Dhanushkodi: Ghost town turns shooting spot

Chennai/Rameswaram: Fortynine years ago, life was more vibrant in the island town of Rame­swa­ram in south Tamil Nadu, with Dhanushkodi as its nerve centre. Those travelling to Sri Lanka could purchase a ticket from Egmore station directly and take a boat mail to Dhanushkodi.

They could then walk across the railway platform and embark on a ship and reach Thalaimannar in Sri Lanka. A train would be wa­iting for them at the station to take them to Co­lombo.

Everything changed when a super cyclone hit the island on December 22-23, 1964. Today, we see only the remnants of the dec­re­pit railway station, post office, church, temples and a few huts at Dhanushkodi.

The Pamban-Dhan­us­h­ko­di daily passenger train was on its way to Dhan­us­hkodi railway station when the massive cyclonic wave hit it. The whole train was washed away killing all on board, while the railway track was also uprooted at many places. “We still don’t know how many people travelled on that train.

The cyclone also washed away the whole town and damaged all structures,” said Mr A. John Bai (62), president of the People’s Welf­are Association, Ramesw­a­r­am. While the association observed the tragic day by offering floral tributes to the departed on Sunday, the members were upset that no development activities have been taken up at Dhanushkodi.

While there were no survivors from the 1964 tra­ge­dy, locals who grew up in th­at town and nearby beli­eve that the place could be turned into a tourist attraction. Around 1,000-2,000 tourists, including foreigners and north Indians, visit Dhanushkodi every day.

“There are only ruins here. But people who come to visit the Rameswaram temple attach some religious importance to a particular place in Dhanushkodi wh­ere the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay meet. So, along with tourists, we also get pilgrims here,” said Mr N. Rajendran (68), who runs a hotel in Mukundarayar Chatiram.

Mukundarayar Chatiram is the place where people today need to halt their private vehicles and take four-wheel driving jeeps or vans to reach Dhanushkodi. “There is no road to Dhanushkodi. The government has dissuaded people from settling there as the sea erodes the town to an extent of 50 feet every year.

The area receives huge waves between April 15 and October 15,” said Rameswaram municipality vice-chairman R. Gunasekaran (58). He added that about 650 families whose main occupation is to catch fish and dry them to make dried fish, live in that area now.

As in the olden days, there is no electricity, road or drinking water connection in Dhanushkodi even now. “If the government can provide some basic facilities, then fishermen can store their fish, transport them to the mainland and sell them for a good price,” he added.

Mr John Bai, who recalled his childhood days when he would travel in a ‘school train’ every day to reach the mainland and return in the evening, mournfully noted that more people lived in Dhanushkodi compared to Rameswaram before the cyclone ravaged the place.

Next: Memorable movies have Dhanushkodi backdrop

Memorable movies have Dhanushkodi backdrop

Whatever little is left of Dhanushkodi is being a­m­pl­y exploited by the dr­e­am me­rchants of Tamil, Te­lu­gu, Malayalam and Kann­a­da film industries today. Us­i­ng the backdrop of this de­vastated town, se­veral movies and heroes have won recognition. The first that springs to the mind wo­uld be Kannathil Muth­a­m­ittal by ace-director Ma­ni Ratnam, who ba­gged a n­a­tional award for the movie.

Sathriyan, written and produced by Mani Ratnam and shot in Dhanushkodi, was a milestone for its protagonist Vijayakanth, who played the role of an honest cop. Similarly, Nanda, filmed in Dhanushkodi, catapulted actor Suriya to the limelight. Mani Rat­n­am also shot several scenes for his movie Kadal in that serene location.

The trend caught up in the southern film industry when Telugu film Agni Putrudu was shot in Ra­m­eswaram temple in 1987. Par Magale Par, Se­nkottai, Rameswaram and Sura are among the popular movies that were shot in Dh­an­u­s­h­kodi. Of late, people have started shooting television serials in the area. The initial few episodes in Rad­hika’s Tamil serial Selvi were shot in Dhanushkodi.

“The water is crystal cl­ear and you can easily wa­lk on it for about a kilometre. Furt­her, the coral reefs can also been seen clearly under wa­ter. So, filmmakers find this place suitable to shoot movies that deal with sea and land,” said N. Mari, a country boat fisherman who doubles as facilitator during film shootings.

P. Kannan, a van operator to Dhanushkodi said he and his friends would ma­ke the most of the opportunity during film shootings by carrying provisions, veg­etables, fruits and wa­ter cans for the crew. Apart from our regular four trips a day, we will make more tri­ps and earn more mo­ney,” he added.

Actor Th­u­lasi Nair (in picture), who danced to the song Adiye in the film Kadal on the sa­nds of Dhanushkodi, rec­al­l­ed the experience as a ‘be­a­u­tiful as well as tiring’ one. “It was a hectic trip as we had to walk a lot to re­a­ch the spot. Though we had our vanity van, the pl­ace was deserted and even a few people I saw there were struggling to make ends meet,” she added.