Dhanushkodi | |
|---|---|
Former settlement | |
 Aerial view of the locality top end in its former state (now disturbed by an artificial extension ofNH 87) | |
| Nickname: Ram Setu | |
  Dhanushkodi Location within Tamil Nadu Show map of Tamil Nadu Dhanushkodi Dhanushkodi (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:9°09′07″N79°26′45″E / 9.152011°N 79.445851°E /9.152011; 79.445851 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Ramanathapuram |
| Destroyed | 1964 |
| Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
• Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
Dhanushkodi is anabandoned town at the south-eastern tip ofPamban Island of the state ofTamil Nadu inIndia.[1] It is south-east ofPamban and is about 24 kilometres (15 mi) west ofTalaimannar inSri Lanka. The town was destroyed during the1964 Rameswaram cyclone and remains uninhabited in the aftermath. Although devoid of inhabitants, Dhanushkodi remains a tourist attraction due to its historical and mythological relevance.[2]
Dhanushkodi is on the tip of Pamban island, separated from the mainland by thePalk Strait.
The National Highway completed the 9.5-km-long road – 5 km from Mukuntharayar Chathiram to Dhanushkodi and 4.5 km from Dhanushkodi to Arichal Munai.[3] Until 2016, Dhanushkodi was reachable either on foot along the seashore or in jeeps.[4] In 2016, a road was completed from the village of Mukundarayar Chathiram.[5][6]
Ametre gauge railway line connectedMandapam on mainland India to Dhanushkodi.[7]Boat mail express ran fromChennai Egmore to Dhanushkodi till 1964 when the metre-gauge branch line from Pamban to Dhanushkodi was destroyed during the1964 Dhanushkodi cyclone.[8][9] In 2003, Southern Railway sent a project report to Ministry of Railways for re-laying a 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) railway line to Dhanushkodi from Rameswaram. The planning commission looked into the possibility of a new railway line between Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram in 2010.[10][11]
The area around Rameswaram is prone to high-intensity geomorphic activity. A scientific study conducted by theGeological Survey of India indicated that the southern part of Dhanushkodi facing theGulf of Mannar sank by almost 5 metres (16 ft) in 1948 and 1949, due to vertical tectonic movement of land parallel to the coastline. As a result of this, a patch of land of about 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) in width, stretching 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from north to south, was submerged under the sea.[12]
On 17 December 1964, a tropical depression formed at 5°N 93°E in the South Andaman Sea. On 19 December, it intensified into acyclonic storm. After 21 December 1964, it moved westwards, almost in a straight line, at the rate of 400 to 550 kilometres (250 to 340 mi) per day. On 22 December, it crossedVavuniya inSri Lanka and made landfall at Dhanushkodi on the night of 22–23 December 1964. Estimated wind velocity was 280 kilometres per hour (170 mph) and tidal waves were 7 metres (23 ft) high.[13]
An estimated 1,800 people died in the cyclonic storm on 22 December including 115 passengers on board the Pamban-Dhanushkodi passenger train.[14][15][16][17] The entire town was marooned and theGovernment of Madras declared Dhanushkodi as aghost town, unfit for living.[18]
In December 2004, around the 40th anniversary of the deadly cyclone, the sea around Dhanushkodi receded about 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the coastline, briefly exposing the submerged part of the town before massivetsunami waves struck the coast.[19][20]
