Manakkodam Lighthouse
Manakkodam Lighthouse, located beside Andhakaranazhy beach near Cherthala in Kerala, India, is a square white reinforced‑concrete tower with a red lantern. The tower is about 33.8 meters tall and has a skeletal lower half with a closed upper half. It was commissioned on 1 August 1979, becoming the first navigational light in the area.
The light originally used an incandescent lamp and was replaced by a metal halide lamp on 21 September 1998. In 2006, the system was upgraded to a group of three 150‑watt lamps to improve reliability and brightness. The light flashes twice every 10 seconds (two white flashes every 10 seconds) with a focal height of 35.67 meters above mean sea level and a range of 18.4 nautical miles (about 34 kilometers).
The optical apparatus is a 300 mm fourth‑order revolving drum optic housed in a 2.4‑meter lantern. The beacon is powered from the coastal mains (440 V, 50 Hz) with a standby generator on site. The lighthouse is maintained by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships to support coastal shipping and local fishing communities.
In 2022, the Central Government allocated ₹1 (approximately ₹1.06 in 2023) for developing facilities at the lighthouse under the Alappuzha marina‑cum‑cargo project as part of the Sagar Mala programme.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:18 (CET).