India's fourth lighthouse museum set to woo visitors

Aiming to promote lighthouse tourism, India's fourth lighthouse museum, depicting the story of its evolution and history, is all set to be opened in the northern district of Kannur in Kerala.
The Directorate General of Lighthouse and Lightships (DGLL) has set up the lighthouse museum adjacent to the historic Kannur lighthouse in Payyalmbalam beach, a few kilometres away from Kannur town.
The Kannur lighthouse, overlooking the Arabian Sea, has been a silent witness to a number of significant episodes of the history of the land.
The new lighthouse museum, having a handful of rare exhibits on display, will be a treat for history enthusiasts and tourists, a top official said.

"It is the fourth such lighthouse museum in the country. We have already set up similar museums in Alappuzha, Chennai and Mahabalipuram," Lighthouse and Lightships Director-General Captain A M Surej told PTI.
He said the lighthouse museums are developed as part of the Directorate General's plans to promote lighthouse tourism.

"Through these lighthouse museums, we can retain the legacy of lighthouses and its significant history and pass them on to the next generation," he said.
A gigantic optic, used in Lakshadweep Lighthouse during the 1885-1962 period, a 19th century double-wick lamp of Kannur Lighthouse, a huge fog-bell used to alert shipmen and a deep-sea buoy are some of the exhibits to be displayed at the Kannur lighthouse museum.

A number of drawings of the structure and form of Kannur lighthouse in different periods will also be an added attraction.
A tri-lingual short film in Hindi, English and Malayalam, will help visitors get an idea about the history of lighthouses in the country.
The film will be screened in a 20-seater mini theatre.
He said around Rs two crore was estimated as total cost for the Kannur lighthouse museum, whose construction had begun last year.
"We plan to open the lighthouse museum to visitors later this month. We expect that it will become a major tourist attraction in the region," the official said.