Colombo Lighthouse

Colombo Lighthouse Colombo Lighthouse Colombo Lighthouse

Colombo Lighthouse is a Lighthouse in Colombo in Sri Lanka and it is operated and maintained by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. It is located at Galbokka Point south of the Port of Colombo on the waterfront along the marine drive, in Colombo fort.

History

The current 29-metre-high (95 ft) lighthouse was built in 1952 after the Old Colombo Lighthouse was deactivated when its light became obscured by nearby buildings as part of the Colombo Harbor Expansion project. It was opened by Rt Hon D. S. Senanayake, the first prime minister of Ceylon. Built on a concrete base which is 12 m (39 ft) high, it has four statues of lions at its base.

Due to the panoramic view of the Indian Ocean it offered, it became a city landmark. With the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War, public access to the site was restricted. This was due to its placement in a high-security zone as it is across the street from the Naval Headquarters and close proximity of the Port of Colombo.

Saluting battery

Located at its base is a naval gun battery that is used by the Sri Lanka Navy for its traditional gun salutes. By tradition the Navy accords a 25-gun salute to the nation on the National day, which is 4 February each year. The tradition originated when the sailors of the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve fired a 15- Gun Salute at the Galle Face Green on the first Independence Day on 4 February 1948. With the formation of the Royal Ceylon Navy, HMCyS Vijaya, the first warship of the navy according a 25-gun salute on 4 February 1951 with its single QF 4-inch naval gun. In 1952 two additional QF 4-inch naval guns were brought from the United Kingdom and mounted at Galle Buck Bay in the Colombo harbour in preparation of the Royal visit of Princess Elizabeth, which did not occur as she returned halfway due to the death of her father the King

Royal Ceylon Navy awarded a 56 gun salute on the day of the King's funeral. After HMCyS Vijaya was decommissioned its QF 4-inch naval gun was added to the battery. The guns were moved to the lighthouse and fired the gun salute since 2000. In 2000, three 52 mm guns were installed, having been gifted from the Indian Navy which are used to fire the gun salutes till 2020. In 2021, the independence day gun salute was fired from SLNS Samudura and the tradition has been naval ships after the Colombo Lighthouse became landlocked aft the construction of the Colombo Port City.

Colombo Lighthouse Colombo Lighthouse Colombo Lighthouse

【LK94009923: Colombo Lighthouse. Images by Google, copyright(s) reserved by original authors.】

Om Colombo-distriktet

Colombo er Sri Lankas største by og handelshovedstad. Den ligger på øens vestkyst og støder op til Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, Sri Lankas hovedstad. Colombo er en travl og pulserende by med en blanding af moderne liv og koloniale bygninger og ruiner og en bybefolkning på 647.100. Colombo Metropolitan Region, defineret af distrikterne Colombo, Gampaha og Kalutara, har en anslået befolkning på 5.648.000 og dækker et areal på 3.694,20 km². Colombo er en multietnisk, multikulturel by. Det er den mest folkerige by i Sri Lanka med 642.163 mennesker, der bor inden for bygrænsen. Befolkningen i Colombo er en blanding af adskillige etniske grupper, primært singalesere, maurere og tamiler. Der er også små samfund af mennesker med kinesisk, portugisisk, hollandsk, malaysisk og indisk oprindelse, der bor i byen, samt adskillige europæiske udlændinge. Langt de fleste srilankanske virksomheder har deres hovedkontorer i Colombo. Nogle af industrierne omfatter kemikalier, tekstiler, glas, cement, lædervarer, møbler og smykker. I byens centrum ligger Sydasiens næsthøjeste bygning - World Trade Center.

Om Vestprovinsen

Vestprovinsen er den tættest befolkede provins i Sri Lanka. Den er hjemsted for den lovgivende hovedstad Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte samt Colombo, landets administrative og forretningsmæssige centrum. Vestprovinsen er opdelt i 3 hoveddistrikter kaldet Colombo (642 km²), Gampaha (1.386,6 km²) og Kalutara (1.606 km²). Som Sri Lankas økonomiske centrum er alle de store lokale og internationale virksomheder til stede i byen, ligesom alle de store designer- og detailhandlere, så vær klar til at forkæle dig selv med lidt shoppingterapi i den vestlige provins. Med den højeste befolkning i alle provinser er næsten alle de førende uddannelsesinstitutioner på øen placeret i den vestlige provins. Universiteterne i provinsen omfatter University of Colombo, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, University of Kelaniya, Open University, Sri Lanka, Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University og University of Moratuwa. Den vestlige provins har det største antal skoler i landet, herunder nationale, provinsielle, private og internationale skoler.

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