Kothandaramaswamy Temple.
Most Rameswaram day-trippers head straight for Arichalmunai (the peninsula tip) and skip the Kothandaramaswamy Temple — the only structure on the Dhanushkodi side that survived the 22 December 1964 cyclone that flattened the rest of the town. The temple sits 3km before the peninsula tip on the main approach road.WHY NOBODY KNOWS
Small Vishnu/Rama shrine where Vibhishana (Ravana's brother) is said to have surrendered to Rama before the Lanka war — the deity is unusual in having Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, Hanuman, and Vibhishana together in the same sanctum (most Rama temples don't include Vibhishana). The 1964 cyclone (160 km/h winds, 7m storm surge) destroyed every other Dhanushkodi structure but this temple remained — devotees attribute it to Rama's grace; the actual reason is the lower elevation behind a natural dune ridge. Free / open 6am-8pm.
