Dhanushkoti – Story of A 1.7 Million year old Bridge

Dhanushkoti, the ghost town – puzzled for knowing in which category a visit to this place will come under. Not anything divine as there is no temple exist, Not anything entertaining as there is no rides or malls, not anything amazing as there is no sceneries with mountains or hills but this place is every travelers dream and mine too. A 1.7 million year old bridge which NASA has confirmed its existence to those who had doubts and the stories surrounding it was more than enough to make this place so popular.

But I paid a price for being so late in choosing this place for my visit. The struggle to reach Dhanushkoti from Rameswaram was one thing I want to savour. That was the only mode of transportation possible between Rameswaram and Dhanushkoti earlier and the same is also used to ban for the trips in the late afternoon for security and climatic reasons. Experiencing the travel in old model jeeps on Sand dunes was no longer available to anyone, it was all over - no jeeps, no bumpy rides – but instead it looked like freshly made tarmac road as smooth as a black silk saree with white border on both sides laid between Rameswaram and Dhanushkoti which made it really a bad day to start with.

Disappointment was hard to explain through words, the naturality that expected for this trip by reading many travel stories and blogs became a history with one mere sight of black top road leading to Dhanushkoti. On speaking with the locals, later it realized that it was done for the Prime Minister’s visit during our former president Dr. Kalam Sir’s birth anniversary.

But it was not the right time to mourn on something which was beyond our scope, so letting curiosity to take over the disappointment we started our journey with a brief visit to Kothandaramaswamy Temple (Dedicated to Lord Rama) which is believed to be more than 1000 years old and survived both nature’s fury of cyclone in 1964 and Tsunami in 2004 almost on the midway from Rameswaram to Dhanushkoti.

Approaching Dhanushkoti, though expected as mentioned in almost all travel write ups about this place, experiencing the unnatural silence surrounding the area in reality made little bit surprised to be honest. Traditional fisherman still use huts made from coconut leaves on both the shores of sea, rumblings remained intact from deadly cyclone of 1964. All these things made me to think that we were travelled back to few decades within few minutes. Comfort and luxury seems to be an aberration here.

And that eerie feeling for being in a ghost town as it is known to be, didn’t last for too long too. The moment it realized that we were travelling between two sea shores, it was enough to overcome all those unwanted thoughts. The final point where we need to get down, the feeling of silence became a crowded place with many tourists and their vehicles trying to park on both sides of the road.

Being in a place from where another country is said to be visible, or the place where Lord Ram, Lakshman, Hanuman and his Vaanar sena might had spent sleepless night by thinking about how to reach Raavan’s fort and get back Sita Devi with the bridge they constructed ahead was worth to enjoy the moments with the only question prevailing - Why was so late to visit this place?

Not sure though whether we had seen SriLanka or not, but the mobile operator was so prompt in instantly delivering a message wishing a pleasant stay in SriLanka and Roaming charges will apply too for any calls.

Every visitor could see here, only sea all around except the road behind just travelled. Travelling through Kerala the sea can be seen on west side and the opposite in Tamilnadu, but it must be a rare feeling for anyone to wander in between two great oceans through a strip of a road piece which ends abruptly with a post. That beauty is a thing of happiness for any visitor. Never in any other place people are surround by sea from all three sides -a sight -that will behold for time to come. It is in fact where one ocean is joining with other or can we call it Saagara Sangamam?. No wonder someone from the group raised a question that why this place doesn’t look popular through movies. Any restriction by Govt: but no clue, all those things were not a point for discussions though.

It was time to do some wet games and decided to move towards Bay of Bengal side first. Not sure whether exactly it is Bay of Bengal or not but geographically it makes sense and the calm and clear water approaching the shore in a very peaceful manner was almost matching with the descriptions read about it. Suddenly someone were trying to point out to the location of Ram Sethu, that particular word from the crowd was enough for everyone to get a feeling of blessing.

It is very difficult to explain about Ram Sethu in few lines. Everyone knows about Lord Ram, Lakshman and Sita and how the ten head figured Ravan from Lanka had kidnapped Sita and made a refugee there. Myth goes in the way that a Monkey named Nala has been credited for the construction of a bridge with floating stones for Lord Ram to travel all the way to Lanka for bringing back Sita. And the moment I started wondering whether it was possible long back to construct a bridge of about 30 kms in this way or is this really true, the news report flashed through the mind in which, NASA has confirmed the existence of such a bridge.

Sun was gradually showing its might and it doesn’t seem to be a deterrent in spending as much time in the sandy beaches like a kid in fact. Excursions during college days were flashed through memories, the nights spent together with college mates in one of the peaceful beach among the coastal belt of Kerala viz Kollam brought many nostalgic memories.
After few minutes we moved on to the Indian Ocean which lies less than 100 m across the road. If you wonder how it possible, u have to see it in reality. May be the only place in India where you can crisscross between two oceans or you enlarge its google map, then you may be able to find its true meaning.

This place looked entirely different than the other side where almost all the people came to Dhanushkoti was gathered in this side spread across a small length of the beach which made it a crowded place. People had seen taking bath, posing for photos, exploring different ways to capture a perfect selfie shot. Once we are into beach, we too started playing with the waves approaching the shore, collecting sea water in the palms and throwing to other friends, shouting to take some perfect snaps, jogging in and out of the waves all made the trip a real fun and memorable one.

While walking back alone to the vehicle it was like, one couldn’t distinguish whether it was a feeling or there really exists a mysterious calmness in the entire place.

All we read that this small stretch of land is also known as ‘ghost town’. I wonder if any of the places affected by the Tsunami in 2004 remains as it is to remind ourselves about the tragedy but what this place is also famous (or infamous) for- is to tell anyone who comes to this small picturesque place- the magnitude of a cyclone and how the sea waves with which we plays in the beach can become monsters of death. The skeletons of church, water tank and other buildings still standing tall as proof to understand the extent of devastation that the cyclone of 1964 has made and literally converted this to a ghost town. It was a scary feeling when remembered about 100 plus traveler’s fate in that unfortunate train which vanished for eternity in the fury of sea God.

On a positive note, as a Civil Engineer wondered too, that even after the cyclone in 1964 and the Tsunami in 2004, the foundation and most of the superstructure found to be not damaged, still standing with a distant look of “building under progress”. Salute to the designers and Engineers worked then. May be because that time ther may be no corruption and bribes unlike now a days.

On return back it is seen that some rock samples were already kept in a large water body in one of the temple which were floating similar to the one used for RamSethu as they claim to be, may be a practical demonstration to clear any doubts on the floating bridge which Monkeys made for Lord Ram.

History and mythology remains forever despite any man made changes happens for years, because this is the land which no one can ignore its importance, whether it is the story dated back millions of years ago about Lord Ram, Lakshman, Ravan etc or the emotional attachment this sea side village has with the memory of great Kalam Sir or with India’s first sea bridge.