Dondra Head Lighthouse (Sinhala: දෙවුන්දර තුඩුව ප්රදීපාගාරය) is one of the lighthouses in Sri Lanka. It is located in Dondra Head (local name: Devi-Nuwara or Devundara), the southernmost point of the country (USA, 1942).
History
During the Period of British Ceylon (1815-1948 A.D.), this lighthouse was erected. The site for the lighthouse was selected by the British in 1826, but its construction works commenced in 1887 (Abeyawardana, 2004). Mr Woodford Pilkinton M.I.C.E. is said to be the one responsible for this construction (Abeyawardana, 2004). The completed lighthouse was commissioned in 1890 (Abeyawardana, 2004).
The lighthouse tower
The white octagonal-shaped tower is 43.2 m tall and made out of granite (Bohingamuwa, 2005).
A protected monument
The lighthouse situated close to the cape of Devinuwara at Lighthouse Street in Devinuwara village belonging to the Grama Niladhari division of Devinuwara South in the Divisional Secretary’s Division, Devinuwara is an archaeological protected monument, declared by the government Gazette notification published on 16 September 2023.
Attribution
References
1) Abeyawardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Ruhuna: Major natural,
cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
ISBN: 955-575-073-4. p.75.
2) Bohingamuwa, W., 2005. Preliminary Survey of Tsunami-affected Monuments and Sites in the Maritime Region of Sri Lanka. ICOMOS Sri Lanka. p.65.
3) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka; Extraordinary. No: 2349/42. 16 September 2023. p.2A.
4) USA, 1942. Sailing Directions for the West Coast of India from Point Calimere to Cape Monze, Including the Island of Ceylon and the Maldive and Laccadive Islands (3rd edition). Hydrographic Office Publication No. 159. U.S. Government Printing Office. p.110.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 3 December 2023
