Dhanushkodi

Laurendo · Oct 13th, 2009, 05:20

I am very interested in heading down to Rameswaram this January, as it is meant to be a good place to try and see the eclipse on the 15th. Since finding out about the place though, I am pretty keen to go to Dhanushkodi. I'm struggling to find much info about the place though, beyond travel routes etc.

Basically, it looks pretty remote and otherworldly (i.e. a must see!) but as a lone (and young and white and blonde) female will I be ok to visit it alone? Should I find a guide? Should I make it a day trip and be back in Rameswaram before dark, and is that a feasible option?

I haven't been too worried about other parts of India alone as I am not planning to go anywhere too remote. However, there is lack of electronic communication etc in Dhanushkodi and I figured it's worth hearing others thoughts before heading down there.

Any advice welcome - even if just to tell me it's actually not very remote you silly girl you will be fine

Thanks!

ganeshs_16 · Oct 14th, 2009, 15:13

I wouldn't call it remote, for neither is it unreachable or far way from civilization. But for sure, it is very rarely visited and hence deserted most of the times. If you make it on a weekend or a holiday, you may find a couple of souls around. Otherwise i doubt.

Of course, day trip from Rameswaram is the only option for the place is hardly inhabited. You need to hire private transport. It takes around an hour from Rameswaram. Its like a vast desert with dilapidated structures ravaged by soft sand, meters deep. You can walk around and click pictures. I hear there are special vehicles that drive in the sand. I did not hire any of those, but walked around for some time and returned.

You may not need a guide. But atleast someone around, like even a driver to just stand guard.

Merchant · Oct 14th, 2009, 16:05

Just hire a rickshaw driver to take you out there. Then you pile into a heavy truck for the journey across the sand, which costs more than it should but it's the only way to get to the end of the island. It is remote, but people do live out there, in thatched huts. If you go during the day, there will be plenty of people around.

THEQUEST · Oct 14th, 2009, 16:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurendo

I am very interested in heading down to Rameswaram this January, as it is meant to be a good place to try and see the eclipse on the 15th. Since finding out about the place though, I am pretty keen to go to Dhanushkodi. I'm struggling to find much info about the place though, beyond travel routes etc.

Basically, it looks pretty remote and otherworldly (i.e. a must see!) but as a lone (and young and white and blonde) female will I be ok to visit it alone? Should I find a guide? Should I make it a day trip and be back in Rameswaram before dark, and is that a feasible option?

I haven't been too worried about other parts of India alone as I am not planning to go anywhere too remote. However, there is lack of electronic communication etc in Dhanushkodi and I figured it's worth hearing others thoughts before heading down there.

Any advice welcome - even if just to tell me it's actually not very remote you silly girl you will be fine

Thanks!

HI,, Dhanushkodi is a place worth seeing , after Rameswaram Temple darshan, Its only 15 KMs far from Rameswaram. Either u can get a taxi or Auto or Jeep and visit that place.It will take maximum half an hour.
There are several temples associated with Lord Rama here. It is advisable to go during day to the village and return to Rameshwaram before Sun set as the entire 15 km stretch is very lonely and the place is notorious for drug peddling, trafficking.However, there are no reports to confirm these activities, apart from experiences shared by the locals.

At Dhunshkodi , the narraow road ends at a point.. AFTER THAT its around 5 kms on sand u have to walk to get to the meeting point of Sea. It s better to take a Jeep..

Another thing u can visit the ancestral house of Mr APJ Kalam, Former President of India.

Eastern Mind · Oct 14th, 2009, 20:42

So I went somewhere out there ... past thatched huts, with our driver/car, and to an Indian naval outpost, with a small fishing restaurant with the sign Fish FIRY. Can anyone tell me where I went, then? We didn't walk 5k on the sand any further. it seemed to be the end of the road. Lots of sand.

parthi007 · Nov 2nd, 2009, 01:03

Hi,

Just today morning, i came back from rameswaram and hence could give you the latest info on this.

Timings: Visit to danuskodi is allowed only till 6PM

How to reach there?
A 15 mins drive from the main ramanataswamy temple will take you to a Dhanuskodi highway road
The road is 13kms long and well laid. At the end of this road, you can see a indian navy outpost. Beyond this point, there are no roads and only beach sands stretching out.
No private vehichles can go beyond this point, as it requires some permit.

How to go beyond?
1. There are local tempos available there, which can take you in groups. The Exact rate for per head is not known.
Note: you need a crew
2. This option is what i prefered. There are jeeps available for 950 bugs which can take you from your hotel (TTDC hotel) to dhanuskodi. The cost is for 6 person. probably you can get some one from the hotel to share the amount with you.
Note: Even this jeep tour is not conducted by TTDC and they just refer you to a local jeep driver. You can get these local jeeps through any private travels located around the main ramanathaswamy temple.

