With Sri Lanka being an island, lighthouses have had and continue to have an essential function in the country's maritime activities. Even the great tsunami, which devastated the Sri Lankan coast on 26th December 2004, failed to destroy the lighthouses, although some were slightly damaged.
Galbokka Point Lighthouse, Colombo was built in 1952 after the decommissioning of the nearby Colombo Clock Tower Lighthouse. This round concrete tower has a focal height of 26 meters (85feet). The white light flashes every 10 seconds. The light beam is visible up to 25 nautical miles. The front of the lighthouse is painted black and white. It is situated on the western coast on the approach road to the Colombo harbor. The lighthouse is active and open to the public.
Barberyn Lighthouse, Beruwala was built in 1890. It is one of four international lighthouses in Sri Lanka. It is a round stone embossed tower painted white. Situated in an island named Barberyn on the South-Western coast of Sri Lanka near the town of Beruwala, can only be reached by boat. The lighthouse was operated by the Imperial Lighthouse services up to 1969 when it was taken over by the Sri Lankan authorities. Its focal height is 46 meters (151 feet). The white light flashes every 20 seconds and is visible up to 27 nautical miles. The glass of the tower is still the original glass installed by the British when the lighthouse was built. This is a tribute to British engineering and architecture. The lighthouse is active and open to the public.
Oluvil Lighthouse, Oluvil was built in 1999 with the commissioning of the Oluvil fisheries harbor. It is situated on the Eastern coast of Sri Lanka 12 KM from the town of Kalmunai. The focal height is 25 meters (82 feet). The white light flashes every 10 seconds. The white cylindrical tower is the first lighthouse built by Sri Lankan authorities. The lighthouse was opened on 19th June 1999 by the then Minister of Port Development, late M.H.H. Ashraff. The lighthouse suffered minor damage from the 2004 Tsunami, but since has been repaired. The lighthouse is active and open to the public.
Point Pedro Lighthouse, Point Pedro built in 1916 lies on the northern coast of Sri Lanka in close proximity to the town of Point Pedro, the northern most point of Sri Lanka. The focal height of the tower is 31 meters (102 feet) and it flashed a white light every 5 seconds when it was active. The flash could be seen up to 10 nautical miles. It is a round concrete tower painted in white. The control of the lighthouse and tower is under the authority of the Sri Lanka Navy. The lighthouse and tower is presently not opened to the public, even though the surrounding area is inhabited by people.
Source: Sri Lanka Post Philatic Bureau
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