Do you see that dome atop the Madras High Court? That is where the story of the Lantern Room begins. Many people do not know that this Lantern Room once served as a lighthouse.
Let’s travel back to the late 19th century. Ship commanders had a problem. The new High Court dome was blocking the light from the existing lighthouse. They needed a higher light source. So, in 1894, a new lantern room opened on top of the High Court dome. It became the third lighthouse in Madras.
The first lighthouse was a wooden tower at Fort St. George. It had many problems. Cyclones damaged it. The oil lamps leaked. The glass cracked. By 1833, it was falling apart.
A second lighthouse was built in 1844. It was a granite tower on the Esplanade. But as Madras grew, even this lighthouse was not enough. The High Court dome overshadowed it.
The Lantern Room was an engineering marvel. The top of the dome was cut open. A spiral staircase provided access. The circular lantern house had a glazed portion with curved glasses. This allowed for a 360-degree view. A revolving light, powered by a kerosene lamp, sent out twin flashes. The light could be seen from far out at sea.
The Lantern Room stood 190 feet tall. Its light shone 166 feet above sea level. It was much taller than the second lighthouse. This new tower helped ships navigate safely into Madras.
Interestingly, Madras never had the latest lighting technology. Even though it was a major port. Petroleum vapour lamps arrived late. Other lighthouses had already switched to electric lamps. A Scottish engineer recommended electric lamps for the High Court dome in 1927. But nothing happened.
Mariners had to wait until 1977 for electric beams. That was when the fourth lighthouse came up on the Marina. The Lantern Room’s role as a lighthouse had ended.
Imagine standing up there. You would have seen the bustling city and the vast ocean. The light flashing, guiding ships home. Today, the Lantern Room is a reminder of Madras’s maritime history. It is a story of innovation and adaptation. A story of how a city used its tallest dome to light the way.