The day had started at four in the morning and by 5 o'clock, we're at the bathing ghat. Dad's ashes, along with my grand aunt's and another elderly lady's of the neighbourhood were immersed in the waters of the Bay of Bengal around 10 minutes past 5. A sizeable crowd had gathered up, already, at the waterfront and with the winds being strong, the waves lapping against the shore were large and insistent. The religious ceremony - post immersions - were gone through and we're back at our hotel, much before 7 AM.
After a quick wash and change, a breakfast of steaming hot idlis washed down with filtered coffee and by a half past 7, we're off to Dhanushkodi - another 22 kms, further south - to see the much talked about remnants of a worthy past that was uprooted by the savages of the fierce cyclone of '64. We'd gone in two, four-wheel-drive smaller yet, sturdy vehicles towards the land's edge. And precisely, around a quarter past 9, we're at the land's edge with our guide showing us a greenish-brown patch, stretching towards in a south eastern direction into the sea, as the famous 'Ram sethu' - a bridge purportedly made with huge stones and boulders by the great monkey warriors of Lord Rama - which had enabled him to take his forces into Lanka, the land of the 'asura' king, Ravana and the rest, as they say, is history!
The remnants of the old railway station, the church, the post office and a small cluster of buildings were the mute and humbled spectators of nature's fury on that fateful day of 23 Dec '64. Standing at the land's edge, where once upon a time in the recent past was a township that was bustling with people and their connected activities, I was overwhelmed by the sights and had kept asking myself as to whether my presence, at Dhanushkodi, on my birthday had any significance at all?
The return.
And by about a half past 10, we're headed back home in the Volvo. A short and sweet trip, indeed!
Two kms north of Dhanushkodi, was the temple of 'Kodanda Ramar'. It was the venue of the anointment of Vibheeshana, as the king of Lanka, by Lord Rama after the slaying of Ravana. Vibheeshana was the saner of the siblings, who'd warned his brother, Ravana, that his act of kidnapping Sita was a mistake and that he should send her back forthwith, for which he was thrown into prison! We'd visited the spot before heading back home!!
Tailpiece.
My cellphone had some problem about its coverage during our entire stay at Rameshwaram and therefore, I was not contactable for quite a while during the day. However, my friends and relatives were insistent about wishing me and with that in mind, they had kept on at it till they could speak to me in person much later, during the day! Never did I feel more wanted!! Thanks guys, you really made my day!!!
After a quick wash and change, a breakfast of steaming hot idlis washed down with filtered coffee and by a half past 7, we're off to Dhanushkodi - another 22 kms, further south - to see the much talked about remnants of a worthy past that was uprooted by the savages of the fierce cyclone of '64. We'd gone in two, four-wheel-drive smaller yet, sturdy vehicles towards the land's edge. And precisely, around a quarter past 9, we're at the land's edge with our guide showing us a greenish-brown patch, stretching towards in a south eastern direction into the sea, as the famous 'Ram sethu' - a bridge purportedly made with huge stones and boulders by the great monkey warriors of Lord Rama - which had enabled him to take his forces into Lanka, the land of the 'asura' king, Ravana and the rest, as they say, is history!
The remnants of the old railway station, the church, the post office and a small cluster of buildings were the mute and humbled spectators of nature's fury on that fateful day of 23 Dec '64. Standing at the land's edge, where once upon a time in the recent past was a township that was bustling with people and their connected activities, I was overwhelmed by the sights and had kept asking myself as to whether my presence, at Dhanushkodi, on my birthday had any significance at all?
The return.
And by about a half past 10, we're headed back home in the Volvo. A short and sweet trip, indeed!
Two kms north of Dhanushkodi, was the temple of 'Kodanda Ramar'. It was the venue of the anointment of Vibheeshana, as the king of Lanka, by Lord Rama after the slaying of Ravana. Vibheeshana was the saner of the siblings, who'd warned his brother, Ravana, that his act of kidnapping Sita was a mistake and that he should send her back forthwith, for which he was thrown into prison! We'd visited the spot before heading back home!!
Tailpiece.
My cellphone had some problem about its coverage during our entire stay at Rameshwaram and therefore, I was not contactable for quite a while during the day. However, my friends and relatives were insistent about wishing me and with that in mind, they had kept on at it till they could speak to me in person much later, during the day! Never did I feel more wanted!! Thanks guys, you really made my day!!!
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