(Video Credit goes to KRITHIK FAREED)
Indira point Lighthouse is situated on the southernmost tip of the Indian Territory and is an important landmark on the international ship lane on Colombo - Singapore route.
Down south is Sumatra (Indonesia) separated by 60 miles of sea. The enclave on which lighthouse stands, was previously known as Pygmalion point. It was renamed as Indira point in honour of the Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, The announcement was made by the local Member of Parliament when Indira Gandhi visited the local light house on 19 February 1984 and the official renaming ceremony happened on 10 October 1985. A helipad has been provided here for the VIPs and number of stones erected here in memory of VIP’s visits.
Indira point is part of Great Nicobar Island and is connected to Campbell bay port by a 45 km metalled road. Out of 19 islands in Nicobar group, Great Nicobar is the largest. It has a number of mountains and hills - highest among them is Mt Thulier (642 m) and three perennial rivers-Galathia, Alexendria and Dogmar flow from these mountains.
The island receives 3125 mm of rain fall as such it has dense forest cover-the cane and bamboo is in abundance here.
The Shompens (150) and Great Nicobaris (250) are the aboriginals of this island. The ex-servicemen and other mainlanders have also been resettled here. M/s BBT, Paris supplied the Cast iron Tower and the entire Lighting equipment consisting of 3rd Order optic assembly to be revolved by DA gas, mercury float pedestal system and lantern house, etc.
The Lighthouse was inaugurated and commissioned into service on 30th April 1972 by then Vice President of India, Mr.G.S.Pathak. Tsunami which located 500 kilometres north of the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, Tsunami reduced the height of Indira Point by 4.25 meters after the earthquake, and many of the inhabitants went missing in the tsunami that followed.
Sixteen to twenty families living next in the lighthouse and light house quaters and four scientists studying leatherback sea turtles were lost. Now 4.25 meter portion of the light house tower submerged in the sea water. The unmanned lighthouse tower height is 35 meter cast iron tower painted white and red color band scheme and has a LED flasher light powered by battery and solar panel. The “Racon” of M/s. tideland make and transmitting code “G‟ was added on the LH tower on 20 Jan 2005.
Accessibility to this light house is only by sea route, commute by departmental vessel or any chartered vessel upto anchorage Point then use mechanised dinghy upto shore then by walk to reach lighthouse.
