Machilipatnam light house is located near Manginapudi Beach at Machilipatnam.
Description.
The current light house is a 50 meters tall RCC structure situated around 50 meters above MSL painted with alternating black and white bands. It has a geographical range of 16.5 nautical miles and nautical range of 20 nautical miles. Fitted with a metal halide lamp, the rotation speed of the light beam is 3 rotation per minute with an effective beam intensity of 1,66,000 cds.
History.
The first light at Machilipatnam was commissioned in 1852 at a different location. The current light house was commissioned in 1984 replacing a smaller structure built in 1930. During the tsunami of 2004 that caused deaths at Machilipatnam, the tsunami waves reached the base of the lighthouse.
Visit and Facilities.
The lighthouse is open for visitors. It has a power house and staff quarters. Manginapudi beach where the light house is located is around 11 kms from the town of Machilipatnam and can be reached by bus or auto.