Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial

Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial at Pei Karumbu commemorates India’s former president at his burial site, with displays about his life and scientific work.

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial, Rameswaram
Practical guide

Plan Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial

Who's going?Tailor Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial to your trip
Typemuseum
Nearest baseRameswaram
DistrictRamanathapuram
Best timeVisit during the confirmed public…
Time neededAllow around an hour, longer if reading…
Places to visit8Listed businesses2
The story

Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial at Pei Karumbu commemorates India’s former president at his burial site, with displays about his life and scientific work. This is the larger memorial visit, not the House of Kalam in town. Check the destination name with your driver if you want to visit both.

The story of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial

Kalam grew up in Rameswaram and worked with ISRO and DRDO before serving as India’s eleventh president. The memorial connects that local beginning with his public career.

Photographs, paintings and miniature missile models form part of the displays. Read the biographical material alongside the models so that the visit is about the person as well as the objects.

For families, choose a few episodes to discuss rather than rushing past every display. Treat the burial memorial respectfully and follow the site’s photography and security instructions.

For the visit itself, allow around an hour, longer if reading closely. The best time is visit during the confirmed public opening period, allowing time before closing. Ask for the National Memorial at Pei Karumbu, not simply “Kalam museum”. Leave time to read the displays after entering.

What to expect

Highlights

  • Memorial at Kalam’s burial site
  • Biographical displays
  • Scientific models
Getting there

How to visit

  • Ask for the National Memorial at Pei Karumbu, not simply “Kalam museum”.
  • Leave time to read the displays after entering.
Timing

Best time

Visit during the confirmed public opening period, allowing time before closing.

Weather in Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National MemorialSeasonal guide

Live forecast loads in your browser.

Today at Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial
Sunrise6:01 am
Sunset5:56 pm
Golden hour best light4:56 pm–5:56 pm
Blue hour after sunset5:56 pm–6:21 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 261°
Moon tonight🌒 Waxing crescent · 24%

Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.

Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop

Stays, food & things to do near Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial

Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.

Top pick
Hotel
Gujrat Bhawan
2.4 km · 30 min walk

Hotel. Sannadhi Street, 623526.

Directions Commission-freeView details
Top pick
Hotel
Hotel Hare Rama Hare Krishna
1.7 km · 21 min walk

A hotel at Rameswaram, on the island in Ramanathapuram district. It answers on the local exchange, 04573-223500, as well as a mobile number.

Directions Commission-freeView details

Book with the place itself. India’s cyber-crime coordination centre warned in April 2025 that convincing copies of hotel and pilgrimage booking sites are being pushed through sponsored search and social ads, taking payment for rooms the property never hears about. Every listing here links to the business’s own contact details and its own Google or Bing profile — we take no commission and sit in nobody’s payment path. If a booking page reached you through an ad, check the address bar against the property’s own site before you pay. Fraud can be reported on cybercrime.gov.in or on 1930.

Ranked guides

Top experiences around Rameswaram

7 more places around Rameswaram. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.

templeRamanathaswamy Temple

2.1 km · 27 min walk

One of the 12 Jyotirlingas and part of the Char Dham pilgrimage, famed for its roughly 1,200-metre corridor lined with carved pillars, the longest of any Hindu temple.

museumA. P. J. Abdul Kalam House (Memorial Museum)

1.7 km · 21 min walk

The modest ancestral home of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on Mosque Street, converted into a memorial museum showcasing his childhood, family, and career.

viewpointGandhamadhana Parvatham

290 m · 4 min walk

A small hilltop temple believed to enshrine Rama's footprint, offering one of the highest and widest panoramic views over Rameswaram island.

templeFive-faced Hanuman Temple (Panchamukhi Anjaneyar)

6.7 km · ~17 min by auto

A temple on the Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi road housing a rare five-faced idol of Hanuman, along with a floating stone said to be from the mythical Rama Setu.

islandPamban Island (Rameswaram Island)

4.9 km · ~12 min by auto

The island on which Rameswaram town sits, connected to the mainland by the Pamban bridges and ringed by beaches, temples, and the Gandhamadhana viewpoint.

