Porthcawl lighthouse, South Wales, UK

© Leighton Collins/Alam

Guiding the way since 1860. Porthcawl lighthouse, Wales, United Kingdom

With waves crashing against its sturdy base and a stormy sea swirling around, this lighthouse in Porthcawl, Wales, has been standing resilient since 1860. At 9 metres tall, Porthcawl lighthouse, designed by the eminent engineer James Walker, is often pictured being battered by waves when storms hit this coast. The town's rugged coastline, with its hidden rocky coves, has always posed a perilous challenge to sailors. Porthcawl lighthouse was built to help guide the increasing maritime traffic along the Bristol Channel. This cast-iron lighthouse was the last one in the United Kingdom to be powered by coal and gas. Although it was converted to electric power in 1997, the lighthouse still maintains its historical charm.

India's extensive coastline and its islands are also dotted with numerous lighthouses, all overseen by the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships under the Government of India. For administrative purposes, the lighthouses are divided into nine directorates: Gandhidham, Jamnagar, Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Port Blair. Notable lighthouses in the country include the Chennai Lighthouse, Beypore Lighthouse, Pamban Island Lighthouse and Chandrabhaga Lighthouse.