Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007 ePaper |
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Tamil Nadu
VIGIL: A marine commando of the Navy checking vehicles carrying pilgrims at Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram island.
RAMANATHAPURAM: With the word Ramar Sethu hitting the national headlines, Adam’s Bridge, otherwise known as Ramar Sethu, has become a must-see destination for pilgrims and tourists visiting Rameswaram. The 30-mile bridge, believed to be constructed by Lord Rama, is a chain of limestone shoals between Dhanushkodi near the Rameswaram island and Mannar in northern Sri Lanka. No road linkFrom Rameswaram tourists have to reach Dhanushkodi, which lost the road connectivity after the 1964 cyclone that destroyed the coastal town. From there they have to go to the chain of unmanned sand dunes by hiring country boats. Reaching Dhanushkodi is a laborious and expensive task. Tourists and pilgrims have to hire four-wheel drive vehicles from Muhuntharayar Chathiram, as normal vehicles cannot ply on the seashore. Due to rising demand, vehicle operators have raised the cost of the 10-km trip to Dhanushkodi from Rs.700 to Rs.1,000. The tourists, on reaching Dhanushkodi, have to furnish information at the Forward Observation Point of the Indian Navy for going further. According to Commander S. Mukherji, Area Commander, South, Naval Detachment, Rameswaram, there is no bar on visiting the Adam’s Bridge area. People can go up to the International Maritime Boundary Line. “We apply some restrictions on pilgrims going beyond Dhanushkodi as this is a sensitive area from the security point of view because of arrival of refugees from Sri Lanka.” Hurdles no barWith the naked eye, pilgrims can see only the sand dunes in the Ramar Bridge area. But, in spite of the hurdles, tourists and journalists – national and international – are making a beeline for the Ramar Bridge area. “During the last few months, tourists, particularly from North India, have been showing immense interest in the Ramar Bridge. Though only a small number of pilgrims actually make it to the area, the number of pilgrims going to Dhanushkodi has risen drastically,” says K. Muralidharan, a travel agent in Rameswaram.
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