Visit Dhanushkodi, one of the top tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu, and you'll have reached the end of India. However, it's likely you'll feel that you've reached the end of the earth as well. Once a flourishing trade hub, Dhanushkodi is now an eerie ghost town. All that exists of it are the fragmented and windswept remains of a few buildings, stark and seemingly out of place in the severe yet serene landscape.
History
On the night of Dec. 22, 1964, a ferocious cyclone hit Dhanushkodi at an estimated 280 kilometers (170 miles) per hour and forever changed the town's fate. Most of the town, a passenger train, and nearly 2,000 people were wiped out. The rest of was submerged under sea water. Such was the magnitude of the damage that the government declared Dhanushkodi to be a ghost town, unfit for habitation.
Prior to this disastrous event, the British had developed Dhanushkodi into an important port of trade between India and Sri Lanka (then named Ceylon). As it was the closest point between the two countries, it provided a vital connection for boats transporting both goods and people. Passengers were able to take a train all the way from Chennai (then named Madras) to Dhanushkodi, board one of the regular ferries to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka, and then get another train all the way to Colombo.
In addition to its own railway station, Dhanushkodi had a customs office, post office, schools, hospital, church, hotels, and shops. It was a thriving community that had grown rapidly.
However, Dhanushodi's history can be traced much further back than the British era, to the time of Hindu mythology. A submerged chain of limestone shoals, known as Adam's Bridge, extends all the way from the furthermost tip of Dhanushkodi to Talaimannar. According the great Hindu epic "The Ramayana", this is where Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman's army of monkeys built a rock bridge to Sri Lanka, to rescue Ram's wife Sita from the evil clutches of demon king Ravan.
The bridge, Ram Setu, is said by some to have stood above the ocean until a cyclone destroyed it in the 15th century. Others say that Lord Ram destroyed the bridge himself, with the end of his bow, after victoriously returning to India to prevent anyone else from using it. He also marked the spot where the bridge was to be built with an end of his bow. This gave rise to the town's name, Dhanushkodi (meaning bow's end). Regardless, Hindus believe that the shoals are the remnants of Ram Setu.
In 2004, the Indian Ocean Tsunami caused the sea off the coast of Dhanushkodi to briefly recede more than 1,000 feet, exposing the submerged part of the town. Some of the rocks from Adam's Bridge were also found washed ashore.
Encouraging tourism to Dhanushkodi has been a government focus in recent years. This is being facilitated by a new road that runs all the way through Dhanushkodi to the land's end at Arichal Munai (Erosion Point) near Adam's Bridge. The road opened in 2017.
Location
Dhanushkodi is situated just off the coast of Tamil Nadu in South India, on Pamban Island's elongated southeastern sand spit. It's about 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) from Rameshwaram, on Pamban Island and about 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. The choppy Indian Ocean is on one side and the calmer Bay of Bengal on the other.
How to Get There
The new road has made Dhanushkodi much more accessible. Before it was constructed, the only way to reach the town was to take a private mini bus or jeep across the sand, or walk along the seashore. It was totally cut off from civilization. Now, you can drive there directly in your own vehicle.
The road is an extension of National Highway 87, which runs from the mainland to Pamban Island and Rameshwaram. Previously, it ended at Mukuntharayar Chathiram but now continues 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from Mukuntharayar Chathiram to Dhanushkodi, and a further 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) from Dhanuskhodi to Arichal Munai (Erosion Point). The final stretch is strictly controlled by India's Border Security Force. Entry is only permitted from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Travel time from Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi is about 30-45 minutes. If you don't have your own car or motorcycle, there are various options available depending on your budget.
====== Follow me======
Our New Channel : / @viswayathravlogs
Facebook ; SahayathrikanDeepu
Instagram; sahayathrikanvl...
contact : 8848046127
ANTI-PIRACY WARNING : This content is copyrighted to Sahayathrikan . Any unauthorised , reproduction. redistribution or re-upload is ,Strictly prohibited of this material . Legal action will be taken against those who violate the copyright of the following material presented!
Camera : GoPro Hero 5
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Episode 1 : • Kuttikkanam | Grape Fa...
Episode 2: • Rameshwaram Temple | D...
Episode 3: • Dhanushkodi Point | Ar...
16 июл 2022
