പ്രകൃതിയിലേക്ക് ഒരു യാത്ര ...a travel towards NATURE.................... : June 2014

DHANUSHKODI( RAMESWARAM) via PAMPAN BRIDGE

പാമ്പന്‍ പാലം വഴി ധനുഷ്കോടിയിലേക്ക്

by sabu mamapallil

seeing Pampan bridge from train

seeing Pampan bridge from train

Rameswaram Temple

Respected FORMER PRESIDENT'S HOUSE IN RAMESWARAM

CSI CHURCH NEAR RAILWAY STATION ON WAY TO DHANUSH KODI

Rameswaram is a pilgrimage city and is a transit island from India to reach Sri Lanka. The end point of Rameswaram is Dhanush kodi Where Rama Sethu bridge starts towards Sri Lanka

DHANUSHKODI VAN POINT

DHANUSHKODY VAN POINT

TOWARDS DHANUSHKODI THROUGH SANDY SINGLE LINE SEA SHORE

According to Hindu mythology, this is the place from where the Hindu god Raman built a bridge, across the sea to Lanka to save sita from Ravananan with help of Hanuman.

TOWARDS DHANUSHKODI THROUGH SANDY SINGLE LINE SEA SHORE

Ramaswaram the named from The Ramanathaswamy the famous SHIVA temple is located at the centre of the town and considered as holy pilgrimage site for Hindhu pilgrimes

TOWARDS DHANUSHKODI THROUGH SANDY SINGLE LINE SEA SHORE

Rameswaram tourist spot 1. Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple - this temple situated near the sea on the eastern side of the island is renowned for the longest corridor in the world .

towards danushkodi

Rameswaram tourist spot 2. Agnitheertham - Sri Ramanathaswamy temple faces east. The water at this place is considered sacred and known as Agni theertham. Pilgrims perform poojas in honour of their ancestors at this seashore

Rameswaram tourist spot 3. Gandamadana Parvatham - is a hillock situated 3 km away and is the highest point in the island. Here one can see the imprint of Lord Rama’s feet on a chakra. The entire island of Rameswaram is visible from this point.

remaining mortals of old dhanushkodi the GHOST TOWN

Rameswaram tourist spot 4 Sugreevar Temple/Theertham - is situated on the way to Gandamadana Parvatham near the Doordarshan Kendra

Rameswaram tourist spot 5. Satchi Hanuman Temple - is considered to be the place where Hanuman delivered the good news of finding Sita to Rama

Rameswaram tourist spot 6. Badrakaliamman Temple - is a temple for Devi Durga, situated 2 km from the main temple on the way to the Gandamadana Parvatham.

Rameswaram tourist spot 7 . The Five-faced Hanuman Temple (2 km from the main temple) - the deity of Hanuman drawn withsenthooram. Idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Hanuman brought from Dhanushkodi during the 1964 cyclone were placed here. The floating stone, used to build theSethuBandanamor the bridge between India and Lanka can be found in this temple.

Rameswaram tourist spot 8. JadaTheertham (about 3.5 km from Rameswaram on the Dhanushkodi road) - legend has it that Lord Rama, on his way back after killing Ravana, Worshipped SriRamalinga (believed to be installed by him). Before doing so, he washed his hair(Jada) in this theertham to purify himself.

Rameswaram tourist spot 9. Nambu Nayagiamman Temple - is greatly venerated by the people of Ramnad District. It is situated 8 km from the main temple in Rameswaram on the way to Dhanushkodi.

Rameswaram tourist spot 10. Kothandaramaswamy Temple - is located 12 km away from Rameswaram. A popular belief is that Vibishana, brother of Ravana, surrendered before Rama here.

remaining mortals of old Dhanushkodi the GHOST TOWN

Rameswaram tourist spot 12 Dhanushkodi (18 km) - the southern tip of the island, Dhanushkodi was completely washed away by the 1964 cyclone. This is a strip of land about one km wide and 18 km long on the eastern end of Rameswaram island. On one side are the waters of the Indian Ocean and on the other the waters of the Bay of Bengal.. Devout Hindus consider the Adi Sethu or the arrowhead, a sacred place to perform religious rites. It is also place worth visiting for its scenic beauty and bird life.

