The Rameswaram Cyclone of 1964, which is also known as the Danushkodi Cyclone was responsible for the decimation of the old town of Danushkodi located on the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island, and left in place of a previously flourishing trade post and fishing town between India and Sri Lanka, a sad and forlorn looking ghost town.
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| The front facade of the church ruins. |
One of the iconic ruins that remains till today amidst the seashell and souvenir stalls in this ghost town is the remains of the St Anthony of Padua Church of Danushkodi. Obviously being the patron saint of seafarers and fishermen, a church dedicated to him is sited here on Pamban Island.
Today only the front facade of the church, together with part of the walls and the altar remains after the 1964 disaster. Coupled with the fact that some locals have also been removing bricks from the ruins as construction material for their homes, this has hastened the decline of the remains of the church.
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| What remains of the interior of the church... the altar and part of the walls |
And if you think lighting does not strike the same place twice, well Mother Nature must be a bi@tch; just days following the 40th anniversary of the Cyclone disaster, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami also hit Danushkodi, at first pulling back the sea to reveal submerged portions of the city before slamming the old town of Danushkodi under the waves again!
The irony of this is that St Anthony is also the patron saint of things lost... in the end, it is this church dedicated to him that is lost to Nature. So if you are travelling to Rameswaram or are in the south-eastern part of India, this is a place worth visiting... and reveals the formidable power of Mother Nature.
