Dhanushkodi has the only land border
between India and Sri Lanka which is one of the smallest in the world-just 45 meters in
length on a shoal in Palk Strait. Before the 1964 cyclone, Dhanushkodi was a
flourishing tourist and pilgrimage town. Since Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
is just 19 miles (31 km) away, there were many ferry services between
Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar of Ceylon, transporting travellers and goods across the sea. There
were hotels, textile shops and dharmashalas catering to these pilgrims and travellers. The railway line
to Dhanushkodi—which did not touch Rameswaram then and was destroyed in the
1964 cyclone—went directly from Mandapam to Dhanushkodi. Dhanushkodi in those
days had a railway station, a small railway hospital, primary schools, a post
office, customs and port offices, and other buildings. It was here in this
island in January 1897 that Swami Vivekananda again set foot on Indian soil, after his visit to the west to
attend the World's Parliament
of Religions held in the United States
No comments:
Post a Comment