Rameshwaram To Dhanushkodi All You Need To Know
Written in 2022, updated in October 2026. Prices and timings still change; check before you go.
When to go Dhanushkodi through the year
Easiest: Jan to Sep. Hardest: Nov. Tap + for the month-by-month weather and where these numbers come from.
- January: Easy. Daytime about 27°, night about 26°. Rain: some, about 60 mm.
- February: Easy. Daytime about 28°, night about 26°. Rain: dry, about 20 mm.
- March: Easy. Daytime about 30°, night about 27°. Rain: some, about 22 mm.
- April: Easy. Daytime about 31°, night about 29°. Rain: some, about 55 mm.
- May: Easy. Daytime about 30°, night about 29°. Rain: some, about 78 mm.
- June: Easy. Daytime about 30°, night about 29°. Rain: some, about 22 mm.
- July: Easy. Daytime about 30°, night about 28°. Rain: some, about 25 mm.
- August: Easy. Daytime about 29°, night about 28°. Rain: some, about 38 mm.
- September: Easy. Daytime about 29°, night about 28°. Rain: some, about 59 mm.
- October: Mixed. Daytime about 29°, night about 28°. Rain: wet, about 169 mm.
- November: Hard. Daytime about 28°, night about 27°. Rain: very wet, about 258 mm.
- December: Mixed. Daytime about 28°, night about 27°. Rain: wet, about 174 mm.
Ten-year averages (2015 to 2024) from NASA POWER satellite data. Conditions change; check before you go.
Where do these numbers come from, and how far can you trust them?
The figures come from NASA POWER, a free NASA project that publishes weather estimates for every point on Earth, put together from satellites and weather models. We took every day from 2015 to 2024 for this place, and averaged each month: the usual daytime high, the usual night low, and the rain.
We compared it with official weather-station figures for a few places. Over flat land it matched closely; in the hills and on islands it can be a few degrees out, and then the strip says so.
Easy, Mixed and Hard are our rule of thumb, not a forecast. Hard means days above about 37°, rain of about 250 mm a month or more, or nights close to freezing. Mixed means days above about 32°, rain over about 100 mm a month, or cold nights (below about 8°). Easy is everything else.
An average is not the weather on your dates, and it knows nothing about festivals, crowds, road closures or this year's monsoon. Check a forecast a week before you go.
The quick answer
| You are asking | The answer |
|---|---|
| How far is Dhanushkodi from Rameswaram? | About 20 km from Rameswaram town to the ruins, and a few kilometres more to Arichal Munai, where the road ends. Guides give anything from 15 to 25 km, depending on where they start counting. |
| How long does it take? | About 30 to 45 minutes by road each way. On holidays the queue at the end can take far longer (see below). |
| Is there a bus? | Yes. Tamil Nadu's state buses (TNSTC) run from Rameswaram to Arichal Munai, the last stop. In 2021 the fare was ₹30, a bus left about every 90 minutes, and women rode free. Check the times at the Rameswaram bus stand. |
| Do I still need a jeep? | No. A national highway runs all the way to Arichal Munai: 9.5 km from Mukuntharayar Chathiram to Dhanushkodi and 4.5 km on to the tip. It opened to vehicles in February 2017. Cars, autos, taxis and two-wheelers all go. |
| What are the hours? Can I go for sunrise or in the evening? | It is a daytime visit. Police close the road in the early evening: sources say 5 pm or 6 pm, so plan to be heading back by 5. Visits start in the early morning; whether you get in for sunrise depends on the checkpost that day. Nobody may stay overnight. |
| Nearest airport? | Madurai. Rameswaram's municipality gives 177 km from the airport to Rameswaram (about 3 to 3.5 hours); add the 20 km to Dhanushkodi. |
| Nearest railway station? | Rameswaram. Trains run onto the island again since April 2025, over the new Pamban bridge. |
| Can I swim? | Better not. The waves are high and the currents strong, and when the sea turns rough the police close the road altogether. |
Before you go (2026)
- The road shuts when the sea is rough. On 20 August 2026, during a swell-surge alert along the Tamil Nadu coast, police put barricades on the road and turned every vehicle back, pilgrims included. In the north-east monsoon (October to December) and on alert days, ask at your hotel or the checkpost before setting out.
