Guwahati, Jan 12: Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has announced that four new lighthouses will be constructed along National Waterway–2 on the Brahmaputra in Assam to improve inland navigation and safety. The proposed lighthouses will come up at Bogibeel, Silghat, Pandu and Biswanathghat, marking a significant step in extending lighthouse infrastructure beyond India’s coastline into major river systems.
The announcement was made at the valedictory session of the Indian Lighthouse Festival 3.0, which concluded in Visakhapatnam after two days of cultural and policy-focused events. Addressing the gathering, Sonowal said the festival had transformed Visakhapatnam into a showcase of India’s coastal culture and maritime heritage, while also demonstrating how lighthouses can serve as links between history, livelihoods and modern infrastructure.
The minister said the festival went beyond celebration by highlighting the evolving role of lighthouses as centres of tourism, education and community engagement. Cultural performances, displays of local crafts, coastal cuisine, fashion showcases and illuminated night-time presentations, he said, turned the venue into a vibrant reflection of India’s maritime identity, drawing participation from families, youth, artists, students and entrepreneurs.
As part of a major lighthouse-led initiative, Sonowal announced that Visakhapatnam will get Andhra Pradesh’s first Lighthouse Museum. The museum is envisioned as a hub for maritime education, heritage conservation and tourism promotion. An MoU for the project was exchanged between the Visakhapatnam Port Authority and the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships, under which more than 3,100 square metres of land at the Old Lighthouse area within port premises will be allotted for the museum.
Highlighting progress in lighthouse tourism, the minister said 75 lighthouses across the country have already been developed as tourist destinations. Building on this momentum, the Centre plans to develop 25 more lighthouses, with a special emphasis on identifying suitable sites in Andhra Pradesh to strengthen lighthouse-based tourism along the eastern coast.
Placing the initiatives in a broader national context, Sonowal also referred to the construction of a 77-metre-high Lighthouse Museum at the National Maritime Heritage Complex, being developed at a cost of ₹266 crore. Once completed, it is expected to be the world’s tallest lighthouse museum and among the largest maritime museums globally, reinforcing India’s vision of blending heritage, tourism and modern maritime infrastructure.
