Owais Mughal
Many of our readers have correctly guessed the light house in our latest photo quiz. Yes indeed, it is the light house located on Manora Island.
I got a chance to visit Manora Island on Jan 7, 2007. Selected photos from the trip are below. Manora, may have been a real island couple of hundred years ago but today it is connected to Karachi mainland via a 12 km long causeway (Sandspit beach) road and it is now more like a peninsula in technical terms. The most common route to reach Manora is via boat from Kimari harbor.
One of the most prominent landmarks of Manora island is the 91 feet high Light House.
The Manora Light House is made up of stone masonry and was inaugurated on April 1, 1889. On a clear night, the light of this lighthouse is visible from upto 20 nautical miles away. The focal plane of this light house is 148 feet high. In 1909, hyper-radiant Fresnel lens was installed as the optical set-up in this light house and the same set-up is used to date.
In 1851 a 50 feet high (focal plane 120 feet high) tower was the first light house built on Manora island. In 1889 it was replaced by the current 91 feet high Light House.
Just across light house is a small Protestant Church called the St Paul’s. This church is even older than the light house and was consecrated in the year 1865. I didn’t get the chance to go inside the church but I’ve read that the church, though simple in fotm from outside, is extraordinary from inside with its superb wooden trusses.
The third picture I want to share is of this Public Notice. Public notices fascinate me, therefore two photos in this article are about the warning messages of rough seas during monsoon season. The language of this particular notice caught my attention. The choice of words here depicts serious business. The exact translation goes like this:
Warning: From May to August, the sea swallows every living being.
This fourth picture is of the Shri Varun Dev Mandir of Manora.
I found this mandir on Manora beach in a very bad shape of neglect.
The mandir is abandoned now. Sea breeze is eating away the building from whatever is left by the scavengers. Preservation of this historical landmark is a high need of present time.
I took several photos of the mandir. I am planning to do a full post soon on the mandir itself and hence saving my other photos for it. The word ‘Varun’ in Hindu mythology means ‘the God of the Oceans.’
The final picture is again of a public notice.
The translation of this public notice goes something like this:
Warning: Life is a blessing. Protect it
Seas are rough during the months from May to August. Picnic at a place which is safe from deadly waves of the sea. A little carelessness from you can convert your leisure into a mishap. Follow the instructions of Life Guard. Needing your cooperation: Cantonment Board, Manora.
Let me end by sharing some Manora trivia with you. The British captured Karachi in 1839 by first attacking a mud fortress present at Manora island. The fortress was completely destroyed by the bombardment of the British flagship 74-gun H.M.S. Wellesley. Soon afterwords Karachi capitulated.
Trivia:
population of Manora in 1839: 100 people
Population in 1869-1870: 1451
Population in 2005: 9987
Recommended Manora PHOTOS at other Websites:
- Foundation Stone of Manora Break Waters, January 17, 1874
- Mud Fort Manora, circa 1839
- Manora Light House at Work – Night View
- Bird Eye View of Manora Beach
- Black and White View of Manora Light House – from Early Days
- A retouched color photo of Manora Light House – from Early Days
- Manora Light House Photo by Waqas Usman at trekearth.com
I still remember the light house , church and Hindu temple,
the appartements, the mosque, the naval cadets, stores,
muddy streets, gasting wind, to reach manora you had to
boat transpor service from Kemari, the sea tides were even
worst than sands spit, but it was soooooo facinating to be
on that island, i was always curious how on earth people
could live on it there cinemas, functions hall,caf
Hi, it is very sad to see Manora go! I am from he UK and have visited Manora about 10 times in my 25yrs as my parents, grand parents uncles and aunties are from there. i spent alot of my child hood there. my family has worked on the lighthouse owned shops there and worked for KPT. i visied Manora Dec 2006 and it now looks like a ghost town. it is very upsetting. Before we had access to alot of areas in Manora, but now it has been closed off or is run down. I just hope they dont destroy the history. We had a house next to the mosque, and a house next to the Gurdwara. Is there anyone out there who has lived or knows someone from Manora? Do you have any links with regards to the planning for the island??
I found another photo of Manora Island Light House at flickr. See here:
I am glad I found this web site.I stayed on Manora for about two to three weeks when I was child of 9 in 1951.. We stayed with friends there..The grandmother was the resident nurse on the island and he daughter and granddauaghter (my age)lived with her and helped in the clinic…We were waiting passage to England after my father left Orient Airways.. now Air Pakistan.
I have magical memories of the place.. the ride over in the boat with the families and thier grocerices.. the beaches which we explored unsupervised by the hour and the sand roads.. We had camel rides on the beach and I went to sunday school in a church there. I also had the wonderful experience of seeing and visiting with the brand new babies born on the island in the clinic.
I have often thought foundly of that idyllic place and wondered aobut it.. I am sad to hear about the development about to take place and agree it will certainly ruin the charm of the island and put it out of reach financially for the less than super rich…
I was so pleased to read about it again..
please please can we have article on Hindu temple of minora island ……
please can try to restore this temple……..