Oluvil Lighthouse, Maritime beacon in Oluvil, Sri Lanka.
Oluvil Lighthouse is a 24-metre white cylindrical concrete tower built in 1999 as part of the Oluvil Harbour development on Sri Lanka's southeastern coast, about 12 km south of Kalmunai. It has a lantern and gallery, and is attached to a one-storey equipment building. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority operates and maintains it.
The structure was built in the 1990s as part of the Oluvil Harbour development and represented one of the first lighthouses constructed after Sri Lanka gained independence. It marked the modernization of maritime infrastructure on this part of the coast.
The lighthouse is maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, and its opening on 19 June 1999 was performed by M. H. M. Ashraff, then Minister of Port Development, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction and leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. The tower stands about 12 km south of Kalmunai.
The lighthouse is located directly at the harbor and is easily accessible on foot from the town center, especially in the early morning when fishing boats are launching. The best time to visit is around sunset when the beacon becomes active and provides clear views of the surroundings.
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami damaged the harbour, town and lighthouse tower, and the tower was later repaired. It is the first lighthouse erected in Sri Lanka after independence, and it remained so until the Hambantota and Colombo port expansions of 2012–13.
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