Dhanushkodi visit stirred up mixed feelings and remains a very memorable one.

AT DHANUSHKODI AND RAMA SETU, AND FACTS ABOUT RAMA SETU – VIDEO:

THE RUINS OF DHANUSHKODI…THE GHOST TOWN – VIDEO:

KOTHANDARAMAR/KOTHANDARAMASWAMY TEMPLE, NEAR DHANUSHKODI – VIDEO:

Dhanushkodi was the last place of our visit during our three days pilgrimage to Rameswaram/Pamban Island. Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi are associated with so many Temples, Theerthams and memorials of Lord Rama’s movements and stay on this Island. Being at these places associated with Lord Rama, Sita Devi, Lakshmana, Lord Hanuman and so many other personalities of Ramayana was very gratifying.  

I shall write about the Temples and other prominent and interesting places we visited at Rameswaram sometime soon. Now, this article is about Dhanushkodi which stirred up lots of mixed feelings in me, reverential, adventurous, thrilling, joyful, and appetizing and for some time sorrowful with a flash of fear.

Dhanushkodi is approximately 21 km from ‘Jiwan Residency’ - our hotel in Rameswaram. Dhanushkodi is at the southern end, at the end of the long narrow strip of Pamban Island as you can see in the topmost two pictures.  Dhanushkodi means an end of a bow and the shape of entire Dhanushkodi resembles like the end of a bow. The tip of Dhanushkodi is just 30 km from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. As a matter of fact, as we approached Dhanushkodi, Airtel India was no longer available and Airtel Sri Lanka welcomed us! I have attached this interesting welcome message from Airtel Sri Lanka for your amusement, towards the end of this article.

Before reaching Dhanushkodi Beach Point we visited Kothandaramaswamy Temple in Dhanushkodi which is situated towards another narrow end of the Island. You can see the location of this Temple in the fourth and fifth maps from the top. This Temple is the only structure which remained intact during the destruction of Dhanushkodi by the 1964 cyclonic storm which washed away everything in Dhanushkodi and turned the place into a Ghost Town, unsuitable for human habitation. This Temple has the deities of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman, and Vibhishana - the younger brother of Ravana. The main idol of Lord Rama is depicted as having a bow (Kothandam), and hence the name Kothandaramaswamy for the idol and the Temple. This Temple is believed to be the place where Vibhishana asked Rama and his Vanara army for refuge. According to this legend, after the abduction of Sita, Vibhishana advised Ravana to return her to Rama. However, Ravana did not listen to the advice, which led Vibhishana to flee from Lanka and join Rama's army. When Vibhishana surrendered to Rama, the Vanara army urged Rama not to accept Vibhishana believing him to be a spy. However, Rama accepted Vibhishana under the insistence of Hanuman stating that it is his duty to protect those who surrender to him. It is also said that after the slaying of Ravana, Rama performed the "Pattabhishekam" (ascension to the throne of Lanka) for Vibhishana at this place. This entire story is depicted in paintings across the walls inside this shrine. I shall write an elaborate article on this with pictures of the Temple, the paintings and a video on it soon, titled Kothandaramaswamy/Kothandaramar Temple, Rameswaram.

All along our way to Dhanushkodi, on the recently laid good road, we were able to see the calm and silent Bay of Bengal on our left, and the rough and roaring Indian Ocean on our right. This is a new road inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27th July 2017. This road is up to the end point of Dhanushkodi where both the Seas meet. It is actually NH49 connecting Dhanushkodi to Kochi. Further fortification of the road on either side with huge rocks to protect it from both the Seas is still in progress.  An Ashoka Pillar is erected at the end point of the road where the island ends and both the Seas meet. It is from here that Lord Rama instructed his army to build a bridge using rocks like floating rocks to Lanka (Sri Lanka) to wage war against Ravana the king of Lanka and bring back Sita Devi. This bridge is popularly known as Rama Setu. It is now partially submerged, however satellite images clearly show this bridge, this can be seen in the third picture at the top. We spent a long time here facing the two Seas and the submerged Rama Setu also known as Adam’s Bridge…moving along this area where both, the Sea and the Ocean meet, the calm waters of the Bay of Bengal and the rough and roaring Indian Ocean! You can view all this in the attached videos and photographs. 

Rama Setu is 30 km long and 3 km wide bridge from Dhanushkodi to Sri Lanka’s Mannar Island. As you can see in the above maps it separates the Gulf of Mannar in the south-west from the Palk Strait in the north-east. The sea in the area is very shallow, being only 1 to 10 metres (3 to 30 ft) deep in places. It was reportedly passable on foot up to the 15th century until storms deepened the channel: temple records say that Rama Setu was completely above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in 1480 AD. The combined name for both the Sea and the Ocean that meet here is Sethusamudram meaning "Sea of the Bridge".

The ride to this end of our country viewing these two mighty seas, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean to our left and right and to be moving in this prominent place of Ramayana was quite adventurous and thrilling. And to be in this land associated with Lord Rama, Sita Devi and Hanuman was a joyous and extremely fulfilling experience.

Prior to 1964, Dhanushkodi was a busy Port Town since 1914 with a Railway Station and a Jetty service to transport travelers to Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. However everything changed, on the night of 22nd December 1964, a super cyclone with a wind velocity of 270 km/hr hit Dhanushkodi. And on 23rd December, an estimated 7.6 m (25 ft) storm surge struck the town of Dhanushkodi on the south-eastern edge of the island, submerging the town and overturning the Pamban-Dhanushkodi passenger train killing all 150 passengers on board. The town, an important transit point between India and Ceylon, was completely destroyed and has not been rebuilt since. Prior to the cyclone, the town had been an important commercial center with a Railway Station, a Customs Office, Post and Telegraphs Office, two medical institutions, one railway hospital, a Panchayat union dispensary, a higher elementary school and port offices. All this was destroyed. At least 800 people were killed in Dhanushkodi alone and another 1000 at other places on Rameswaram Island. Connectivity back then was not as advanced as it is today. There was no Internet connection and the Pamban Bridge was the only way to reach Dhanushkodi other than waterways. As a result, the little town which was once a tourist spot with several pilgrims and fishermen was reduced to ruins. Standing at the place of this catastrophe and tragedy and witnessing the ruins brought about feelings of sorrow, and the possibility of another such storm surge as we were standing there was frightening.

With so many tourists visiting Dhanushkodi and everybody in such a joyful mood at the adjoining beaches of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean soon changed our momentary negative feelings into wholesome enjoyment.

On our way to Rama Setu we saw a number of shops selling sea shells, trinkets and other memorabilia and fish fry stalls. These were all tempting and appetizing in the back of our mind! So on our way back to Rameswaram we made some purchases and enjoyed a good meal of fish.

Anyone visiting Temples and Theerthams in Rameswaram should certainly find time to visit Dhanushkodi which is not very far, only then I think their pilgrimage will be complete and all the more memorable.