Dhanushkodi
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Dhanushkode தனுஷ்கோடி |
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| Former settlement | |
Aerial view
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 Dhanushkode
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| Coordinates: 9°09′07″N 79°26′45″E / 9.152011°N 79.445851°ECoordinates: 9°09′07″N 79°26′45″E / 9.152011°N 79.445851°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Ramanathapuram |
| Destroyed | 1964 |
| Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Telephone code | +04567 |
Dhanushkodi is an abandoned town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is situated to the South-East of Pamban and is about 18 miles (29 km) west of Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. The town was destroyed during the 1964 Rameswaram cyclone and remains uninhabited in the aftermath.
According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, Lord Rama built a bridge to connect India and Sri Lanka, in order to carry his troops. Rama marked the spot for the bridge with one end of his bow which later became Dhanushkodi meaning end of the bow.
The area around Rameswaram is prone to high-intensity cyclones and storms. A scientific study conducted by the Geological Survey of India indicated that the southern part of Dhanushkodi facing the Gulf of Mannar sank by almost 5 metres (16 ft) in 1948 and 1949, due to vertical tectonic movement of land parallel to the coastline. As a result of this, a patch of land of about 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) in width, stretching 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from north to south, submerged in the sea.
On 17 December 1964, a depression formed at 5°N 93°E in the South Andaman Sea. On 19 December, it intensified into a cyclonic storm. After 21 December 1964, it moved westwards, almost in a straight line, at the rate of 400 to 550 kilometres (250 to 340 mi) per day. On 22 December, it crossed Vavunia in Sri Lanka and made landfall at Dhanushkodi on the night of 22–23 December 1964. Estimated wind velocity was 280 kilometres per hour (170 mph) and tidal waves were 7 metres (23 ft) high.
An estimated 1,800 people died in the cyclonic storm on 22 December including 115 passengers on board the Pamban-Dhanushkodi passenger train. The entire town was marooned and the Government of Madras declared Dhanushkodi as Ghost town, unfit for living.
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Wikipedia