Oluvil Lighthouse is one of the lighthouses in the country. It is located in the coastal village of Oluvil on the southeastern shore of Sri Lanka. It is the first lighthouse constructed on the island after Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. It is also said to be the first lighthouse built by Sri Lankan authorities.
History
The feasibility studies for the development of Oluvil Port were done during the period of 1995 - 1999 and after that, the lighthouse was erected immediately along with a circuit bungalow and officers' quarters by Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) near the port site. The lighthouse was declared open on 19 June 1999 by the then Sri Lanka's Minister for Port Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, M. H. M. Ashraff.
The lighthouse along with the harbor and town suffered minor damage from the 2004 Tsunami, but since been repaired.
The Tower
The cylindrical concrete tower is 84 feet (25 m) tall and presently, it is active and open to the public (Ameerdeen, 2006). The white light flashes every 10 seconds. On 26 October 2018, the Oluvil lighthouse was featured in a set of Sri Lankan stamps (of Rs. 45.00 value) along with three other lighthouses at Beruwala, Point Pedro and Colombo's Galbokka Point.
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References
Journal Articles
1) Ameerdeen, V., 2006. Ethnic Politics of Muslims in Sri Lanka. Centre for Minority Studies. p.143.