Pamban

Last updated

Pamban
Town
India Tamil Nadu location map.svg
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Pamban
Location in Tamil Nadu, India
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Red pog.svg
Pamban
Pamban (India)
Coordinates: 9°17′N79°12′E / 9.283°N 79.200°E / 9.283; 79.200
CountryFlag of India.svg  India
State Tamil Nadu
District Ramanathapuram
Population
 (2001)
  Total30,926
Languages
  Official Tamil
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)

Pamban is a town in the Rameswaram taluk of Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu. It is at the west edge of Pamban Island and is a popular fishing port. The town gives its name to the whole island. Pamban railway station is the first station on the island for pilgrims travelling to Rameswaram.

Contents

Demographics

As per the 2011 census, [1] Pamban had a population of 37819 with 19163 males and 18656 females. The sex ratio was 974 and the literacy rate, 85.16%[ citation needed ]

Climate

Pamban has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification As) with hot summers and cool winters. Unlike most locations in India with this climate, most rainfall occurs in autumn and winter, with the heaviest rain falling from October to December, and very little rain in the summer months of June to August.[ citation needed ]

Climate data for Pamban (1981–2010, extremes 1902–2012)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)33.3
(91.9)
34.5
(94.1)
35.7
(96.3)
38.0
(100.4)
38.8
(101.8)
37.2
(99.0)
37.5
(99.5)
37.5
(99.5)
36.9
(98.4)
35.7
(96.3)
35.4
(95.7)
33.9
(93.0)
38.8
(101.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)29.0
(84.2)
30.5
(86.9)
32.8
(91.0)
34.3
(93.7)
34.3
(93.7)
33.5
(92.3)
33.2
(91.8)
33.0
(91.4)
32.9
(91.2)
32.1
(89.8)
30.2
(86.4)
28.8
(83.8)
32.0
(89.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)24.2
(75.6)
24.0
(75.2)
25.3
(77.5)
27.2
(81.0)
28.1
(82.6)
27.5
(81.5)
26.9
(80.4)
26.7
(80.1)
26.6
(79.9)
26.0
(78.8)
24.9
(76.8)
24.3
(75.7)
26.0
(78.8)
Record low °C (°F)17.0
(62.6)
17.0
(62.6)
19.4
(66.9)
20.3
(68.5)
19.8
(67.6)
20.2
(68.4)
20.7
(69.3)
20.0
(68.0)
20.6
(69.1)
20.0
(68.0)
19.5
(67.1)
18.2
(64.8)
17.0
(62.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches)59.9
(2.36)
17.0
(0.67)
13.6
(0.54)
51.2
(2.02)
41.4
(1.63)
6.3
(0.25)
11.2
(0.44)
15.2
(0.60)
33.6
(1.32)
199.2
(7.84)
284.6
(11.20)
191.7
(7.55)
924.9
(36.42)
Average rainy days2.81.50.93.62.82.00.60.91.68.412.28.445.7
Average relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST)74706868737473747576787873
Source: India Meteorological Department [2] [3]
Map of Pamban island in 1955 PambanIsland1955.jpg
Map of Pamban island in 1955

Transport

Train on the Pamban Bridge Pamban Bridge Train Passing.jpg
Train on the Pamban Bridge

Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge which connects the town of Mandapam in mainland India with Pamban Island, and Rameswaram. Opened on 24 February 1914, [4] it was India's first sea bridge, and was the longest sea bridge in India until the opening of the Bandra–Worli Sea Link in 2010. The rail bridge is, for the most part, a conventional bridge resting on concrete piers, but has a double-leaf bascule section midway, which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through. Until 1988, the Pamban bridge was the only surface transport that connected Tamil Nadu's island of Rameswaram to the mainland. In December 2018, the bascule of this bridge was damaged, which suspended transportation on the bridge for 3 months. Rail movement was again restored on 27 February 2019.

In 1988, a road bridge was also constructed parallel to the rail bridge. This road bridge is also known as Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge. The Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge connects the National Highway (NH 49) with the Rameswaram island. It stands on the Palk Strait and between the shores of Mandapam (a place on the Indian mainland) and Pamban (one of the fishermen town in Rameswaram island). It was inaugurated by former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on 2 October 1988. [5] This 2.345 km long bridge took close to 14 years to be completed.

The Pamban Lighthouse, along with 23 other lighthouses along the eastern, southern and western coast of the Indian peninsula, comes under the administration of the Chennai Lighthouse District, In accord with the Lighthouse Act of 1927 and the Lighthouse (Amendment) Act of 1985. [6]

Related Research Articles

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Dhanushkodi is an abandoned town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is south-east of Pamban and is about 24 kilometres (15 mi) west of Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. The town was destroyed during the 1964 Rameswaram cyclone and remains uninhabited in the aftermath. Although devoid of inhabitants, Dhanushkodi remains a tourist attraction due to its historical and mythological relevance.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rameswaram</span> Pilgrimage centre and a town in Tamilnadu, India

Rameswaram is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilometres from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. It is in the Gulf of Mannar, at the tip of the Indian peninsula. Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India by the Pamban Bridge. Rameswaram is the terminus of the railway line from Chennai and Madurai. Together with Varanasi, it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus and is part of the Char Dham pilgrimage.

