Dhanushkodi - now a Ghost Town **The after effects of Tsunami at Rameshwaram in the year 1964 has left too many scary memories amongst the public.**
This being the continuation of my previous article - **a visit to Rameshwaram**. After our visit to the home of the late Honorable President **Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam** our car sped to the place hit by **Tsunami** which was just Kilometers away, where more than 1500 people where killed by **Tsunami**. It is called **Dhanushkodi** in the state of Tamil Nadu.
On the way to **Dhanushkodi** was a broken **Roman Catholic Church**. Only the walls and the pulpit where the Church father was preaching remained. The remains are a testimony of the natural disaster. We were told by the guide that at the time of Tsunami a sermon was being delivered by the then Church father. And so the church was occupied by more number of people. When the nightmare hit, not a single person who attended the sermon survived. Dhanushkodi was one of the most popular commercial town those days and the main land transit area between Dhanushkodi and Srilanka. **The town had a railway hospital, postoffice, Higher elementary schools, Medical colleges, Government offices, a railway station etc.** But all these were washed away in one night . **Now the town is deserted with the remains of this broken buildings, which remains as a land mark**. Neither the government took the initiative to reconstruct nor destroy the remains.
The place where **Tsunami** hit in the year **1964** was called **Dhanushkodi**. It is in the extreme southern border. The road of India towards the southern side ends here. It is here, we have the **The Indian Ocean to the left and Bay of Bengal to the right.** It was crowded with tourists. From here we can have glimpse of our neighbouring country **Sri Lanka**.
There was a common tour guide and security stopping peoples to go near **The Indian Ocean**. When enquired the tour guide said here, the sea is calm and no waves due to which the soil remains stable, something like quick sand. So any body can get drowned if you move into the sea. On the contrary, where **Bay of Bemgal** is flowing it was crowded. As it was a rough sea with rough waves, the sand keeps coming to the shore which tightens the soil. The risk of depth is low. So almost all tourist were here clicking photographs with their near and dear ones.
The town after being hit by the **Tsunami** was never reconstructed. Even today, nobody is allowed to be there after 5.00 p.m. For this special police force is appointed. No network tower is built here. Once you enter this town your phone gets disconnected from the outside world. This is now called as the ghost town. It is such a historic place today. It is said that after the nightmare, all people fled from this place with whatever they had and never returned back. This land became deserted. Due to increase in tourists they imposed a small fee from the public while entering the town at the check post of Dhanushkodi. All images captured from my mobile at Rameshwaram and edited in canva.
12 comments
Hello Sashaa! Firstly I would like to say I do love the strange red and white checkered lighthouse. It is an interesting place. I cannot believe the government didn't attempt to fix it considering how the world is very much overpopulated. Is it a tsunami prone area? Or was the terrible tsunami a one off thing?
As per the government s direction it is told that Tsunami can hit here any time once again. So for the safety reasons, they do not want to develop the town. IN most places here light house is the same colour dear
I see. Now that makes more sense. Do you have to check the tsunami update before visiting or did you just wing it?
We just went there. The place was packed with tourist. Because after 5p.m. nobody is allowed to be in this place. Probably thats why its called Ghost town.
Oh that must be really creepy when there's no people there already.
Yes it is creepy without peoples. Only limited number of tourists and small shops with things made of shells to attract tourists.
That's quite an emotional read. The place is indeed deserted and even I will leave the place if I leave there as there's a chance that a tsunami might hit again. Thank you for sharing.
Yes indeed. Anybody entering the town can experience the pain, after seeing the shattered remnants of the place, what the people went through. Today remains a history in the textbooks of school children.
Sad to know about the tragic past of Dhanushkodi but good to learn some interesting history about that place. I think the location lies in the Tsunami zone so to avoid further accidents and loss nothing is being done on that place.
Yes. That was the same reason told to us by the tour guide. Anytime it can be hit again by another Tsunami. That is reason, even today nobody is allpwed to enter this particular town after 5.00p.m.
This is a sad story and an unforgettable past of this place. People, there must follow that it might get a chance to have a tsunami again, but I am hoping and praying that it will never ever happen again.
It should never happen. I could see the simplicity and loving people of the villages surrounded there. Most of them are into farming. Thanks for your consideration.