Old Lighthouse

History

Until then the only light guiding ships to Pondicherry was on the Red Hills, and it was not enough. The lighthouse was built under Governor Saint-Simon, with Louis Guerre as engineer: the foundation stone was laid at the end of 1835, it was inaugurated in February 1836 and first lit on 1 September 1836. It cost 10,000 francs.

The tower is 29 metres high, round on a square base, with foundations nine metres deep. Its first light came from six oil lamps and two reflectors and could be seen 15 miles away; it was converted to electric lamps in 1913 and made more powerful in 1931. A new lighthouse to the south took over in 1979.

What to see

• The 29-metre round tower on its square base
• The new lighthouse of 1979, further south along the coast

Why visit

One of the oldest landmarks of the seafront, and a reminder of Pondicherry as a port.