Colombo Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Colombo Lighthouse is a Lighthouse
in Colombo
in Sri Lanka
and it is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority
. It is located at Galbokka Point south of the Port of Colombo on the waterfront along the marine drive, in Colombo fort.
The lighthouse was built in 1952 after the Old Colombo Lighthouse was deactivated when its light became obscured by nearby buildings as part of the Colombo Harbor Expansion project. It was opened by Rt Hon D.S. Senanayake the first prime minister of Ceylon. Built on a concrete base which is 12 meters high it has four statues of lions at its base.
Due to the panoramic view of the Indian Ocean it offered, it became on city landmark. With the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War
public access to the site was restricted. This was due to its placement in a high security zone as it is across the street from the Naval Headquarters and close proximity of the Port of Colombo.
of the Royal Ceylon Navy, the first warship of the navy according a 25 gun salute on February 4, 1951 with its single 4" gun.
In 1952 two 4" guns where brought from the United Kingdom
in preparation of the Royal visit of Princess Elizabeth, which did not occur as she return half way due to the death of her father the King. Since then the guns are mounted at the lighthouse and fires the gun salute. Three more 52-mm guns were added in 2000 as gifts from the Indian Navy
which now fire the gun salutes.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and it is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority
Sri Lanka Ports Authority
Sri Lanka Ports Authority is a government agency responsible for the development and maintenance of all commercial ports in Sri Lanka. It is also responsible for the maintenance and operations of lighthouses in Sri Lanka...
. It is located at Galbokka Point south of the Port of Colombo on the waterfront along the marine drive, in Colombo fort.
The lighthouse was built in 1952 after the Old Colombo Lighthouse was deactivated when its light became obscured by nearby buildings as part of the Colombo Harbor Expansion project. It was opened by Rt Hon D.S. Senanayake the first prime minister of Ceylon. Built on a concrete base which is 12 meters high it has four statues of lions at its base.
Due to the panoramic view of the Indian Ocean it offered, it became on city landmark. With the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
public access to the site was restricted. This was due to its placement in a high security zone as it is across the street from the Naval Headquarters and close proximity of the Port of Colombo.
Gun salute
Located on at its base is a naval gun battery that is used by the Sri Lanka Navy for its traditional gun salutes. By tradition the Navy accords a 25 gun salute to the nation on the National day which is the 4th February each year. It began with HMCyS VijayaHMCyS Vijaya
HMCyS Vijaya, named in honor of Vijaya, the first king of Sri Lanka, was an of the Royal Ceylon Navy, the first warship of that navy. Vijaya had been built as HMS Flying Fish for the Royal Navy during World War II, but was given to Ceylon by the United Kingdom upon the 1951 formation of Ceylon's...
of the Royal Ceylon Navy, the first warship of the navy according a 25 gun salute on February 4, 1951 with its single 4" gun.
In 1952 two 4" guns where brought from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in preparation of the Royal visit of Princess Elizabeth, which did not occur as she return half way due to the death of her father the King. Since then the guns are mounted at the lighthouse and fires the gun salute. Three more 52-mm guns were added in 2000 as gifts from the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
which now fire the gun salutes.