To the lighthouse

The city’s second lighthouse, built 173 years ago, has been freshly renovated and stands tall and proud again, in the middle of a splendour of domes at the Madras High Court.

The Heritage Conservation committee (HCC), Archaeological Survey of India, IIT-Madras and the State PWD came together to restore this 19th Century monument, funded by the State Government and monitored by the HCC. The final nod came under one condition: no modifications were to be made to the original structure. “We will restore all the features found when this lighthouse was functional. The lighthouse served mariners and ships of the East India Company till the main building of the High Court replaced it in 1891,” officials said.

The restored lighthouse was inaugurated on September 16, during the 125th celebrations of the Madras High Court. A number of people collaborated to make it possible. Writer DH Rao, who helped with tracking down the original lantern-house design, says he’s pleased with the conservation work. “The important inscription at the base [corner] regarding the survey point of the great Trigonometrical Survey of India and the standard benchmark have not been disturbed.”

After several inspections, Dr Arun Menon and Prof SR Gandhi, National Centre for Safety of Heritage Structures, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT-M, had submitted a report on the “distress of the foundation”, dislodged stone-blocks and damaged rainwater drain of the old lighthouse. PWD officials said trial trenches around the tower also revealed tree-roots from a mature rain-tree nearby, that had penetrated the foundation. “We injected appropriate chemicals to remove them, then used lime mortar to fill the minor cracks, and applied the same on the walls of the brick masonry to prevent tree-root interference.”

A damaged roof was the other challenge. Debris was removed and missing stones were replaced with new ones that matched the original in colour and texture. Wooden beams and joists in the four chambers on the roof were completed as per the original design. The Madras Terrace roof for the chambers was restored following traditional methods, and the floor got new life with stone slabs.

A renewed sheen

The column’s exterior now sports granite veneering. Small openings and windows are covered with wire-mesh to prevent birds and bats from flying in. Inside the tall structure (where visitors negotiate 197 steps to climb to the top) there is a fresh coat of smooth lime-mortar plaster. A stone apron protects the structure from water percolation. The empty chambers in the basement — which was originally a storeroom — now have a collection of historic pictures.

However, the best part of the restoration is possibly the installation of the lantern house. “We wanted to earmark it as a light,” said D Venkatraman, Director, Directorate of Lighthouses and Lightships. “We came forward on our own and made a copper-and- brass one matching the dimensions of the space. There is no light, but we gave the lighthouse life.”

Captivated by this unique second lighthouse, historians, story-tellers and citizens have delved into the history of the structure over the years. In his essay ‘Some thoughts around the Madras High Court’, former judge K Chandru asks how a lighthouse was located in the High Court complex, and narrates its story. It was constructed by the British in what was then Madras Presidency and functioned from 1838 to 1844. Firewood was lit at the top of the structure to provide light. The second lighthouse not only guided sailors in distress, it also served as a beacon for legal clients in turmoil. This is unique to the Madras High Court. Two such buildings do not coexist in the same complex in any other State in India. In fact, warship Emden’s target was not the High Court, but the lighthouse that stood majestically next to it. It remained unscathed.

In his book Madras-Exchange Lighthouse , DH Rao records more archival facts. When the wooden structure of the first lighthouse in Fort St George deteriorated, a Captain Smith was asked to find a suitable place for a new one. Three of his proposals were rejected and the government settled on vacant land in Esplanade (north of the Fort between Fort and Parry’s corner) — an area flattened by the French-British battles.

Here, the tapering column rose to a height of 125 feet. The Doric column had a bottom diameter of 16 feet, top 11 feet and a base that was 55 feet in breadth. The light, set at 117 feet, was visible 20 miles into the sea. Illumination was by 15 argand lamps with parabolic reflectors, arranged in three tiers. A reciprocal type of light as against the earlier rotary model, it flashed with a ratio of bright to dark periods of 2:3, with each unit of time being 24 seconds.

Work started in 1838. Since brick wouldn’t withstand the saline breeze, the surface was built with granite procured from Pallavaram quarries. The total cost: Rs. 75,000.

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Published - September 19, 2017 12:00 am IST