There are many places in India where sea meets the land but none more spectacularly than at Dhanushkodi, a ghost town nestled at the tip of the Rameswaram island.
Almost synonymous with the name Dhanushkodi is the 1964 cyclone which hit the Pamban coast on the wee hours of December 18th. The storm surge had swept the whole town from the face of earth.
As our car leaves the tree-line behind and swiftly moves on the newly built-all weather road, the remains of the town start to eerily appear on both sides of the road.
These buildings stand witness to the ghost town and its savage past. A few hutments are scattered along the road which are inhabited by the families of fisher-folk who have decided to stay behind despite the ghosts of the past.
Three buildings stand witness to that fateful night:
A post office with only its columns, a church and railway tracks covered by quagmire.
As we leave those depressing sights behind, the ocean greets us with peace and tranquillity.
I wonder whether time is powerful enough that it erased those painful moments and replaced it with calmness.
A strong land breeze greeted us as we stepped out of our car and guides us towards the gleaming ocean- the Palk Strait towards our left and Gulf of Mannar on our right. A lone island stands as sentinel marking the maritime border between India and Sri Lanka. A sense of serenity prevailed as a few tourists headed towards the beach. The clouds were casting a brilliant blue hue as the sun-rays played hide and seek with it.
The sky slowly darkened and as we got into the car, I cast one last look into the placid water. The silhouette of a few fishing boats were visible near the horizon as the ocean retreated and was ultimately hidden by the tree line.
Trivia:
Dhanushkodi is approximately 22 kms from Rameswaram. Since an all weather road has been completed, vehicles can go upto the end point which is a half-an-hour affair. Though local buses shuttle between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, it is advisable to hire a taxi. Lots of taxis are available at the Rameswaram Railway Station.
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