A visit to Dhanushkodi makes one wonder as to how such peace and tranquility can at times, also unleash such fury and destruction, but then life goes on, as does for the small section of the fisherfolk who continue to inhabit the island and depend on it for their basic needs of food and drinking water, which the island continues to provide for them, often in miraculous ways!
Our visit to Dhanushkodi was totally unexpected and a memorable one. We decide to go to Dhanushkodi as a part of our visit to Rameshwaram and expecting a crowded place, are taken aback by the exceptionally bumpy ride by a jeep to this island, which enchants you with its beautiful views of the two oceans namely the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, but at the same time leaves an eerie feeling with its emptiness and a view of the ruins that give you the impression that this has been a different place before.
This deserted island is occupied by hutments of fisherfolk who seem to live in isolation and with no connection other than jeeps to the mainland and their main means of survival seems to depend on the fish they catch from the sea. With no basic facilities to depend on, we come across an interesting way in which women from these communities get their drinking water and wonder if this is the place where reality coexists/mingles with myths, mysteries and miracles turning it into a seemingly unique location. Bordered by the Bay of Bengal on one and the Indian Ocean on the other, Dhanushkodi, some 20 kilometres away from Rameshwaram, is one of the most spectacular stretches of Tamil Nadu with not more than 50 fisherfolk dwellings with a population of around 500.
Myth says that this is the place where Lord Rama pointed to with the tip of his bow and Lord Hanumana along with his army built a bridge (Setu) to cross the sea to reach Sri Lanka. Indeed, Sri Lanka is just 31 kilometres away from Dhanushkodi.A visit to Dhanushkodi takes your breath away and is a visual treat with incredibly beautiful views of the clear blue sea, but at the same time envelopes you with sadness with its ruins and the dilapidated remains of what was once a flourishing town. Dhanushkodi was a major point of entry to India until 1964, when a cyclone devastated the entire town, washing away the railway track, a steam engine and its carriages, and the entire village.
Before the 1964 cyclone, Dhanushkodi was a flourishing tourist and pilgrimage town. Since Sri Lanka [then Ceylon] was just 18 miles away, there were many ferry services between Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar of Sri Lanka, transporting travelers and goods across the sea. There were chathirams, dharmasalas catering to the needs of pilgrims.
Railway track before 1964 cyclone. In 1964, a cyclone devastated the entire Dhanushkodi town, washing away the railway track, a steam engine and its carriages, and the entire village. Dhanushkodi in those days had a railway station, a small railway hospital, a higher secondary school, a post office, customs and port offices etc.
Some traces of the railway station at ''Dhanushkodi''. "On that fateful night (December 22nd) at 23.55 hours while entering Dhanushkodi railway station, the train No.653, Pamban-Dhanushkodi Passenger, a daily regular service which left Pamban with 110 passengers and 5 railway staff, was only few yards before Dhanushkodi Railway station when it was hit by a massive tidal wave. The whole train was washed away killing all 115 on the spot. All together over 1800 people died in the cyclonic storm. All dwelling houses and other structures in Dhanushkodi were marooned in the storm . The high tidal waves moved almost 10 kilometres onto this island and ruined the entire town. Pamban bridge was washed away by the high tidal waves in this disaster. Eyewitness accounts recollected of how the surging waters stopped just short of the main temple at Rameshwaram where hundreds of people had taken refuge from the fury of the storm. Following this disaster, the Government of Madras declared the town as Ghost town and unfit for living after the storm.Only few fisherfolks now live there." There were many ferry services between Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar of Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka), transporting travellers and goods across the sea. There were hotels, textile shops and dharmashalas catering to these pilgrims and travellers. Dhanushkodi, in those days, also had a railway station, a small railway hospital, a higher secondary school, a post office, customs and port offices etc. One can still see the sad remains of the railway line, some of the ruins of the offices and the hospital and the old school, which is reused now for the 500 inhabitants who continue to stay on the island . Before the cyclone, there was a train service up to Dhanushkodi called Boat Mail from Madras Egmore (Now Chennai Egmore), which would halt on the south-eastern side of Dhanushkodi township, where a waiting steamer transported passengers to Sri Lanka
The remains of the destroyed Railway station ''DhanushKodi"................
Railway station at dhanushkodi.........................
I think these are the remains of some temple.........................
Remains of a church at dhanushkodi............................
School building ..................................
Post office.......................
Hospital building at dhanushkodi...............................
Look at the cruel hands of nature what it has done to a beautiful Island. I tried to catch every glimpse of dhanushkodi and a few are here ........................
Must be a very very beautiful place before it was destroyed and washed away in 1964
Most of the things are still drowned but no one can dare to go and search it in the ocean....................
God knows what is this ? And no one is alive to tell what was that ?
I don't know what is this ????????????????
A recently built temple by the fishers living there...............
Beautiful scenes of Dhanushkodi, where the actual lingam of sand was established by Lord Rama but which disappeared in the cruel ocean......................
I love this place and want to go again and again if life remains and I get a chance
clouds trying to touch the sea
WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The sea is not silent now too
Some unknown building of Dhanushkodi
It may be someone's house or whatever only god knows. We can just guess.............
Beautiful Dhanushkodi.................
Only a few fisherfolk now live here. One can now reach Dhanushkodi either on foot along the sea shore by the sand dunes or in jeeps and tempos of fishermen. A ride down this 20 km long straight road leading to the ruins of the township is an exciting experience in itself. We have hired a jeep and the driver is a resident of the village itself. During the bumpy ride, he shows us the remains of the rail tracks covered with sand, and those of the school, the hospital and office buildings. He also shows us the village that includes some 50 households staying in makeshift thatched houses. 2.5 kms away from dhanushkodi people trying to cope up there......
It's a school building for people living at the verge of death at dhanushkodi........
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