Pamban Island

Pamban Island
Native name:
Pāmpaṉ tīvu
Pamban Island (right) taken from the International Space Station
Map of Pamban Island (1955)
Pamban Island
Pamban Island
Geography
Coordinates9°15′N 79°18′E / 9.25°N 79.3°E / 9.25; 79.3
Area96.6 km2 (37.3 sq mi)
Coastline76.5 km (47.53 mi)
Highest elevation10 m (30 ft)
Administration
India
StateTamil Nadu
DistrictRamanathapuram
TalukRameswaram
Demographics
Population82,682 (2011)
Ethnic groupsTamils

Pamban Island (Tamil: Pāmpaṉ tīvu) is an island located off the southeast coast of mainland India. It is separated from the island of Sri Lanka by the Palk strait, and has the Palk Bay in the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Gulf of Mannar in the Laccadive Sea to the west. It forms part of the Rameswaram taluk in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the largest island in Tamil Nadu by area and the principal town in the island is the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram. It is connected to the Indian mainland by the Pamban Bridge.