Whats there in dhanuskodi?
Beyond the checkpost, its an 6 kms travel in the beach sand. The drivers should be highly skilled, else the tyres could get trapped in the sand.
This travel is quite exciting and enjoyable, though the route is not very clean.
At the end of the 6 kms, we could see the destroyed dhanuskod. Everything in Dhanuskodi is destroyed during the 1964 cyclone.we can see the remains of few destroyed infrastructures like church, postoffice, houses etc. There are few settlements in huts, which are unauthorised, since government have banned any settlements in dhanuskodi after 1964 cyclone.

All together, its worth checking out dhanuskodi. I would recommend to visit dhanuskodi before 3AM using a Jeep with some campanions. am sure, you can get a couple of persons from the hotel you stay. Hope this could clear all your doubts...

Laurendo · Nov 2nd, 2009, 05:39

Thank you very much for the detailed info Parthi007. I'm really reassured and also excited now

animdas · Nov 3rd, 2009, 18:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by parthi007

Hi,

Just today morning, i came back from rameswaram and hence could give you the latest info on this.

Timings: Visit to danuskodi is allowed only till 6PM

How to reach there?
A 15 mins drive from the main ramanataswamy temple will take you to a Dhanuskodi highway road
The road is 13kms long and well laid. At the end of this road, you can see a indian navy outpost. Beyond this point, there are no roads and only beach sands stretching out.
No private vehichles can go beyond this point, as it requires some permit.

How to go beyond?
1. There are local tempos available there, which can take you in groups. The Exact rate for per head is not known.
Note: you need a crew
2. This option is what i prefered. There are jeeps available for 950 bugs which can take you from your hotel (TTDC hotel) to dhanuskodi. The cost is for 6 person. probably you can get some one from the hotel to share the amount with you.
Note: Even this jeep tour is not conducted by TTDC and they just refer you to a local jeep driver. You can get these local jeeps through any private travels located around the main ramanathaswamy temple.

Whats there in dhanuskodi?
Beyond the checkpost, its an 6 kms travel in the beach sand. The drivers should be highly skilled, else the tyres could get trapped in the sand.
This travel is quite exciting and enjoyable, though the route is not very clean.
At the end of the 6 kms, we could see the destroyed dhanuskod. Everything in Dhanuskodi is destroyed during the 1964 cyclone.we can see the remains of few destroyed infrastructures like church, postoffice, houses etc. There are few settlements in huts, which are unauthorised, since government have banned any settlements in dhanuskodi after 1964 cyclone.

All together, its worth checking out dhanuskodi. I would recommend to visit dhanuskodi before 3AM using a Jeep with some campanions. am sure, you can get a couple of persons from the hotel you stay. Hope this could clear all your doubts...

This is the best description of Dhanuskodi I could get after 30 mins of searching. Thanks!

I have couple of questions though,
1. I will be coming to Rameswaram from Madurai by a cab. So, what's the chance that I can get some more people so that we can flock together for a jeep?
2. The scary part now- do these jeep guys know the trick of pretending to make their vehicle stuck in the sand and extort some money before they release people?
3. Can I manage to cover Dhanuskodi (from Madurai), if I do not stay overnight at Rameswaram?

TIA.

parthi007 · Nov 6th, 2009, 17:37

A day is a very cuisine time to cover even the whole of Rameshwaram ...

Once u reach rameshwaram its just a matter of 2 hrs to have a visit to dhanuskodi (inclusive of to&fro travel and exploring dhanuskodi)

Start from Madurai in the early morning and i can assure you that you can for sure cover Dhanuskodi.....

Regarding ur scary part, i dont forsee any chance of looting any one... remember there will be a lot of tourist jeeps and tempos which will frequently visit this place and hence there is no reason to get feared about this place... In my case, the Jeep drivers was so kind and acted as a good guide to tell me the history of dhanuskodi.

Regarding getting an campanion --> i suggest u to get to ttdc hotel in rameswaram and enquire if someone else will be interested for a trip to dhanuskodi. Its all based on ur luck and i wish best of luck for ur trip

Please check out my recent blog on Rameshwaram to have more info.

http://007-itsmylife.blogspot.com/20...meshwaram.html

animdas · Nov 9th, 2009, 18:58

Parthi,

That was a great blog with photos! I hope I too get a good weather when I visit Dhanushkodi.

BTW, I will not do a night-stay at Rameswaram-- will cover it from Madurai itself.

