Dhanushkodi, located in the state of Tamil Nadu, is one of the officially declared ghost towns of India. The place lies at the southeastern tip of Pamban Island. The town was destroyed during the 1964 Rameswaram cyclone and remains uninhabited in the aftermath. An estimated 1,800 people died in the cyclonic storm on 22 December including 115 passengers on board the Pamban-Dhanushkodi passenger train. The entire town was marooned and the Government of Madras declared Dhanushkodi a Ghost town, unfit for living.
As of today, this ghost town has emerged as a popular tourist spot due to its connection with the great Indian epic Ramayana. Dhanushkodi marks the starting point of Adam’s Bridge or Rama Setu. The name Rama’s Bridge or Rama Setu refers to the bridge built by the Vanara sena of Rama which he used to reach Lanka and rescue his wife Sita from the Rakshasa king, Ravana. Rama setu may be just a mythical story but the presence of shallow land suggests the existence of a land connection between India and Sri Lanka.
The nearest habitable town to Dhanushkodi is Rameswaram about 20 Kms away. Local buses operate at regular intervals to Dhanushkodi. Taxi on hire can also be easily found in the city to take a ride to Dhanushkodi. Since the road was destroyed in the fateful cyclone, vehicles are allowed to ply only till a police checkpoint From here the Dhanushkodi main town is 5 Km and another 5 Km to that is the last tip of the Pamban Island.
From the checkpoint, Mahindra Maxi cabs are available on share to cover the rest of the journey and this is where the dirt track of Dhanuskkodi is. This part of the island is extremely narrow and during high tides covers parts of the road. The track passes through the wet sand of Dhanushkodi. The Mahindra Maxi cabs are modified as 4 X 4 vehicles to cut through the wet sand. As per the vehicle owners, the cabs can serve only for 6 months in these conditions.
Covering the 5 Km distance can take up to 30 minutes. At Dhanushkodi one can see the remains of the old railway station, school, water tank and a few other buildings. A church on the shore may be the most recognisable structure in the erstwhile town. Due to the increased flow of tourists, small stalls selling snacks, sea shells etc have been set up by the locals.
As of January 2017, the National Highway 87 that connects the town was under restoration. It is expected to be completed by mid-2017. When completed one can take a wonderful ride to the tip of the island with blue sea on both sides of the road.
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