The ruins
Church and station.
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Dhanushkodi is an abandoned town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu, India, about 10 km from Rameswaram in a straight line and only about 24 km west of Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. A cyclone in 1964 destroyed the town, and it has been uninhabited ever since. A railway line once linked it to the mainland, with a train running from Chennai until that year. The town still draws visitors for its history and its place in the Ramayana in Hindu tradition. Ruins of a church, a railway station and coral-stone buildings stand on the sand, surrounded by wide beaches between two seas, the Bay of Bengal on one side and the Palk Strait on the other. Beyond the town the road runs on to Arichal Munai at the very tip. Until 2016 it could only be reached on foot along the shore or by jeep; then a paved road was completed. There is little shade or service, so bring water and a hat, and watch the currents if you go into the sea.
Church and station.
The very tip.
Bay and strait.
Pamban Island, near Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India
With great care.
By road from Rameswaram.