- Holidays bring long queues. On Sunday 7 September 2026 the line of vehicles to Dhanushkodi stretched about 5 km. Go on a weekday, and early.
- Trains are back. The old Pamban rail bridge closed in December 2022. The new one, India's first vertical-lift sea bridge, opened on 6 April 2025, and trains from Chennai and elsewhere run to Rameswaram again.
- No rail to Dhanushkodi. A 17 km line from Rameswaram to Dhanushkodi (₹457 crore) was approved in 2019, but it waits for the state's environmental clearance and has had almost no money spent on it. Go by road.
Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi – Now an abandoned small town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The small town has a rich story from the Ramayana period to catastrophic destruction from the 1964 cyclone.
Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi is one of the popular road routes for the most scenic view. Let’s explore the last land of India and know about the real fact.
Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi is roughly 25 min (19.2 km) via Madurai – Dhanushkodi Rd/Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi Rd. (2026: allow longer on holidays, and more if you go on to Arichal Munai.)
Dhanushkodi- Ghost Town
We know, the title of our latest travel story is a bit different but would like to share the experience with our audience in a way that is more relevant and justify the place.
How to Reach Dhanushkodi
- By Air: Nearest airport: Madurai (167kms) & then take a taxi to Dhanushkodi (2026: Rameswaram's municipality gives 177 km from the airport to Rameswaram)
- By Rail: Nearest railway station: Rameshwaram, 18kms- Oh, yes the famous train on the ocean (2026: running again since April 2025, over the new Pamban bridge)
- By Road: Buses and taxis conducting regular service between Madurai and Rameshwaram.
- Reach Dhanushkodi From Rameshwaram, you have to hire private vehicles through the sands. (2026: not any more. The road now runs to Arichal Munai, and a state bus goes there; see the quick answer.)
Local transport: Inside the city walls of Rameshwaram, you can hire a jeep or an auto-rickshaw.
Dhanushkodi -The Ghost City About 620 km from Bangalore, on the southern tip of (Rameswaram)Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu, is a ghost town known as Dhanushkodi and is the closest point on the Indian coast to Srilanka.
The 1964 Year of Silence
It suffered significant damage in a devastating cyclone in 1964 (2026: it made landfall here on the night of 22–23 December 1964), which washed away the rail bridge connection of the town to the mainland. The remains of the city can still be seen now. People in large numbers come here for seeing the ruined city, beautiful beach. It’s simply one of the most idyllic virgin beaches in India.
Though a bit risky to get into the water due to high waves, just to experience the beauty of the place and walking on the clean sands itself is a great experience.
Dhanushkodi- Ramayana Connection
The place is famous for its mythological importance. It is said that Lord Rama and his vanara sena together with his brother Lakshmana, Hanuman, and Ravana’s brother Vibhishana, built a bridge using floating stones. This bridge helped them to reach Lanka to rescue Sita from Ravana.
After returning victorious from Lanka, Vibhishana, the new king, asked Rama to destroy the bridge. So, Rama broke the bridge using one end of the bow, giving the place its name.
Dhanush meaning bow and Kodi meaning end. It is believed that there is geological evidence suggesting that this 28-km bridge known as Rama Sethu or Adam’s Bridge once connected the Pamban Island tip to Talaimannar in Mannar Island, Sri Lanka.
The locals in Dhanushkodi claim that the bridge, which was once visible, was destroyed following a cyclone in the 15th century. Another hurricane that hit the region in 1964 ravaged the area to such an extent that it has remained a ghost town since.
The railway link that connected mainland India to Dhanushkodi was destroyed completely. According to a local guide, it is also said that on a fateful day, a daily passenger train known as Boat Mail carrying 115 passengers was washed away as it approached the Dhanushkodi station. The news of this devastation reached the mainland three days later because the area was completely cut off.
Pro Tip on Your Dhanushkodi Trip
Dhanushkodi is separate from Rameswaram, about 15 km away. You can bus it. (2026: the state bus goes all the way to Arichal Munai.) Spend some time at Dhanushkodi, which has the remnants of old railway lines, an abandoned church, and other ruins.
