Kanhoji Angre Lighthouse to open for tourists in a year

In a step closer to opening the Kanhoji Angre Lighthouse located on Khanderi Island in Raigad district for tourists, the work order has been issued and the project is expected to be completed in a year’s time.

Mumbai Port Authority chairperson Rajiv Jalota said that the project is expected to be completed by March 2023.

"With the aim to enhance the scope of cruise tourism and to attract international passengers, we are developing Kanhoji Angre Island under the Lighthouse Tourism scheme,” he said.

“The work order for the project has been issued and it should be completed by March 2023. Mumbai Port has done developmental works worth Rs 18 crore on the island, which attracts a lot of visitors,” Jalota added.

The island will have facilities for trekking, sit-outs, viewing galleries, interesting pergolas and resting benches, outdoor restaurants, performances, overnight camping, and so on.

The commercial operations will begin from March 2023, informed the MPA chairperson.

While the lighthouse is named after the valiant Maratha admiral Kanhoji Angre, the island fort in which it is located, was built by Maratha warrior and war strategist Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. While the tourists would be mainly visiting the Kanhoji Angre Lighthouse, during the voyage, they would also be shown the Prongs Reef Lighthouse, Sunk Rock Lighthouse and Dolphin Lighthouse.

The Kanhoji Angre Lighthouse marks the entry point to the Mumbai harbour and acts as prime aid to the navigation of ships entering and leaving Mumbai port.

The Khanderi Island had strategic importance for stakeholders of Portuguese, the Britishers and the Marathas as it commanded the entrance of the Mumbai Harbour from the South.
Since the Britishers had not occupied it assuming that it belonged to them as an appendage of Bombay, the Marathas quietly occupied these islands strategically which created a hurdle for quite a long time for invaders. A lighthouse at this location has been functional since 1852. The big lighthouse structure is a 17m octagonal masonry tour having an elevation of 47 mts. Kanhoji AngreIsland, earlier known as Kennery (Khanderi in Marathi) Island, is situated in the mid sea off the coast of Thal village near Alibaug.

The island is about 4.5 km from Thal, 9.5 km from Alibaug, and 23 km from the Gateway of India.

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