Dhanushkodi – The whisper in the Sound of Silence

Pamban Rail Bridge

Dhanushkodi – is where Legends, faith, awe, history, tragedy, fear, beauty, tranquility, peace.. all mix to form graphic emotions that leaves you speechless. A part of the Lyrics of a popular song “The sound of silence” plays on my mind “People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening, People writing songs that voices never shared, No one dared, Disturb the sound of silence”.  Dhanushkodi means the end of the Bow, this is another place of mythological importance as here’s where Lord Ram build the Ram Sethu to cross over to Ravan’s Lanka and reclaim his beautiful wife Sita. The Bridge build with Floating rocks (in Display at the Panchamukhi hanuman temple in Rameswaram), was believed to have been destroyed by the tip of Lord Ram’s arrow as per the wishes of the new King of Lanka ‘Vibhishana’. 

Double leaf bascule bridge

Pamban Bridge

The British centuries later did a smaller modern version of a similar bridge connecting the Rameshwaram Island to mainland India by rail “The Pamban Bridge”. So here’s the story of the Bridge built by the British. The Pamban bridge was India’s first sea Bridge and was opened on 24^th Feb 1914.  This rail bridge like any other conventional bridge rests on concrete piers what is unique is that it has a double-leaf-bascule bridge. The middle section raised up to let the Ships and barges pass through. The Pamban bridge was the only surface transport that connected the Island Rameshwaram to the mainland.

Rail bridge

Dhanushkodi Railway station 

More than half a century ago a depression in the Andaman Sea intensified into a Cyclonic storm, the landfall on the 22^nd of December 1964 caused immense destruction. High tidal waves swept away almost all of Dhanuskodi. On the fateful night, the Pamban-Dhanushkodi Passenger train which was a regular service and was on its usual route when it was washed away by huge tidal waves, all the 115 passengers on the train were washed away, never to surface again. The landfall in its wake had washed away most of Dhanuskodi.

The Massive destruction it caused left about 2000 people dead and many missing.

Church

Ruins

Dhanushkodi was eaten up by the sea and the massive destruction left the town uninhabited,It was declared as a Ghost town, with people left behind having abandoned their houses having witnessed the fury of nature. Fear is a long lasting emotion, as a reminder came the Tsunami in December 2004, when the sea receded to reveal the ruins swallowed by it only to re- emerge in a graphic replay with no warning signs unlike before.

Lands end

A little over 50 years have passed and now, We are connected by road to Rameshwaram, and in Dhanushkodi,  the roofless buildings have held up to the sun, attracting tourists. Now this place has a newly built road to “Lands End” Dhanushkodi, build in 2017 as a part of the memorial build for our Late President Abdul Kalam. Peace tranquility and beauty folds all into one at Dhanuskodi, the wind blowing softly at your hair, the waves lapping at your feet, give little but no indication of the bustling village it swallowed in its fury or any indication of an anxious Prince undertaking an impossible task of building a floating bridge to reclaim his kidnapped wife.

Abdul Kalam Memorial

Like it is said “Life goes on” Dhanushkodi too is slowly found its feet, loosing its fears and embracing the new found identity status of being the Late President’s home town in addition to the historical significance, mythological importance and the all existent remainders of tragedy.  Time heals all. Nothing lasts for ever; in current times not even Diamonds. History is, when people become numbers and Governments become dates.

Pamban Road Bridge

Dhanushkodi beach

Times change and life goes on. You cannot change what has happened and you cannot predict what will happen. All you have is NOW! Lets live it! Tomorrow…if tomorrow comes is another day.