Then proceed to Arichanmunai which is a further 5 km away and is the real Land’s end. You can wander around a bit and there are guards who ensure you don’t go too far.
Somewhere between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, a side road to the left takes you to a Ram temple. Gives you fabulous views. Rameswaram and Pamban bridge are separate experiences by themselves. Read our dedicated Dhanushkodi travel guide for more information.
Railway Connectivity
Currently, the rail network connects the mainland to Rameshwaram only. (2026: still true. A Rameswaram–Dhanushkodi line was approved in 2019 but has not been built; see Before you go.) From Rameshwaram town, Dhanushkodi is about 25 kilometers. Almost halfway to Dhanushkodi is a Koothandaramar temple. Locals believe that at this place Rama crowned Vibhishana, the new king of the asuras.
The temple follows a simple architectural style and houses the idols of Koothandaramar (Rama), Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman as well as Vibhishana in the sanctum sanctorum. It is also surrounded by the sea on all sides except the approach road. The walls of the temple have murals depicting how Rama and his vanara sena rescued Sita.
To Reach Dhanushkodi?
And the only vehicle that will take you to the tip of Dhanushkodi is a specially-modified jeep. The first 12-kilometer drive from Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi is on a regular road with gusts of wind blowing sand on your face.
Once you reach the check post, only a modified jeep (4×4) or big vans can go further. The modified vehicle charges around Rs. 1500/- and it will be there for around 2 hours from your pick up point. (2026: the jeeps are history now; see the update below.)
The drive from the check post in the devastated region is like a roller coaster ride on the beach. As you go farther, you will see the endless deep blue sea on either side of your vehicle.
While on one side there is the Indian Ocean, on the other hand, is the Bay of Bengal (2026: Tamil Nadu Tourism names the two waters the Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal). And the difference is entirely stark between the two — the one hand of the sea is calm and blue while the other side sea is green with choppy waters.
Update- Now there is highway until the tip point and so can go in cars. No need of special jeeps
Standing on the beach surrounded by the sea, you might wonder if this place contains anything other than sand and blue water. The area is so pristine, isolated and far away from the crowd that one would not want to return to civilization.
Even after a good and peaceful 45-minute stroll, most people have to be coerced by the jeep drivers to return.
While returning from Dhanushkodi, other remains of structures such as the buildings, railway water tank, church, and others can be seen, making the whole place look like a shell of its former self. Next, to the water tank, there is a temple, which has a light stone kept locked on its premises as a tourist attraction.
The nearest town is Rameswaram, 18 km away. However, Dhanushkodi is an abandoned town and permits visitors only during the day. (2026: police close the road in the early evening, at 5 or 6 pm by different accounts.) So you have to stay at Rameswaram.
Budget travelers can stay in the basic rooms provided by the temple trust. Check out budget stay at Rameswaram. (2026: the temple's old rooms page has gone. Ask at the temple office, or look at the state tourism corporation's Hotel Tamil Nadu in Rameswaram.)
Key points before you go
- It is a day trip from Rameswaram: about 20 km, by bus, auto, taxi or your own vehicle, all the way to Arichal Munai.
- Go early, on a weekday, and be heading back by 5 pm.
- Stay out of the water, and check before you go in the north-east monsoon (October to December) or on a sea alert.
- Sleep in Rameswaram; there is nowhere to stay at Dhanushkodi.
- Read next: the Dhanushkodi travel guide (what to see, when, what to carry, what it costs), the Rameshwaram travel guide, and our Sri Lanka trip for the other side of the water.
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8comments
3 conversations from readers on the earlier site.
Nice one bro .. is it save for girls to visit ? What's the first batch timing to get there ?
Yes perfect safe for females, now you can go driving to the edge of the Dhanushkodi beach:)
Now there is highway until the tip point and so can go in cars. No need of special jeeps
Yes, You are right Hemanth, I will update the bog. Thank you
So we can drive by two wheeler till the end of Dhanushkodi and also travel to Arichal Munai. What is the timing they start to allow vehicle planning to visit for sunrise.
Replying to Sunil
yes Sunil, now you can drive the two-wheeler using the new road till the end.
Bro any timing to visit dhanushkodi at eving..???
good information