A beguiling bike rove to the peninsular tip

Planning;

as they say, is essential before you set out for a journey but I never cared to do that. As long as you have the urge inside, journeys will never shrivel you from having a ramble across the dry and hard terrains. This would not have been my opinion, had I decided not to let my name get thrown in to a two-day junket planned by friends. The destination was set explicitly at Dhanushkodi, the south eastern tip where raspy flairs beckon. There never was any route-map neither was there any planning of “When” and “How” even though we had the final nod good few hours ahead of gripping ourselves to the journey.

And finally we set out for a journey of more than 700 kilometers. During the journey, we did not come across any predicaments, thwacks, or snags as alarmed by our friends. What we embraced with was some grueling yet vigorous hours of a fervor- ride which only got coupled with the pinnacles of felicity unwinding ourselves from the drilled urban lifestyle. At this point, I must confess that it has never been my choice to have two days trip on bike. But I had no regret in rejigging my thoughts and it is not just one thought, but many. Being a travel enthusiast, I somehow was drifting away from the traversing instincts in recent years. It was only after this voyage, I realized that it was only kept inert. All it required is a spark in you. In my case the spark got well ignited by this exotic trip. The journey taught me about the most important things to consider ahead of your plan for a trip like this one. It is the journey and not the destination which thrills. There are moments when you await to peck your destination but such thoughts never flashed in my minds even for once during this adorable journey. All I wished was to just roll through the dreary, yet stirring roads through which we moved our way ahead.

Let me mention the places where we spent some quality time. Rameswaram is one of them, but just let it be, the beauty of being there can never just be contained in my scribbling. You have to be there to feel the exquisite charm.

The Pamban bridge, the ruined island of Dhanushkodi, and the escapade through bumpy roads in a forest (pardon me, I forgot the exact name of the place) are just few of the many capers that is welcoming you in this south-eastern tip. I could only say, if given a chance to visit here again, I would embrace it with no second thought, and with utmost passion and pleasure, yet again, with no forethoughts drawn up in my mind. That's how I feel it must have worked out.

It will be a sin if I miss out to mention to the rural restaurant vendor who served our appetite well with the flavors of local cuisine during midnight, along the outskirts of Thirunelveli.

About Dhanuskodi:

is ruined island severely damaged by cyclone in 50 -60 years back. Dhanushkodi is situated to the South-East of Pamban. Danushkodi is about 18 miles (29 km) West of Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. The Dhanushkodi railway line running from Pamban Station was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone and a passenger train with over 100 passengers drowned in the sea. Dhanushkodi has the only land border between India and Sri Lanka which is one of the smallest in the world-just 45 meters in length on a shoal in Palk Strait. Before the 1964 cyclone, Dhanushkodi was a flourishing tourist and pilgrimage town. Since Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) is just 19 miles (31 km) away, there were many ferry services between Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar of Ceylon, transporting travelers and goods across the sea. There were hotels, textile shops and dharmashalas catering to these pilgrims and travelers. The railway line to Dhanushkodi, which did not touch Rameswaram then was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone, went directly from Mandapam to Dhanushkodi. Dhanushkodi in those days had a railway station, a small railway hospital, primary schools, a post office, customs and port offices, and other buildings. It was here in this island in January 1897 that Swami Vivekananda again set foot on Indian soil, after his visit to the west to attend the World's Parliament of Religions held in the United States.

How to get there:

By Road- Bus, Car or Bike; By train- there's only train that gets you to the island of Rameswaram, but I'm not sure of the timings.

About the author: Akhil Unnikrishnan is a Public relation professional based out of Trivandram. He uses his time well during festival holidays to travel through the less known places in his beautiful state of kerala. Travelling by bike and organizing such tours with his friends is his passion.