Lighthouses: all 205 in India now solar-powered, tourism rises
Why in the news
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said on 10 October 2026 that all 205 lighthouses in India now run on solar energy and that lighthouse tourism has grown sharply.
Key facts
- 205 lighthouses guard India’s coastline of more than 11,000 km; all are solar-powered.
- AIS: 87 Automatic Identification System shore stations function at coastal lighthouses.
- Tourism: 75 lighthouses developed as tourist spots and 25 more proposed; a digital ticketing portal was launched by DGLL.
- Lothal: a 77 m lighthouse museum at the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC), Gujarat, at about ₹266.11 crore.
- Brahmaputra: four lighthouses, each up to 20 m tall, at Pandu, Bogibeel, Silghat and Vishwanath Ghat for about ₹84 crore – the country’s first inland waterway lighthouses.
- Festivals: lighthouse festivals held at Goa (Fort Aguada, 2023), Puri (2024) and Visakhapatnam (2026).
| Indicator | 2014 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse visitors | about 4 lakh | 18.63 lakh |
About DGLL
The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL), cited in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways release, has launched a digital ticketing portal for lighthouse visits. Other highlights include the 26 m Mahabalipuram lighthouse, whose main light was upgraded to a 236 W LED array in 2020, and 3,156 sq m of land allotted for a lighthouse museum in Visakhapatnam.
Exam angle
- Number to remember: 205 lighthouses, all solar-powered.
- Lothal (Gujarat) hosts the NMHC and the planned 77 m lighthouse museum.
- First inland waterway lighthouses: four on the Brahmaputra, including Pandu and Bogibeel.