Rameswaram tourist spot 13. Villoondi Theertham - is situated 7 km from the main temple on the way to Pamban.

Rameswaram tourist spot 14. Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge (12 km) - is also known as the Pamban Bridge that connects the Rameswaram island with the main land. It is the longest sea bridge in India and its length is nearly 2.2 km

Visit to Dhanush kodi: for getting to Dhanushkodi , hire a jeep (Rs 1,500 or near) or hire an auto or by bus till the Mini truck stand from where you could travel by the Mini Truck (Rs 100 + per passenger). The second method is good if time is available. The lands end at Dhanushkodi is about 7 -8 kilometers from where the Mini Truck stand and trip is an amazing experience through the shore, No through the sea itself. The view is amazing with sea on both sides , on one side the Bay of Bengal and on the other the Indian Ocean , the Bay of Bengal side is relatively calm and hence goes by the name (Penn Kadal , Lady Sea) and the India Ocean is rough with waves lashing and is called ( Aaan Kadal, Male Sea). Views of the ghost town in Danushkodi which was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone after which the city was deserted ,you can see the post office , railway station , church and rail tracks in ruins.

towards danushkodi

remaining mortals of old dhanushkodi the GHOST TOWN

bay of BENGAL IN LEFT SIDE of the track CALM AND QUIT - Van passes through this shore only

showing a sand island just meters away we can walk to that island

in the sand island

Sea is very shallow as we can walk many meters through sea till next sand island

It was an absolute thrilling experience, Van reached the lost land after 30 minutes travel. As the van just stops there for 30-40 minutes we walked till the the tip of danushkodi where rama sethu bigins. Sea is very shallow as we can walk many mertes through see till next small island

this is the end tip of dhanushkodi and starting of RAMASETHU WE CAN SEE THE SAND ISLANDS OF RAMASETHU LITTLE AWAY

AT DHANUSHKODI TIP

Danushkodi was like heaven. Sea Shore heaven. You can see difference in the ocean color blue & greenish blue. Which is Indian ocean & bay of bengal. An absolute silence.

VAN POINT AT DHANUSHKODI END

pilgrimes wish to perform religious rites at Dhanushkodi have to depend on private vans who charge anything between Rs80 and 100 per passenger depending upon the number of passengers and type of vehicle. There are passenger jeeps and buses which tourists can hire from the dhanushkodi village or from the city of Rameshwaram. The local people of Dhanushkodi village have set up small shops at the beach and in the village where tourists can get snacks and water.

SOME RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS

OLD WATER TANK a remains of old dhanushkodi the GHOST TOWN

On that night 1964 (22 December) at 23.55 hours while entering Dhanushkodi railway station, the train No.653, Pamban-Dhanushkodi Passenger, a daily regular service which left Pamban with 110 passengers and 5 railway staff, was only few hundred yards before Dhanushkodi Railway station when it was hit by a massive tidal wave (may be sunami). The whole train was washed away by killing all 115 on board. There after it is called Ghosts town

COAL STORAGE a remains of old dhanushkodi the GHOST TOWN

old church a remains of old dhanushkodi the GHOST TOWN

A memorial erected near the Dhanushkodi bus stand reads as follows:

A cyclonic storm with high velocity winds and high tidal waves hit Dhanushkodi town from 22 December 1964 midnight to 25 December 1964 evening causing heavy damages and destroying the entire town of Dhanushkodi

inside the church a remains of old dhanushkodi the GHOST TOWN

Train No.653, Pamban-Dhanushkodi Passenger, a daily regular service with 110 passengers and 5 railway staff, was hit by a massive tidal wave near the Dhanushkodi station and was washed away killing all its passengers. The high tidal waves ruined and devastated the entire town. Following this disaster, the Government of Madras declared the town as Ghost town and unfit for living after the storm. Only a memorial pillar lies there now. The railway track got covered by sand dunes and was abandoned