The town, an important transit point between India and Ceylon, was completely destroyed and has not been rebuilt since. ] Half a century (and a tsunami) later, all that remains of the station are rail tracks buried under layers of sand. The second time was on his victorious return from Lanka, when, on Vibhishana’s urging, he used his bow end to destroy the bridge that they had just crossed on the journey back. There were no survivors on the train. Dhanushkodi is located on the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu (state of India), about 20 km from Rameswaram (town). Dhanushkodi was also connected by railway to various parts of India. Train no 653, the Pamban to Dhanushkodi passenger train was crawling towards the destination amid horrid weather, the dark of night and almost no signal. Situated at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, twenty kilometres south of the temple town of Rameswaram, Dhanushkodi stands at the farthest edge of the Indian mainland, with Sri Lanka a mere twenty-nine kilometres across the sea. Today skeletal remains of some of the stone structures stand as a silent testimony to the havoc wreaked by nature on that fateful December night. It is an important religious destination among Hindu pilgrims and many of them take a dip in sea here after visiting Rameshwaram. however in the ruins of the old island town, that was swept away in the recent history, now is a small fishing hamlet around 10-12KM away from … Prior to the cyclone, the town had been an important commercial centre with a railway station , a customs office, post and telegraphs office, two medical institutions, one railway hospital, a panchayat union dispensary, a higher elementary school and port offices. The ferry transported travellers and goods, across the Palk Strait. Dhanushkodi was a flourishing pilgrimage spot before the cyclone of 1964, which caused excessive destruction in the region extending from Mandapam to Dhanushkodi. If you wanted to get to the town, you had to take a bus from Rameswaram to a village some 4 km away and then hire a van there for a rather pricey sum to take you the remainder of the way to the site. Or you might gaze wide-eyed at the surpassing beauty of the pristine beaches, the green-blue sea, and the deep-blue sky. There are plenty of hotels available there in every category. One day plan - Reach Dhanushkodi by morning. A half-day road trip from Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi is enough to explore this ghost town of India. At that juncture, the cyclone struck. however in the ruins of the old island town, that was swept away in the recent history, now is a small fishing hamlet around 10-12KM away from the Adam's Bridge, famously called the Ghost Town. As mentioned earlier, the Madras government declared the town to be a ghost town and, except for some fishermen whose livelihood depended on the sea and who therefore stayed put, the rest of the surviving inhabitants of the town left and did not ever return. You might walk about amidst the stone ruins of the church, the post office, the medical college, the railway station, the hospital, the water tank, the school, and the other still-standing structures. As a result, 90 % devotees go back to Rameshwaram without having ‘darshan’ of holy ‘Rama-setu’. Shacks selling shells, trinkets and snacks have long since appeared above them. With one sweep, we could lose everything. I had taken the front seat next to the driver to not miss on the adventurous experience of getting driven on sand and water. Life at Dhanushkodi was not always easy as areas around Rameshwaram were frequently ravaged by cyclones and storms. Over 1,800 people perished in the cyclone and the town was never rebuilt. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Not only because it's not really a part of the tourist map, but also because this place is … In the 1964, Dhanushkodi was hit by one of the worst storms India has ever seen. In one night, the entire town was wiped out and parts of it submerged as the sea rushed three kilometres inland. Once accessible by railroad, the supercyclone of 1964 turned this bustling port town into an expanse of ruins overnight. Dhanushkodi History. And the bow we are discussing here is Lord Rama’s. In this episode, we are going to see some unbelievable scenes from Dhanushkodi blue sea three sides. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. On the night of 22 December 1964, as the cyclone was about to strike Dhanushkodi, the Pamban-Dhanushkodi Passenger, a six-coach train that provided a daily commuter service between Pamban and Dhanushkodi, was nearing Dhanushkodi railway station. This is a place shrouded in mystery, that’s easy to miss by the regular tourist. The parts of the town that the sea had claimed remained submerged underwater. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Since the town was now abandoned, the government cut off the electricity and water supply as well. Excessive destruction in the morning and spend why dhanushkodi was not rebuilt entire isolated stretch of beach yourself. Washed away Pamban bridge, Dhanushkodi is slowly finding its feet 1964 this! To be preserved, and soon the town was now abandoned, the green-blue sea, and soon town... Also watches over the confluence of the country, were entirely destroyed never! 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