Thanks...

parthi007 · Nov 9th, 2009, 19:34

Wishing you a happy journey

BHARAT_A · Nov 10th, 2009, 00:51

Hey people i know this Dhanushkodi well , as i did my engineering at kilakarai its about 70kms from this place. during our college we use to go ther and admire the white calm sand and i should mention, decades before this place Dhanushkodi was completely submerged into sea. the people, the houses and all that civilisaton went deep into sea. and now the whole Dhanushkodi is right beneth the white sand , imagine a place which had many happy fishermen and their family, all buried under. even now people identify some temple tops poping out from the destroyed Dhanushkodi below. but when you look at Dhanushkodi now, its very calm and has got many breath taking sceneries. anyone who knows the history of Dhanushkodi will leave heavy hearted. i went there 5 years back now have planned to go after christmas or newyear. wil post the pictures of it soon.

BHARAT_A · Nov 10th, 2009, 00:52

Hey people i know this Dhanushkodi well , as i did my engineering at kilakarai its about 70kms from this place. during our college we use to go ther and admire the white calm sand and i should mention, decades before this place Dhanushkodi was completely submerged into sea. the people, the houses and all that civilisaton went deep into sea. and now the whole Dhanushkodi is right beneth the white sand , imagine a place which had many happy fishermen and their family, all buried under. even now people identify some temple tops poping out from the destroyed Dhanushkodi below. but when you look at Dhanushkodi now, its very calm and has got many breath taking sceneries. anyone who knows the history of Dhanushkodi will leave heavy hearted. i went there 5 years back now have planned to go after christmas or newyear. wil post the pictures of it soon.

trooooon · Nov 10th, 2009, 01:22

Its the most beautiful place, strip of beach stretching out towards sri lanka, sea on all sides . . . and Rameshwaram, centered around the Temple is just vibrant

A true living old city, a rarity in our much conquered country!

Oct 13th, 2009, 05:20	#1
Laurendo Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Norwich Posts: 52	Dhanushkodi I am very interested in heading down to Rameswaram this January, as it is meant to be a good place to try and see the eclipse on the 15th. Since finding out about the place though, I am pretty keen to go to Dhanushkodi. I'm struggling to find much info about the place though, beyond travel routes etc. Basically, it looks pretty remote and otherworldly (i.e. a must see!) but as a lone (and young and white and blonde) female will I be ok to visit it alone? Should I find a guide? Should I make it a day trip and be back in Rameswaram before dark, and is that a feasible option? I haven't been too worried about other parts of India alone as I am not planning to go anywhere too remote. However, there is lack of electronic communication etc in Dhanushkodi and I figured it's worth hearing others thoughts before heading down there. Any advice welcome - even if just to tell me it's actually not very remote you silly girl you will be fine Thanks!

Oct 14th, 2009, 15:13	#2
ganeshs_16 East Indian Sooth Sayer Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Pune Posts: 112	I wouldn't call it remote, for neither is it unreachable or far way from civilization. But for sure, it is very rarely visited and hence deserted most of the times. If you make it on a weekend or a holiday, you may find a couple of souls around. Otherwise i doubt. Of course, day trip from Rameswaram is the only option for the place is hardly inhabited. You need to hire private transport. It takes around an hour from Rameswaram. Its like a vast desert with dilapidated structures ravaged by soft sand, meters deep. You can walk around and click pictures. I hear there are special vehicles that drive in the sand. I did not hire any of those, but walked around for some time and returned. You may not need a guide. But atleast someone around, like even a driver to just stand guard. __________________ My Travel Blog

Nov 2nd, 2009, 01:03	#6
parthi007 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 9	This is it. Hi, Just today morning, i came back from rameswaram and hence could give you the latest info on this. Timings: Visit to danuskodi is allowed only till 6PM How to reach there? A 15 mins drive from the main ramanataswamy temple will take you to a Dhanuskodi highway road The road is 13kms long and well laid. At the end of this road, you can see a indian navy outpost. Beyond this point, there are no roads and only beach sands stretching out. No private vehichles can go beyond this point, as it requires some permit. How to go beyond? 1. There are local tempos available there, which can take you in groups. The Exact rate for per head is not known. Note: you need a crew 2. This option is what i prefered. There are jeeps available for 950 bugs which can take you from your hotel (TTDC hotel) to dhanuskodi. The cost is for 6 person. probably you can get some one from the hotel to share the amount with you. Note: Even this jeep tour is not conducted by TTDC and they just refer you to a local jeep driver. You can get these local jeeps through any private travels located around the main ramanathaswamy temple. Whats there in dhanuskodi? Beyond the checkpost, its an 6 kms travel in the beach sand. The drivers should be highly skilled, else the tyres could get trapped in the sand. This travel is quite exciting and enjoyable, though the route is not very clean. At the end of the 6 kms, we could see the destroyed dhanuskod. Everything in Dhanuskodi is destroyed during the 1964 cyclone.we can see the remains of few destroyed infrastructures like church, postoffice, houses etc. There are few settlements in huts, which are unauthorised, since government have banned any settlements in dhanuskodi after 1964 cyclone. All together, its worth checking out dhanuskodi. I would recommend to visit dhanuskodi before 3AM using a Jeep with some campanions. am sure, you can get a couple of persons from the hotel you stay. Hope this could clear all your doubts...

