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| Lighthouse at Thoothukudi .newsvibesofindia.com/ |
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| Manappad lighthouse(Thoothukudi), TN.youtube.com |
The lighthouse of Manappad, Thoothukudi, TN is one of the oldest light houses in Tamil Nadu. Built in 1888 the lighthouse used the oil wick lamp as the the source of light to guide the fishermen in this part. A large fishing community has been living there for centuries and their livelihood is through fishing. It used to be famous for pearls. Initially the lighthouse served the fishing community who risked going deep into the sea to catch lots of fish. In 1902 improvement was made for better lighting to guide the ships and the fishermen in deep sea and the light source was PV burners. Electric lighting was introduced only in 1994.
Thoothukudi, as a matter of fact, has been a center for maritime trade and pearl fishery for more than 2000 years. The natural harbor with a rich hinterland, gave an impetus to the development of the Port. Thoothukudi has been a center for maritime trade and pearl fishery for more than 2000 years. The natural harbor with a rich hinterland, It was in 1868 Thoothukudi was declared as a minor anchorage port and since then its development has been gradual. Now, one of the 13 major ports in India, it was declared to be a major port on 11 July 1974.
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| Location. Manappad/Thoothukdi, Tamil Nadu. mapsofindia.com |
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manappad lighthouse.Toothkudi, Tamil Nadu facebook.com
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Union Minister of State for Shipping, Mansukh Mandaviya,in July, 2020 presented a detailed action plan to develop lighthouses as tourism spots and further he advised officials to identify the lighthouses which are more than a 100 years old. It is believed both Nagapatinam and Manappad (Toothukudi) lighthouses will be included in the list. As part of tourism drive there will be museum, aquarium and children's park close to the historical lighthouses. The Toothkudi habor gains historical importance because it was from here patriot V.O. Chidambaram, a lawyer and disciple of Bal Gangadhar Gokhale, launched the first shipping service in 1907 between Toothukudi and Ceylon under the Swadesi Shipping Corporation entirely owned by Indians. But the English company than ran the shipping services under A and F Harvey and company (which had a textile mills at Madurai until 1950s (?) gave him stiff competition in collusion with Tirunelveli Collector Ashe. Incurring heavy loss at one stage he had to stop the shipping services. The shipping company that VOC started despite odds finally became folded up.
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| .Manappad (Toothukudi) Lighthouse, Tamil Nadu.whatshot.in |
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| Manappad (Toothukudi) Lighthouse, Tamil Nadu.mapio.net/ |
Now Thoothukudi port on the southeastern Indian coast is a major sea port. The lighthouse here has guided the ship services between Ceylon and also the countless fishermen who go for deep sea fishing.
From various sources.
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