Dondra Head Lighthouse
Dondra Head lighthouse
| |
| Location | Dondra Head, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 5°55′16″N 80°35′38″ECoordinates: 5°55′16″N 80°35′38″E |
| Year first constructed | November 1887 |
| Year first lit | March 1890 |
| Automated | n/a |
| Construction | brick |
| Tower shape | Octagonal tower |
| Markings / pattern | White |
| Height | 49 m (161 ft) |
| Range | 28 nautical miles (52 km; 32 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl.(1) W 5s[1] |
| Admiralty number | F0836 |
| NGA number | 27276 |
| ARLHS number | SLI-001 |
Dondra Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on Dondra Head near the southernmost point in Sri Lanka and is the tallest lighthouse in Sri Lanka[1] and also one of the tallest in South East Asia.
The lighthouse is near the village of Dondra, and is approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) southeast of Matara. The name Dondra is a synonym for "Devi-Nuwara" in the local Sinhala language, "Devi" meaning "Gods" and "Nuwara" meaning "City". Dondra is therefore derived to mean "City of the Gods".
Dondra Head lighthouse is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. It was designed by Sir James Nicholas Douglass, with construction, by William Douglass of the Imperial Lighthouse Service,[1] commencing in November 1887.[2] All the building materials including the bricks and steel were imported from England. The granite rock was supplied from quarries atDalbeattie in Scotland and Penryn in Cornwall. The lighthouse was completed and commissioned in March 1890.[2][3] The combined cost of erection of the lighthouse and the Barberyn Lighthouse was ₤30,000 and was paid for by dues collected at the Basses lighthouses.[2]
The lighthouse is 49 m (161 ft) high[3] and contains 7 floors, 14 two panel yellow colour windows and 196 steps to the top.
Dondra Head is also one of four international lighthouse in Sri Lanka. It was modernised in 2000, with the introduction of aDifferential Global Positioning System and is computer linked to the other major lighthouses around the coast.
