One cyclone has changed the destiny of the busy town island

Until 1964, Dhanushkodi is a good income generator for the state government. There is a railway bridge which connects Rameswaram and Dhaushkodi. There is a train from Madras Egmore to Dhanushkodi. Being faced towards Gulf of Munnar, Dhaushkodi use to experience many cyclones, however they didn’t hurt this place much like the one in 1964. The 1964 cyclone is unique in many ways, it started as a small depression and turned into a cyclone storm at very low attitudes which is very rare for Indian lands. The winds were blowing with a speed of 550 Kmph and on 22nd December it made a landfall on Dhanushkodi that too at night giving a surge to waves raising at 7-8 meters high. During this storm, a daily passenger train from Pamban to Dhanushkodi with 110 passengers has washed away into sea by a tide with the bridge connecting the lands. Many people have died in this storm and entire Dhanushkodi has been put into mashes leaving the traces of railways station and church.