Dhanushkodi : The phoenix town

It was a major trade connect between India and Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka). A thriving town with a lot of business importance. Being the only point of contact between Ceylon and India, it had merchants and travelers flooding throughout the year. Located at the south-eastern tip of Pamban island, this town was once a beautiful place surrounded by water and a great market for fisheries. Nature was in abundance and anyone visiting here was bound to be astounded. Little did anyone know that the forces of nature would be the reason of the downfall of this amazing place and it would be reduced to debris in mere four days! It happened one fateful morning that winter. December 22nd, 1964. This is the story of Dhanushkodi, a town that sank all of a sudden to unfathomable depths and rose to life several years later. The Tamil Nadu government declared it as 'Ghost town' after the disaster, but after visiting this place and seeing the efforts of survival of the people here, I would preferably call it 'the phoenix town'..

Dhanushkodi is situated at the tip of the Pamban island in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is separated from Sri Lanka by the Palk strait. In 1948 the land sunk by 5 meters due to vertical tectonic movements in the earth's crust. As a result the coastline proceeded inward by 500 meters submerging a large amount of land. Dhanushkodi was a bustling town until the 1964 cyclone struck the northern coast of Ceylon and the south eastern tip of India. Such was the impact that about 1800 residents died and many more went missing. More than 400 fishing boats sank due to the massive winds that measured about 240 kmph and waves that accounted about 7-15 meters in height. The cyclone overturned the Pamban-Dhanushkodi passenger train killing all the 150 passengers on board. The Dhanushkodi railway station was never built again and till date you can see the remains of the platform, church and other structures.

It was considered as one of the most disastrous cyclones to hit Sri Lanka and a lot of aid had to be taken from other countries like Britain, Germany and the US to restore the life of the villagers. The reconstruction of the Pamban bridge was initiated immediately and was completed within 45 days owing to its urgency (a project that was supposed to be completed in 6 months). A road bridge was built several years later.

In 2006, the sea receded by 500 meters exposing the submerged land after almost six decades. Since then the town has seen few inhabitants who have built small huts using wood, hay and coconut palms. No permanent construction can be seen as this part is heavily prone to cyclones and tsunamis.

Just recently a tar road from Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi has been inaugurated and let me tell you it is one such wonder which I would strongly recommend to every rider and driving enthusiast. The patch is a 20 km straight path in very good condition and with the sea waves kissing the tar road from both left and right, it gives a great feeling of immense solitude. Unfortunately I was not driving when I visited Dhanushkodi, I was in the state transport bus yet I enjoyed it a lot. But I have promised myself to come here back in my car for a nice sunset drive. An ST bus will take you to Dhanushkodi from Rameshwaram in about 30 rupees and an auto would charge you anywhere between 500 to 1000 rupees (as of December 2017) depending on your bargaining skills. A statue of the State Emblem of India marks the end of the Indian land accessible by road. You can take a walk from here in the clear shallow waters, allow yourself to be relaxed by the 360 degree panoramic view of the ocean and taste some nice salty and spicy nuts but remember to be back at the statue before 5 pm as that is when the last bus departs for Rameshwaram.

I had the opportunity to interact with a couple of locals here and their willpower of survival amazed me! These people truly live life on the edge. We live in very safe houses in the cities and hence it will be very difficult or rather impossible for us to understand the complexities and the thought process behind living in such adverse conditions. Their sole livelihood is fishing and tourism. This is a highly recommended place if you are looking for some off-beat travel locations. Try and spend an entire day exploring the villages, the ruins, the lifestyle of the people and their attitude towards life. Interact with the locals and you will be blown by their stories.

Today, the irony is such that even these ruins attract tourists and I thank God they do, because by this means these people can at least earn their daily bread and butter.