▁the ▁place ▁where ▁India ' s ▁Alle pp ey ▁L ighth ouse ▁stands , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁bus iest ▁ports ▁and ▁trade ▁cent res ▁of ▁Ker ala . ▁A la pp uz ha , ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁Tra van core , ▁was ▁ruled ▁by ▁Raj as ▁of ▁Erst while ▁Tra van core ▁before ▁India ' s ▁independence . ▁After ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese , ▁Dutch ▁and ▁English ▁trad ers , ▁V iz hin j am , ▁K oll am , ▁Tra van core ▁and ▁Pur ak ad ▁were ▁the ▁main ▁ports ▁of ▁Erst while ▁Tra van core ▁through ▁which ▁foreign ▁trade ▁fl our ished . ▁ ▁The ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁Port ▁of ▁Pur ak k ad ▁necess itated ▁the ▁re h abil itation ▁of ▁the ▁trad ers ▁for ▁which ▁A la pp uz ha ▁was ▁selected ▁as ▁a ▁port ▁and ▁infrastr ucture ▁was ▁developed . ▁The ▁port ▁was ▁opened ▁to ▁foreign ▁trad ers ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 2 . ▁There ▁was ▁no ▁regular ▁l ighth ouse ▁provided ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁only ▁a ▁light ▁on ▁the ▁pier ▁head ▁served ▁the ▁mar in ers . ▁ ▁As ▁port ▁activities ▁increased , ▁the ▁authorities ▁had ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁a ▁l ighth ouse . ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁l ighth ouse ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁His ▁High ness ▁Mar th anda ▁Var ma - II ▁Mah ar aja ▁( r uler ▁of ▁Tra van core ) ▁and ▁was ▁completed ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁His ▁High ness