Indian Lighthouse Festival 3.0 Highlights Maritime Heritage and Tourism in Visakhapatnam

Indian Lighthouse Festival 3.0 Concludes in Visakhapatnam, Spotlighting Maritime Heritage and Coastal Tourism

The two-day Indian Lighthouse Festival 3.0 concluded in Visakhapatnam with renewed emphasis on India’s maritime heritage, coastal culture, and lighthouse-driven tourism. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the festival successfully projected Visakhapatnam as a symbol of India’s coastal identity, demonstrating how culture-led initiatives and infrastructure development can together promote maritime awareness and local economic opportunities.

Celebration of Coastal Culture and Public Participation

Speaking at the valedictory session, the Union Minister noted that the festival witnessed enthusiastic participation from citizens, including families, youth, artists, students, and entrepreneurs. Cultural performances, exhibitions of local handicrafts, coastal cuisine showcases, fashion presentations inspired by maritime themes, and illuminated evening programmes turned the city into a vibrant cultural space. According to him, the scale and diversity of participation reflected the richness of India’s coastal traditions and strengthened people’s connection with the sea.

Lighthouse Museum and Tourism Push

A key announcement during the festival was the development of Andhra Pradesh’s first Lighthouse Museum in Visakhapatnam. The proposed museum will function as a centre for maritime education, heritage conservation, and tourism promotion. An MoU was exchanged between the Visakhapatnam Port Authority and the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) , with land earmarked at the Old Lighthouse area within the port campus.

The Minister highlighted that after developing 75 lighthouses across India as tourist destinations, the government plans to add 25 more , with Andhra Pradesh identified as a priority state in the next phase.

Maritime Safety and Inland Waterway Initiatives

Several new initiatives aimed at strengthening navigation safety and inland waterways were also announced. Four new lighthouses will be constructed along National Waterway–2 (Brahmaputra) in Assam at Bogibeel, Silghat, Pandu, and Biswanathghat. In addition, a light-and-sound projection mapping show at Aguada Lighthouse in Goa was virtually inaugurated, and the foundation stone for reconstruction of staff quarters at Junglighat in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was laid.

Port-Led Infrastructure Development

On the sidelines of the festival, the Union Minister launched ₹230 crore worth of infrastructure projects at Visakhapatnam Port. These include fire-fighting system upgrades at the LPG berth, modernisation of the ORS Dry Dock, construction of a new administrative office complex, and residential apartments for port employees. He also announced the establishment of the India Ship Technology Centre under India Maritime University, reinforcing Visakhapatnam’s position as a key maritime and shipbuilding hub on the eastern coast.

Key Exam-Focused Points

• Indian Lighthouse Festival is organised by DGLL under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

• India has over 11,000 km of coastline and around 205 operational lighthouses .

• National Waterway–2 corresponds to the Brahmaputra river system.

• Lighthouse tourism supports Maritime India Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 .

• Visakhapatnam is emerging as a major centre for maritime heritage and port-led development.