Built over a span of three years, back in 1600s, the fortress of Aguada in Candolim is a famed tourist hotspot located just a thirty minute drive from Goa's capital city, Panjim.
Goa| Fort Aguada| Old Lighthouse|
NEED OF THE HOUR
In response to the advancements by the English and Dutch to disrupt Portuguese navigation, trade and commerce, the Portuguese in Goa built the fort to defend the city.
And, believed to have been built around the same time as the fortress, the 42-foot tall lighthouse has stood strong through the ages.
Fort Aguada| Old Lighthouse| Illustration by Lopes Mendes | | Source: Fortresses & Forts of Goa
BEACON OF THE PAST
Situated at the top of a rocky hillock within the fort, the old cylindrical tower lighthouse once guided those at sea using oil lamps before modern technology took over.
Goa| Fort Aguada| Old Lighthouse| Candolim|
BEHIND THE LIGHT
Back in the day, the agrarian municipalities of Bardez provided the oil necessary to fuel this lamp which emitted light once every seven minutes.
Goa| Fort Aguada| Old Lighthouse| Oil Lamps| | Representational Image
COMFORT IN THE DARK
As time passed, new technologies emerged, replacing the oil lamp with machine-operated lanterns, and finally, a system that could emit light every 30 seconds.
Goa| Fort Aguada| Old Lighthouse| Light Beam|
TIMELESS BEAUTY
Today, this old lighthouse stands along with the new one, remaining as a beacon of guidance and a legacy of the State's rich past.
Goa| Fort Aguada| Old Lighthouse| Sinquerim|
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