Visited Rameshwaram in January 2016. This album has the Pamban Bridge pics first and then Dhanushkodi island. Pics from the Rameshwaram side. Awesome is the word.
View of fishing village from bridge. Right is all Rameshwaram.
View of rail bridge from near half way point.
View of Rameshwaram, railway track on right.
Fishing village - home. Note the amount of plastic.
View of beach and boats.
We are lucky to see the train whilst on the bridge, was about 11.30 am. To see video of train driving in
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Train on the bridge gives a different expression to the pic. Railway bridge opened in 1914. "With 143 piers, spanning 2 km between the mainland and the island, it is the second longest sea bridge in India after the 2.3-km Bandra-Worli sea link on Mumbai". To know 10 amazing facts about the bridge Click here
Train drives into Rameshwaram. Ishwar ki bahut kripa hai that we are on the bridge when the train was making its way to the holy town. What an experience! Road bridge was made in 1988
At a point this bridge provides critical support. To see bridge open for a ship video Click here
From now on see pics of Dhanushkodi Island. It is about 15kms from Rameshwaram. U get a local bus that takes you up to a checkpoint from where u take a Mahindra 4WD that drives
through sand / shallow sea water to reach island, where people live. OR walk on a newly laid road about 4 kms. Homes powered by solar panels as u see in this pic.
The island was washed away during a 1964 cyclone. U see remains of a overhead water tank. The checkpoint is called Mukundarayar Chathiram.
From the checkpont starts a beach with water on both sides. U see villager homes with ruins too.
Newly paved road that I spoke about. I was lucky to get a lift on a scooter from a contractor so walked about 1 km as against about 4. Work is on to take the road to the last point of the
island, ends at the sea from where Sri Lanka is 18 kms. Bus drops at checkpoint to end is probably 8 kms.
Group of men from Nasik district of Maharashtra. Theirs was a group of 30. They wanted to go to Sethu Theertham. "Sethu is a Sanskrit word to denote a bridge or cause way. It has now acquired a special importance to mean bridge across the ocean and used by Shri Ram to reach Lanka. It is said that Rama broke the Sethu with one end of his bow and hence the name Dhanuskodi (Dhanus-Bow, Kodi-End). A dip in the Sethu is considered holy.
Tourists in a playful mood enjoying. I think the place has huge tourist potential. "Dhanushkodi is a strip of land one km wide and 18 km long on the eastern end of Rameshwaram.
This land piece is on in between the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. These oceans were called as Ratnakaran and Mahodadhi. Their confluence looks like a bow and the strip of land looks like an arrow ready to be released. Hindus consider the Adi Sethu or the arrowhead as a sacred place to perform religious rites."
Necklaces and malas made from shells. Bought five of them for Rs 120/. Wifey loved. Perceived value much higher. To read a very good travelogue with pics
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Left side of the island is temple of Sage Agastya. U can see water is very shallow and beach at far end of pic. This group from Uttar Pradesh.
A lady from Rajasthan. It was near 5.45 pm and she was in a hurry to catch the Mahindra bus back to starting point. I too took a bus (cost Rs 75 one way) but had to wait for nearly an hour because the bus first takes back the people it brings.
It got quieter and quieter with time, just lovely with a gentle noise of waves. Took this pic whilst waiting for pal Rahul to return.
All over Dhanushkodi found stones as you see, the one in white. It is called the Ram Sethu stone on which Shri Ram crossed over to Lanka. Lady offered to sell it for Rs 100/. Thousands of people from all over India visit the island wanting to see Ram Sethu and the point from where Sri Ram took off for Lanka. It is faith that goes beyond reason.
Stalls like these all over the island. We did not walk up to the end of the island - it was nearing sunset.
View of the sea - loved it.
Right u see Mahindra bus driving through water. It is buses like that u see take tourists from checkpoint to the island. Till the sand that u see at end of pic water is shallow yet this requires great manoeuvring by the driver. Since they have been doing this route for years, they know exactly how to deal with situation.
Pic taken from Pamban Bridge Rameshwaram. Loved the color of water. This bridge shall always be part of my memory. No words to describe the pleasure.
Main Gopuram of Rameshwaram Temple against early morning sun rays. To see pics of Rameshwaram Temple
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