Dhanushkodi, Tamil Nadu, India

12th to 13th September 2014

The cyclone of 1964 brought a dramatic change to the small but extremely religious town of Rameshwaram. And the aftermath of the cyclone was this haunted town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban island of Tamil Nadu called Dhanushkodi. Why haunted you ask? Well, being a coastal town and the destruction of the cyclone made it easier for the people to forsake it for better and safer places. But as per the nature of human curiosity, you always tend to go on looking for things that has a touch of mysticism. The ravaged structures lends the much needed credibility to the appeal of a haunted town.

According to Indian folklore, Ram Setu (or Adam’s bridge) was built using limestones from Dhanushkodi to the island of Mannar in Sri Lanka ias part of the quest to rescue Sita from the clutches of the demon king Ravana.

Each rock used to build this bridge had the word ‘Ram’ written on it because the name had the power to make it unsinkable. Clearly Archimedes was not familiar with the power of blessings. 

Once Ram returned to the mainland victorious, he officiated the coronation of Vibishana, Ravana’s younger brother on this very strip of land. Following the coronation, on Vibishana’s entreaty, Ram broke the bridge with the end tip of his bow, hence the name. Dhanush = bow and kodi = tip.

Beyond the folklore, at Dhanushkodi you can see the merger of the deep and rough waters of Indian Ocean meeting the shallow and calm waters of Bay of Bengal (Can you see the distinction?) 

Once you reach Dhanushkodi, there are government bus services that has been recently started. This saved us from undertaking the painful task of trekking 15 kms of barren stretch of land under the blazing sun.  I should probably warn you that one must be prepared for the disappointment since the bus services don’t take you all the way to the erosion point (land’s end terminus of the peninsula to the south-east of Dhanushkodi) where the mythical Ram-setu is supposed to be located at. So if you really want to experience the true glory of the place, step away from the chirping of the fellow crowd and walk all the way to the end point. Just for fun, we decided to track our movement. Look at the result!!

There is a heavy Indian navy patrolling evident on this stretch not only as a precaution for those who foolishly venture into the sea, but also to prevent smugglers or other invaders from reaching the mainland.

A perfect overnight outing in a picturesque haunted coastal town. What more can you want?!! Don’t say ghosts!!

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Tamil Nadu