Keele Khanderi
Khanderi is a small island near the entrance of the Bombay harbour, eleven miles south of Bombay and six north-west of Alibag, it lies two and a half miles from the Kolaba mainland and one and a half miles from its sister island of Underi. From Underi it is separated by a channel which can be used only by small coasters. The island, which is a mile and a half long by half a mile broad, is larger and considerably higher than Underi, rising to the light-house cliff on the south. In former times the walls and fortifications were more regular and better adapted for defence than those of Underi.
Light House
The light-house, which was built in 1867, stands on the highest part of the island. It is an octagonal masonry tower seventy-five feet high on the centre of a flat-roofed house, the centre of the lantern being 161 feet above the level of the sea. The light is a catadioptric of order one. It is a single fixed white light which is visible in clear weather from a distance of twenty miles, and has an arc of illumination of 225 degrees. A red ray is shown from this light which covers the dangers lying seaward of Alibag and Ceul, as also the Ceul Khodya rock on which there is now a beacon. The ray is visible from seaward. A 200 feet high flag staff stands north-east of the light tower.
The surroundings near Khanderi are very irregular, and on the off-side a vessel may pass within a quarter of a mile of the shore in four fathoms half tide. To the north-east of the island, off where the boats lie, is a reef dry at half tide. It is about 500 yards from the island, so that there is a good harbour between. The whole space from this reef to Under is a foul ground and impassable to boats of any size.
About fifty yards north of the Khanderi quay is a small tile roofed wooden temple with a great boulder in it which is worshipped as Vetal. Near the landing is a Musalman tomb of Daud Pir. Fishermen passing near the island make offerings both to Vetal and Daud Plr as they are believed to rule the waves which in northernly gales are very steep and angry in the neighbourhood of Khanderi.
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Regards
Yogesh Shinde.
