Tangasseri Point Lighthouse station is about 4 km from Quilon Railway Station on Ernakulam – Trivandrum rail route. Quilon (Kollam) is also connected to back water inland navigation system. In the 17thcentury Quilon was a separate principality. Its Raja gave trading rights and permission to Dutch to build a fort at Quilon in 1665. In the 18th century Marthanda Varma defeated all the regional Rajas and merged the entire region into the state of Travancore. Travancore state entered into a treaty with the British and became their protectorate in 1795.
The British East India Co had factories at Tellicherry & Anjengo and other interests along the coast. To assist their fleet they raised a column at this site during the mid 19th century and placed on it an oil lamp. The present Tangasseri point Lighthouse tower was established in 1902. This tower has a brick masonry murette with wooden lining inside. The optical equipment was supplied by M/s. Chance Bros, Birmingham. The PV light with a 55mm burner inside 2nd order optic was commissioned on 1st March 1902. Certain modifications were carried out in 1932 and 1940.
In 1962 the PV light source was replaced by 230V 5 kW incandescent lamp The system had to be reverted back to PV in 1967 due to non availability of lamps in stock. The PV light source was replaced by 230V 400 W metal halide lamp which put in to operation on 15th May 1994.
It is for record that several cracks had developed in the tower in 1930. As such strengthening of tower by providing Jacketing masonry with special types of bricks manufactured for the purpose was done in 1940 under the supervision of Mr AN Seal, Engineer-in-Chief. The contractors were M/s Harrison Crossfield.
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