Ramanathapuram, also known as Ramnad, is a city and a municipality in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Ramanathapuram district and the second largest town in Ramanathapuram district. Soon the Ramanathapuram Civic body to be upgraded as Municipal Corporation, after merging with nearby panchayats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamban Bridge</span> Railway bridge connecting Pamban Island to mainland India

Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge that connects the town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island with Mandapam in mainland India. Opened on 24 February 1914, it was India's first sea bridge, and was the longest sea bridge in India until the opening of the Bandra–Worli Sea Link in 2010. The rail bridge is, for the most part, a conventional bridge resting on concrete piers but has a double-leaf bascule section midway, which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramanathapuram district</span> District of Tamil Nadu in India

Ramanathapuram District, also known as Ramnad District, is one of the 38 districts an administrative districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. The old Ramanathapuram District consists of Present day Virudhunagar and Sivagangai districts, it touches the Western ghats and bordered with the state of Kerala and east by Bay of Bengal. It was the largest district on that time. The town of Ramanathapuram is the district headquarters. Ramanthapuram District has an area of 4,123 km2. It is bounded on the north by Sivaganga District, on the northeast by Pudukkottai District, on the east by the Palk Strait, on the south by the Gulf of Mannar, on the west by Thoothukudi District, and on the northwest by Virudhunagar District. The district contains the Pamban Bridge, an east–west chain of low islands and shallow reefs that extend between India and the island nation of Sri Lanka, and separate the Palk Strait from the Gulf of Mannar. The Palk Strait is navigable only by shallow-draft vessels. As of 2011, Ramanathapuram district had a population of 1,353,445 with a sex-ratio of 983 females for every 1,000 males. The district is home to the pilgrimage center of Rameswaram and tourist spot Dhanushkodi, an abandoned town.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamban Island</span> Island in the Indian Ocean between India and Sri Lanka

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boat Mail Express</span> Train in India

The Rameswaram Express, previously known as the Boat Mail or Indo-Ceylon Express, is an express train that connects Mandapam with the state capital Chennai via Tambaram, Chengalpet, Melmaruvattur, Viluppuram, Cuddalore port, Chidambaram, Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai, Tanjore, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikudi, Sivagangai, Manamadurai and Ramanathapuram. During the 1900s, it was a combined train and steamer ferry service between India and Ceylon. Connecting Chennai and Colombo, the system initially utilised a rail-to-sea operation, but changed to a rail-to-sea-to-rail operation. Passengers could buy a single ticket for the journey. Now, it runs from Chennai Egmore to Rameswaram via Villuppuram, Kumbakonam, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Karaikkudi, Devakottai, Manamadurai, Paramakkudi, Ramanathapuram, Mandapam, and Pamban.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1964 Rameswaram cyclone</span> Tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean

The 1964 Rameswaram cyclone was regarded as one of the most powerful storms to ever strike India on record. The system was first identified as an area of low pressure over the Andaman Sea on December 15. Following interaction with a tropical wave, it began to develop and became a depression by December 18. Increasingly rapid intensification ensued over the following days with the cyclone attaining hurricane-force winds around 5°N the next day. Early on December 23, the storm struck Ceylon near Trincomalee with winds estimated at 240 km/h (150 mph), ranking it as a modern-day super cyclonic storm. Weakening somewhat, the storm soon struck Tamil Nadu. Rapid weakening followed once the cyclone was onshore and it degenerated into a depression on December 24 as it emerged over the Arabian Sea. The system later dissipated on December 26 over open water.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rameswaram railway station</span> Railway station in Tamil Nadu, India

Rameswaram railway station is an NSG–3 category Indian railway station in Madurai railway division of Southern Railway zone. It serves the town of Rameswaram, located in Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The station links the pilgrim town as well as the rest of the island to the mainland via the highly acclaimed Pamban Rail Bridge.

National Highway 87 is a National Highway in southern India. It crosses the Pamban Bridge before entering into Pamban Island. The total length runs up to 154 km (96 mi). The 5 km road between Mukundarayar Chathiram and Dhanuskodi was destroyed during the 1964 cyclone. Then the Government of India has started construction of the new stretch of road on 2015 and opened to vehicles with some restrictions on Feb'2017 at a cost of ₹ 250 million. At the same time, the road between Madurai and Rameswaram was converted from a two lane road to a four-lane highway. Then Union minister for road transport and shipping Shri.Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for the Rs 1,387-crore project in Madurai on 17 July 2015. An initial outlay of Rs 927 crore was made {May 2019} and the project has been sanctioned for Rs 1,387 crore. Then the first 75km stretch from Madurai to Paramakudi was proposed to be converted into a proper four-lane road which is a Green Highway, while the remaining 39km stretch from Paramakudi to Ramanathapuram was widened as a two-lane road with paved shoulders. This road includes bypass from Madurai to Manalur which is a newly constructed route skipping the old route(which runs through Puliyankulam and Silaiman), and has bypasses at several places like Thiruppuvanam, Thiruppachethi, Rajagambiram, Paramakudi and Ramanathapuram which would substantially ease traffic congestion in these towns and also saves time for those tourists who are going to Rameswaram. Falling under the Old NH-49, this project is one of the largest completed green corridor in Tamil Nadu by the National Highways Authority of India in the recent times.

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The Manamadurai–Rameswaram branch line is a branch railway line in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The line starts at Manamadurai and ends at Rameswaram.

Pirappan Valasai is a village in Mandapam block in Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu, India.

References

  1. "Primary Census Abstract - Census 2011". Directorate of Census Operations-Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011.
  2. "Station: Pamban Climatological Table 1981–2010" (PDF). Climatological Normals 1981–2010. India Meteorological Department. January 2015. pp. 583–584. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  3. "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M201. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  4. "Pamban Bridge, Application Pamban Bridge". My Rameswaram. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  5. "Pamban Road Bridge: Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge". 2017.
  6. Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships (n.d.). "Lighthouse Act". Government of India, Ministry of Shipping. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.