Dhanushkodi Calling

 

 Ever since I read in  a Sunday supplement about the erstwhile Indo- Srilanka rail route and the ‘Boat Mail Express’  train from  Madras to Colombo , my heart and mind wanted to see the Indian end point of that train journey. So, on a weekend of March 2022, my 'other half'  and I packed  our bags to a very unlikely destination in any of the tourist maps – Dhanushkodi. 

  Boat mail express or Indo Ceylon Express train was  a steamer ferry service between India and Sri Lanka connecting Chennai and Colombo, by a  rail-to-sea-to-rail operation. Passengers could buy a single ticket for this international journey through rail and  ferry. This train takes passengers from Chennai To Dhanushkodi, then ferries the passengers to Thalimannar in Sri Lanka, and then another train takes them to Colombo.

Dhanushkodi, a ghost town today shrouded in mystery is located in the Rameshwaram district of Tamil Nadu. It  is the place where the wonders of nature and man become one.  For reaching this place,  one needs to cross over to the Pamban Island from the Indian  mainland  through the famous Pamban Bridge. The train journey transgressing  the bay of Bengal with crystal clear  turquoise blue water underneath the bridge with shoal of fish moving around  is an unimaginable visual treat.  Also the 20 Km drive from Rameshwaram to  Dhanushkodi through the National Highway bordered by the dual coloured waters  with Bay of Bengal on one side and the blue bodied rampaging  Indian Ocean  on the other side, is a life time experience for any sea lover.

Apart from the coastal charm and the mysteries attached to the place, the town of Dhanushkodi is believed to be the place where Lord Rama had ordered Lord Hanuman  to build a bridge which could carry his army across to Sri Lanka, where Ravana had kept Sita captive. As ordered, Lord Hanuman had obliged and it was here that the Ram Setu was built by the Vanara Sena. If myths are to be believed, a particularly beautiful stretch of sandy shore you see from Dhanushkodi is the place from where the Ram Setu starts. This is also believed to be the end of the bridge which Lord Rama had broken using his bow and arrow (Hence the name Dhanush Kodi). It is also known as the Adam's Bridge globally. A recent image released by NASA confirmed that a stretch of land formation visible between Dhanushkodi and the Sri Lankan mainland is certainly man-made.

  

A devastating cyclone in 1960s rampaged Dhanushkodi town which was a connecting point for sailors and pilgrims of yesteryears. The remnants of the Dhanushkodi Railway Station, Church, police station  and some old structures stand tall even today reminding one of  its lost glory. For me   Dhanushkodi continues to charm and surprise me  because of  its unique mix of history, myth, mystery and unparalleled natural beauty.