35 Mysterious Abandoned Places Around the World You Can Still Visit

27. Dhanushkodi, India: A Town Washed Away by the Sea

At the southeastern tip of India lies Dhanushkodi, a ghost town with mythic resonance and tragic history. Once a bustling port town and pilgrimage center, Dhanushkodi was devastated in 1964 by a powerful cyclone that killed over 1,800 people and obliterated the town's infrastructure. The railway line was torn apart, homes were flattened, and the sea swallowed what remained. The government declared it uninhabitable. Today, visitors can walk along the ruins of churches, schools, and railway tracks, all bleached by the sun and sea breeze. Locals speak of Ramayana legends linking the town to the bridge built to Lanka—adding another layer of mystique. Dhanushkodi is a place where myth and memory converge in silence, offering haunting beauty at the edge of the land.