Near Rameshwaram in the state of Tamil Nadu, in the south-eastern corner of India, there is a place where time seems to have stopped decades ago. There is silence all around. Old dilapidated churches stand without roofs, as if talking to the air. The old railway tracks seem to be disappearing, half buried in the sand. Dilapidated walls stand on the seashore and small fishing boats pass silently by these ruins. This place is Dhanushkodi, one of the most unique and mysterious ghost towns of India.

earlier Dhanushkodi

The place which is deserted and empty today was once a very lively and prosperous coastal settlement full of people. Dhanushkodi was located at some distance from Rameshwaram and was the gateway to Sri Lanka from India. At that time there used to be a railway station, post office, customs office, church, school and many shops. Travelers used to come by train to Dhanushkodi and then take a boat from there to reach Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. This route to cross Palk Strait was very busy. Business also went well. People lived here and lived a happy life. This place was very beautiful because of the sea on both sides.

terrible cyclone of 1964

But everything changed on the night of 22 December 1964. A very powerful cyclone attacked Dhanushkodi. According to meteorologists, the wind speed was more than 250 kilometers per hour. Along with this, very high tidal waves arose, which swallowed the entire area. The most tragic incident happened that night when the Pamban-Dhanushkodi passenger train approached the station. Huge waves engulfed the entire train. More than 100 passengers aboard the train were swept away into the sea. A large part of the city was submerged in water. Houses collapsed, trees were uprooted, electricity and telephone lines were completely destroyed. Hundreds of people lost their lives. Those who survived later told that in the dark night suddenly a wall-like wave of water came and destroyed everything. The cyclone was so strong that even the narrow strip of land connecting Dhanushkodi to the rest of the island was badly affected.

After the storm, when the officials took stock of the entire area, they decided that it would not be safe to rehabilitate the place. The sea was very close and such cyclones could occur in future also. Therefore the Government of Madras (now Tamil Nadu) officially declared Dhanushkodi unfit for human habitation. It came to be known as a ghost city. Those who survived mostly moved towards Rameshwaram. Gradually the old settlement became completely empty.

Even today, old churches, railway stations, walls of houses and pieces of platforms are lying half buried in the sand. With time these ruins have become the identity of Dhanushkodi. Strong winds keep blowing sand continuously, due to which sometimes old things become visible and sometimes become hidden. Dhanushkodi also has great religious significance. According to Hindu mythology and Ramayana, Lord Rama started building the bridge Ram Setu from here to go to Lanka. The name ‘Dhanushkodi’ itself means ‘end of the bow’. Even today many devotees come here and offer prayers in the memory of Ram.