The early-farers to Pondicherry were guided by a beacon that kept burning on the Red Hills or Gorimedu, about 5 km west of the town.

The now abandoned light house standing on the edge of the sea near the Place Du Gouvernement was lighted for the first time on 1 July,1836. The light was placed upon a masonry tower, 26 mt above sea level and was visible upto a distance of 29 km into the sea. In 1931, the fixed light was replaced by a revolving lantern. It fell into disuse with the commissioning of the new light house in 1979.