as “a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and used as an aid to navigation for mariners and local fisherman. Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, safe entries to harbours.” Being an Island territory, Andaman & Nicobar Group of Islands have the most number of lighthouses and other navigational aids in India.
India’s southernmost lighthouse is located at the South Bay of Indira Point which forms the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost landmass of India and also the biggest island in the Nicobar Group. Indira Point was earlier called as Parsons Pygmalion Point. The tip is just 91 miles away from Pulo Brase off Achin Head in Sumatra Island of Indonesia, or 144 km. away from Sumatra Island proper. Hence the most affected during the 26th December 2004 tsunami when the landmass at this Point subsided by 4.5m! From Port Blair, the capital town of the A&N Union Territory, Indira Point is 300 nautical miles down south. One nautical mile is 1.852 km.
The work for the lighthouse at South Bay started in 1969; it must have been really tough to complete this task by bringing men & material to such a far off, lonely and difficult location. The 35m cast iron tower is a full and full steel structure (of ½” thickness?) painted with the standard red & white diagonal stripes that is easily visible. It flashed 2 white flashes every 20 seconds that had a reach of 10 nautical miles. A wooden plaque there declared that the lighthouse was inaugurated by Vice-President Mr. G.S. Pathak in 1973, though the first light was commissioned in 1972 itself.
I visited India’s southernmost lighthouse on 26th April 1979. Then it was called as the Parsons Pygmalion Point lighthouse. It was formally renamed Indira Point in 1985 after the visit of the then Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, to this Point on 19th February 1984, and after her assassination on 31st Oct. 1984. I had reached the Point the previous evening with Pandian and Balaiah, two ‘guides’ from Shastri Nagar part of the Great Nicobar Island. Let me reveal a secret after 43 years - it was an unauthorized visit without any permit! Not only that, we camped there as well for the night. Hope I will not be punished for this offence now! The lighthouse men let us climb the spiraling steel staircase built within the tower, and what an exhilarating view from the top of the lighthouse!  A marvelous blue ocean on one side (South) and lush forest in different shades of green on the other (North) and a clear blue sky spread above ... WOW! But as there was no gas supply, the light was not functioning. Later, it had been upgraded with a halogen lamp that got its power supply through solar photovoltaic modules.
Reports suggest that the sea water is slowly receding, revealing the concrete base of the lighthouse. I am unable to confirm if the lighthouse is presently in a functioning mode or not. My most precious visit so far is the one to India’s Southernmost Lighthouse at Indira Point.
(krishnanbala2004@yahoo.co.in / 9840917608 Whatsapp)