RAMANATHAPURAM: If you happen to visit Dhanuskodi, an abandoned town on the south-eastern tip of Pamban here, you just can’t miss a dilapidated iconic church that is barely managing to withstand the test of time. Add to that the greed of trophy hunters, who look to own a piece of coral reefs that formed part of the structure, and you would have one good reason why it could be lost to posterity.
On Friday, a portion of that century-old structure collapsed following heavy rains. According to sources, one of the prime reasons for the damage was looting of materials, including coral reef used for the construction, by unidentified persons, who look to make a quick buck out of selling them to the locals or tourists.
The development of Dhanuskodi began in 1914 when the British Raj built a port there to link it up with Sri Lanka. For, Talaimannar in Sri Lanka is just 29 km away from Dhanuskodi.
Ever since, various structures and administrative buildings sprung up at the islet. The church was one of them and was constructed using coral reef and limestone. It is this coral reef that is being plundered. Unfortunately, Dhanuskodi lost its mojo on December 22, 1964 when a powerful cyclone tore it apart and was never rebuilt.
The port buildings, the railway station and the immigration centre no longer exist, but a few buildings, including the church, a temple, hospital, school and a railway building withstood nature’s wrath.
Over the years, they became unofficial monuments of Dhanuskodi that attracts hundreds of tourists everyday. The church’s outer walls on all the four sides are still intact, but on Friday the left wall of the church collapsed after heavy downpour.