Cry to rebuild old RC church at TN's Dhanushkodi gets louder

Locals and tourists have come forward to urge the government to rebuild a neglected monument in Tamil Nadu's Dhanushkodi. The left structure of the Roman Catholic church which was left shattered after 1964 cyclone is facing danger as some tourists are taking away the bricks from the remains.

Dhanushkodi: Once what used to be a Roman catholic church here is now a neglected monument. Locals and many tourists are urging the government to rebuild the church.

After a cyclonic storm hit the coastal region in 1964, the place was left in shatters. The scattered remains of the church are seen over a vast stretch of land, which still has tourists coming from around the world.

Prior to the 1964 cyclone, the small island served as a major tourist spot and shares its only land border between India and Sri Lanka, which is one of the smallest in the world -- just 50 yards in length on a shoal in Palk Strait.

Fifty-five years have passed since the storm and the remnants of the church are still evident. However, in another blow to the concerned locals, some tourists are taking away the bricks from the remains with them.

Speaking to media, Bhaskar, a local, said: "The cyclonic storm of 1964 completely devastated this church. Since then, tourists have regularly been visiting this place but recently some of the tourists have started taking the bricks from the church to their homes."

"Therefore, the little left structure is now more in danger. It will be better if the government addresses this problem," he added.

While one of the tourists from France, Eatward, who came to see this old church, said: "This is an amazing place, you can feel the history, like what happened here 50-60 years ago. This place should be visited because it's an important part of southern India."