A Trip Log — driven by hunger. See more of life than you ever will live on your own
Conquering the lighthouse in Kaup
Lighthouses were saviours of sea-farers from treacherous waters in the pre-digital and pre-GPS era
Lighthouses are a fascinating relic from the pre-digital and pre-GPS era. They were the stuff of legends. Lone warriors against mighty seas. The sea could be either violent or calm, but the mere presence of a lighthouse would mean that the waters were definitely treacherous for the men passing by in their ships or boats.
Lighthouse in Kaup
For many boys, visiting a lighthouse was on the must-do list. And once they went there, they would invariably try to ‘capture the lighthouse’.
Nowadays, no one builds lighthouses. Technology has killed lighthouses. There was a time when entry inside a lighthouse was forbidden. You could only see one from outside, and wonder infinitely what the view from the top would be like. If somehow you managed to enter one and go to the top, you could boast about it to friends and lighthouse fans for the rest of your life.
Since technology made them redundant, no one cares. Many kids would not even be aware of something called a lighthouse. Only a few lucky ones get to see them on a school trip.
Children on a school trip. Will this visit spark an interest in lighthouses? At least, for a handful of them
Over the years, many lighthouses have been abandoned. Most are derelict. That is why the ones that are still intact are being turned into tourist attractions in a bid to save them from decay and disintegration.
Part of the equipment which produces the light that is seen by ships far away at sea
A big challenge is their location. Most are in remote areas. It would be quite a challenge for tourists to even get there. For some, that alone is a big attraction.
On the left: View of the beach from the steps leading to the lighthouse on the hill
Looking out at the sea from the lighthouse
On the right: View of the beach from the lighthouse
I have been a fan, and grabbed the opportunity to visit the lighthouse at Kaup (pronounced Kapu) in Udupi district in coastal Karnataka. It looks sufficiently ancient, but is a relatively modern structure that is well-maintained. Tourism can take some of the credit. The place is packed on weekends.
A spiral staircase is one of the major attractions of a lighthouse. Whether going up or down is a very exciting or intimidating exercise depends on you. A lot of people stop and sit on the stairs to overcome their fear or just to catch their breath. A few feel giddy — either cos of the fear or the sheer excitement!
The beach is clean. Bins have been placed at regular intervals to take care of the favourite pastime of Indians – leaving a trail of garbage in every place they visit.
Imagine you posing for a photograph with this in the background. Welcome to the lighthouse in Kaup
Place: Kaup lighthouse
Location: Kaup, Udupi district, Karnataka
How to get there
Drive north from Mangalore on NH66 – 50 km
Drive south from Madgaon in Goa on NH66 – 320 km
Drive west from Bengaluru towards Mangalore NH75 and then head north on NH66 – 394 km
Places to stay
Look for hotels in Udupi, which is about 15 km to the north on NH66
Bonus
Close to the lighthouse is a narrow road that runs along the coast for several kilometres. On this road, you will come across a lot of locals, their pretty pretty homes, shops, fishing nets and local snacks. It’s a pretty sight. Great way to spend the evening while the sun goes down in the background.
I am a journalist based in Bengaluru. Every day, every moment, each one of us sees a different aspect of our home, the planet Earth, and its people. Sharing them enables others to indulge in our point of view.
Star of Nowhere is my blog about my view of some interesting developments in the world. Could be on any development that piques my curiosity.
Centre of South is about my experiences in travel and food. I relish local food and conversations with people in places I visit. I share some of my travel stories and about the food I try. Yea... I guess sometimes people do wonder why is this chap clicking pics of his meal!
I would be happy to offer tips or guidance in south India. Most visitors to India are drawn by the Taj Mahal, which is one of the wonders of the world, and the forts of Rajasthan. I invite you to look beyond these two places, at south India.
I will be writing about the interesting places in this highly developed part of India, where the people are better educated, enjoy a better standard of living as compared to the rest of India, have built a reliable network of roads and transport services, and can count on state-of-the-art healthcare infrastructure.
South India is safer than any other part of India, and the gateway to south India is Bengaluru (aka Bangalore). Where do you want to go in south India? I would be happy to be of service to fellow travellers
View all posts by Dhiraj Shetty