Nov 6th, 2009, 17:37	#9
parthi007 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 9	A day is a very cuisine time to cover even the whole of Rameshwaram ... Once u reach rameshwaram its just a matter of 2 hrs to have a visit to dhanuskodi (inclusive of to&fro travel and exploring dhanuskodi) Start from Madurai in the early morning and i can assure you that you can for sure cover Dhanuskodi..... Regarding ur scary part, i dont forsee any chance of looting any one... remember there will be a lot of tourist jeeps and tempos which will frequently visit this place and hence there is no reason to get feared about this place... In my case, the Jeep drivers was so kind and acted as a good guide to tell me the history of dhanuskodi. Regarding getting an campanion --> i suggest u to get to ttdc hotel in rameswaram and enquire if someone else will be interested for a trip to dhanuskodi. Its all based on ur luck and i wish best of luck for ur trip Please check out my recent blog on Rameshwaram to have more info. http://007-itsmylife.blogspot.com/20...meshwaram.html Last edited by parthi007 : Nov 8th, 2009 at 14:14. Reason: To add more info

Nov 9th, 2009, 18:58	#10
animdas Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20	Great blog Parthi, That was a great blog with photos! I hope I too get a good weather when I visit Dhanushkodi. BTW, I will not do a night-stay at Rameswaram-- will cover it from Madurai itself. Thanks...

Oct 14th, 2009, 16:05	#3
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,211	Just hire a rickshaw driver to take you out there. Then you pile into a heavy truck for the journey across the sand, which costs more than it should but it's the only way to get to the end of the island. It is remote, but people do live out there, in thatched huts. If you go during the day, there will be plenty of people around.

Oct 14th, 2009, 20:42	#5
Eastern Mind Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 431	So I went somewhere out there ... past thatched huts, with our driver/car, and to an Indian naval outpost, with a small fishing restaurant with the sign Fish FIRY. Can anyone tell me where I went, then? We didn't walk 5k on the sand any further. it seemed to be the end of the road. Lots of sand.

Nov 2nd, 2009, 05:39	#7
Laurendo Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Norwich Posts: 52	Thank you very much for the detailed info Parthi007. I'm really reassured and also excited now

Nov 9th, 2009, 19:34	#11
parthi007 Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 9	Wishing you a happy journey

Nov 10th, 2009, 00:51	#12
BHARAT_A Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 11	Hey people i know this Dhanushkodi well , as i did my engineering at kilakarai its about 70kms from this place. during our college we use to go ther and admire the white calm sand and i should mention, decades before this place Dhanushkodi was completely submerged into sea. the people, the houses and all that civilisaton went deep into sea. and now the whole Dhanushkodi is right beneth the white sand , imagine a place which had many happy fishermen and their family, all buried under. even now people identify some temple tops poping out from the destroyed Dhanushkodi below. but when you look at Dhanushkodi now, its very calm and has got many breath taking sceneries. anyone who knows the history of Dhanushkodi will leave heavy hearted. i went there 5 years back now have planned to go after christmas or newyear. wil post the pictures of it soon.

Nov 10th, 2009, 00:52	#13
BHARAT_A Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: chennai Posts: 11	Dhanushkodi - The divine vanished place Hey people i know this Dhanushkodi well , as i did my engineering at kilakarai its about 70kms from this place. during our college we use to go ther and admire the white calm sand and i should mention, decades before this place Dhanushkodi was completely submerged into sea. the people, the houses and all that civilisaton went deep into sea. and now the whole Dhanushkodi is right beneth the white sand , imagine a place which had many happy fishermen and their family, all buried under. even now people identify some temple tops poping out from the destroyed Dhanushkodi below. but when you look at Dhanushkodi now, its very calm and has got many breath taking sceneries. anyone who knows the history of Dhanushkodi will leave heavy hearted. i went there 5 years back now have planned to go after christmas or newyear. wil post the pictures of it soon.

Nov 10th, 2009, 01:22	#14
trooooon tj Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Vasant Kunj, New Delhi Posts: 845	Its the most beautiful place, strip of beach stretching out towards sri lanka, sea on all sides . . . and Rameshwaram, centered around the Temple is just vibrant A true living old city, a rarity in our much conquered country! __________________ what if . . . maybe . . . say . . . suppose!

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