My Trip to Last land of india – Dhanushkodi

Hope you are having a great time during the holidays, doing all the things you love with your family and friends.

So this summer break 2026 began on a great note for me – The first day I met my friends for a football match and went out for lunch and arcade games at a mall. Then followed by the routine – books, cleaning up and chilling at home, eating all things yum made by mum!!!!

On April 1st, I went to my grandpa’s office after a long time to see the new accounts pooja – learnt so many new things and met all the people at the office, went out for lunch with grandma, grandpa and gulped all my favourites and had a great day. Then our Vishu celebration with my Aachi thaatha is a yearly ritual which reminds us that it’s important to begin our year with all things beautiful! Had the yummiest food prepared by Aachi and listened to all the stories my thaatha told me, and the importance of being with family and spending time together in this fast-paced world! And hey, Amma got her nose pierced finally for this Vishu!! I hope she feels better!! It was on her bucket list for a long time! A daring woman who tries all crazy things is my amma.

And I learnt to use Uber within city limits all by myself!! I wouldn’t have done it without my folks being the wind beneath my wings!! My mom and grandparents were so proud when I did it for the first time. Small steps of learning.. 

And I headed to Tuticorin on a sleeper bus booked by my grandpa to meet them at our ancestral home! I love this home, it’s a serene and calm place where my grandfather and father grew up!!! Many saints have visited this home!!  They were eagerly waiting to welcome me and we had a lovely catch-up and followed by days of chilling at tuticorin, eating everything yummy made by grandma, unlimited icecreams!!! I explored Tuticorin’s iconic bakeries, parotta night clubs, beach walks, my football games in the backyard where peacocks danced, trees fluttered, I get to eat ice apples here ( nongu) … ooops it’s super humid in Tuticorin!!  As elections are nearing in Tamil Nadu I get to see all party people going on vans for propaganda seeking votes!! There’s a crazy fan following here.. looking eagerly forward to who is gonna win this year’s elections in Tamil Nadu !!! 

Then, when I asked my grandpa if I could go explore some place nearby, he planned a Rameswaram trip for me!! Super excited me, packed up n got ready!!

We started early in the morning from Tuticorin, on the outskirts of Tuticorin we can see numerous salt pans and windmills!! It’s scenic to watch itself… and then stopped at a nice resort, La Palmera for breakfast and drove ahead to reach Rameswaram! Oh my god – the Pamban Bridge is so scenic! We stopped at it, admiring the engineering behind it!! And drove ahead !!  We checked in at a nice hotel with an amazing beach view, quickly refreshed and started driving towards the Last Land of India, also known as the ghost town! It is the Dhanushkodi. This place was destroyed by the 1964 cyclone. It is known for its scenic beaches, the ruins of the cyclone and the meeting point of the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, known as Arichal Munai!!! And also it’s the starting point of the mythical Ram Sethu, also known as Adam’s Bridge.It is a serene yet melancholic place!! Just 18 km from Rameshwaram town!! We drove back on the scenic route and guess what!!

My mom, by now, figured out there’s a train ride we can take from Rameshwaram to Mandabam Camp to watch the Pamban Bridge up close during sunset! Honestly, I was reluctant to try this as it was so humid! But once I hopped on the train, the cold breeze against my face was refreshing indeed. I loved the view, the sky colours, the sunset, and I saw a few peacocks dance en route! Watched the bridge, unending waters beneath, the boats moving, everything beautiful and we reached the stop and my adventurous mom revealed the next surprise for me, she told us we had to take an auto to reach the nearest bus stop and find a bus to Rameswaram! I did it grumpily just to realise how grateful I should be for all the things I have in life! With gratitude in my heart, I enjoyed the ride, reached our room, freshened up and had dinner. Oh well, I’m still reluctant to try seafood yet, maybe sometime soon I’ll give it a try!! I see people around excited to try all the seafood when we visit coastal places!! A long day indeed , I wished everyone well and slept off…

The next morning, while my family excitedly finished their visit to Ramanatha Swamy Temple, 22 theertha snaan, I was more excited about my water activities planned ahead…  On the way we visited Panchamukhi Hanuman Temple where they have preserved the floating stones of mythical Ram Sethu, rocks weighing around 100 kilos and more are floating in water!!! Strange indeed!! We visited the House of Kalam and the Kalam Memorial,the Missile Man of India , who was one of the greatest presidents of India. My amma and aachi, thaatha love his books, writings and his works… Then next we went snorkelling and I was spellbound looking at amazing corals, life underwater!!

The encounters I had with live jellyfish, sea urchins, underwater lotus, green grass, purple corals that emit light in the night, brain corals and so much more! Time just flew by and we headed to the next experience, a glass-bottom boat ride at gulf of Mannar Marine National Park!! I just loved this place, so serene, peaceful and calming! Here it’s a biosphere reserve for dugongs! Dolphin sightings also happen here,I loved the boat ride and watching underwater life here too…  By then, it was way too humid and we drove back to Tuticorin!! With a content heart of exploring a new place, learning so many things, happy and grateful about experiences, I sat down to write this immediately… I remembered a quote which my mom uses often- Travel makes us modest, we get to see what tiny place we occupy in this world!!! 

All thanks to my grandpa who made this trip happen for me .. 

Ok friends, while I look forward to more experiences in the upcoming days of break, let me know how you find my writing about this trip!!  And hey I forgot to mention the effect of the ongoing war situation – there were limited food options in restaurants while many remained closed and prices were so high!! So let us all hope peace prevails and normalcy returns soon across the world….

FAQ’s – My Trip to the Last Land of India: Dhanushkodi

Where is Dhanushkodi located?

 Dhanushkodi is located near Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and is often called the “Last Land of India.”

Why is Dhanushkodi called the Ghost Town?

Dhanushkodi was destroyed in the devastating 1964 cyclone, after which the town was abandoned. The ruins still remain and create a haunting yet beautiful atmosphere.

What is special about the Pamban Bridge?

 Pamban Bridge is India’s first sea bridge and offers breathtaking views of the ocean, boats, sunsets, and railway tracks over the sea.

What can tourists do in Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi?

Tourists can enjoy beach drives, train rides across the Pamban Bridge, snorkelling, glass-bottom boat rides, temple visits, and marine life exploration.

What is Arichal Munai famous for?

Arichal Munai is known as the meeting point of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

What is Ram Sethu?

Ram Sethu, also known as Adam’s Bridge, is a chain of limestone shoals believed in mythology to have been built by Lord Rama’s army.

What is unique about Panchamukhi Hanuman Temple?

 Panchamukhi Hanuman Temple is famous for preserving floating stones believed to be connected to the mythical Ram Sethu.

Why is the House of Kalam important?

 House of Kalam and the Kalam Memorial honour A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, India’s beloved scientist and former President.

What marine life can be seen while snorkelling in Rameswaram?

Visitors may spot colourful corals, jellyfish, sea urchins, underwater plants, reef fish, and other fascinating marine creatures.

What is special about the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park?

Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park is a biosphere reserve famous for coral reefs, dugongs, dolphins, and rich underwater biodiversity.

What food is popular in Tuticorin?

Thoothukudi is famous for bakeries, parottas, seafood, ice apples (nongu), and coastal South Indian delicacies.

What lesson did the trip teach?

 The trip taught the importance of gratitude, family bonding, adventure, learning through travel, and appreciating the beauty of nature and life.

Where can I buy books?

You can buy the books at Bookosmia website and Amazon.in

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This article is published by Bookosmia, India’s #1 publisher for and by young people. Bookosmia publishes stories, books, podcasts, events, TED-Ed talks, workshops, bedtime stories and more related to kids and young adults.

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