12/08/2020
DHANUSHKOTI - LAST ROAD OF INDIA
Located at the south eastern tip of Pamban Island, Dhanuskodi is one of the unique attractions of Rameshwaram. It is located around 20 km away from Rameshwaram. Dhanuskodi literally means ‘end of bow’, which denotes the legend of Lord Rama and the Hindu sacred text Ramayana.
One of the smallest towns in the world, with a length of just 50yards, Dhanushkodi is border between Sri Lanka and India. It is around 15km away from Sri Lanka. This town has a vast stretch of beach, running up to 15km. Dhanushkodi is surrounded by Bay of Bengal on one side and Indian ocean on other side.
This religiously significant town, which has been declared as ghost town after the cyclone of 1964, is still visited by devotees who come here to witness the ruins of a once grand temple which withstood the massive destructive waves of the cyclone, which is a miracle in itself.
According to legends of Ramayana which is one of the most sacred Hindu texts, Dhanuskodi is the place where Lord Rama had built a bridge to Lanka so as to rescue Goddess Sita who was in the captivity of Ravana. This bridge is known as Ram Setu. Later, after winning the war, Lord Rama had crowned Vibhishana, brother of Ravana, as the King of Lanka. Vibhishana later asked lord to destroy the Ram Setu. Upon his request Lord Rama broke the bridge with an end of his bow. This is the reason why the place has been named as Dhanushkodi, which means ‘end of the bow’
According to experts, it has been proved that there was a bridge between Indian and Sri Lanka which lay submerged in the sea, which validates the story of Lord Rama and Hindu epic Ramayana. Many devotees visit it to witness the land where the Lord is believed to have started his journey to Lanka.