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Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram)

Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram)

beach · Tamil Nadu

State
Tamil Nadu
Type
Beach
Best season
Winter
Things to do
2+

At India's southeastern tip, Dhanushkodi is a hauntingly beautiful ghost-town beach on a thin sandbar where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean, near sacred Rameswaram. The best months to visit are roughly November to February, when seas are calm and skies are clear; the monsoon (June to September) brings rough water and many beach shacks shut. Plan water sports and swimming for the dry winter window.

When to go

November to February is the beach season here; the June–September monsoon brings rough seas and most shacks come down.

Why visit

Dhanushkodi was a working town with a railway station until the 1964 cyclone took it and the government declared it unfit to live in. The ruins are still standing. The road to the tip was only surfaced in 2017, and nobody is allowed to stay after dark.

2 days in Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram)

Take the whole plan, or add any single stop.

Day 1

Day 1

Agni Theertham sea bath

Agni Theertham sea bath

Day 1

Ramanathaswamy Temple & corridors

Ramanathaswamy Temple & corridors

Day 1

Pamban Bridge viewpoint

Pamban Bridge viewpoint

Day 1

Sunset by the sea

Sunset by the sea

Dhanushkodi Ghost TownDay 2

Day 2

Dhanushkodi Ghost Town

The atmospheric ruins of a town washed away by a 1964 cyclone.

Day 2

Arichal Munai (the tip)

Arichal Munai (the tip)

Day 2

Kothandaramar Temple

Kothandaramar Temple

Day 2

Return via Pamban

Return via Pamban

Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram) guide & itineraries

Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram) is perfect for

spiritualnaturefamily

What & where to eat

Filter coffee

Temple area

Filter coffee

Dosa, idli and vadai

Temple area

tiffin

Dosa, idli and vadai

sundal

Beach snacks

Tender coconut

Beach snacks

Rameswaram seafood

Fresh coastal fish and prawn curries

Temple banana-leaf meals

South Indian vegetarian thali

Fish fry

Tamil fried fish and tangy curry

Meen Kuzhambu

Tamil fried fish and tangy curry

Nearby getaways

Madurai

~3.5 hrs

Devipattinam

~1 hr

Ramanathapuram

~1 hr

Frequently asked questions

What is Dhanushkodi?
A town at the tip of Rameswaram island destroyed by a cyclone in 1964, now an atmospheric ruin between the sea and the ocean.
Is Rameswaram a Char Dham site?
Yes - Ramanathaswamy is both one of the Char Dham and a Jyotirlinga, a major pilgrimage.

Things to do

How to spend your time in Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram).

Ramanathaswamy Temple

A Jyotirlinga with India's longest temple corridors

Dhanushkodi ghost town

Ruins of a town lost to the 1964 cyclone at land's end

Pamban Bridge

Historic sea railway bridge to the island

Agni Theertham & temple tanks

Sacred sea bathing and the 22 wells

Hidden gems

Arichal Munai & Kothandaramar Temple

India's tip pointing towards Sri Lanka

Reviews & ratings

What travellers say about Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram)

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