B
Badrakali Amman Temple, Rameswaram
Place
templeBadrakali Amman Temple, Rameswaram

1.4 km · 18 min walk

A goddess temple in Rameswaram town dedicated to Badrakali, a fierce form of Durga. It is regarded as one of the prominent temples of the district alongside the great Ramanathaswamy shrine. Pilgrims commonly visit it as part of their Rameswaram temple circuit.

E
Ekantha Ramar Temple, Rameswaram
Place
templeEkantha Ramar Temple, Rameswaram

4.0 km · ~10 min by auto

A temple in Rameswaram dedicated to Rama, one of several Rama-linked shrines on Pamban island connected to the Ramayana pilgrimage. It is a lesser-known devotional stop that complements the main Ramanathaswamy temple.

Roampedia is commission-free — own or know a stay, eatery, guide or shop near Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial? List it and it appears here once verified.

Add a nearby business
Before you go

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial — at a glance

Getting around Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial

If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.

If you need help at Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial
112All emergencies (police · fire · medical)The single number to call in any emergency (ERSS).

Emergency numbers are verified against official government and state tourism sources. 112 works anywhere in India.

Nearby

What’s near Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial

viewpointGandhamadhana Parvatham

A small hilltop temple believed to enshrine Rama's footprint, offering one of the highest and widest panoramic views over Rameswaram island.

290 m · 4 min walk · straight line
B
Badrakali Amman Temple, Rameswaram
Place
templeBadrakali Amman Temple, Rameswaram

A goddess temple in Rameswaram town dedicated to Badrakali, a fierce form of Durga. It is regarded as one of the prominent temples of the district alongside the great Ramanathaswamy shrine. Pilgrims commonly visit it as part of their Rameswaram temple circuit.

1.4 km · 18 min walk · straight line
museumA. P. J. Abdul Kalam House (Memorial Museum)

The modest ancestral home of Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam on Mosque Street, converted into a memorial museum showcasing his childhood, family, and career.

1.7 km · 21 min walk · straight line
templeRamanathaswamy Temple

One of the 12 Jyotirlingas and part of the Char Dham pilgrimage, famed for its roughly 1,200-metre corridor lined with carved pillars, the longest of any Hindu temple.

2.1 km · 27 min walk · straight line
E
Ekantha Ramar Temple, Rameswaram
Place
templeEkantha Ramar Temple, Rameswaram

A temple in Rameswaram dedicated to Rama, one of several Rama-linked shrines on Pamban island connected to the Ramayana pilgrimage. It is a lesser-known devotional stop that complements the main Ramanathaswamy temple.

4.0 km · ~10 min by auto · straight line
islandPamban Island (Rameswaram Island)

The island on which Rameswaram town sits, connected to the mainland by the Pamban bridges and ringed by beaches, temples, and the Gandhamadhana viewpoint.

4.9 km · ~12 min by auto · straight line
templeFive-faced Hanuman Temple (Panchamukhi Anjaneyar)

A temple on the Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi road housing a rare five-faced idol of Hanuman, along with a floating stone said to be from the mythical Rama Setu.

6.7 km · ~17 min by auto · straight line
beachVilloondi Theertham

A coastal freshwater spring on the way to Dhanushkodi, believed to have been created by Lakshmana's arrow, where pilgrims bathe in a small freshwater pool beside the sea.

10.0 km · ~17 min by cab · straight line
heritageNew Pamban Bridge

Opened in April 2025, this is India's first vertical-lift sea railway bridge, built alongside the century-old original Pamban Bridge to carry rail traffic to Rameswaram.

10.7 km · ~18 min by cab · straight line
heritagePamban Bridge

Opened in 1914, this was India's first sea bridge, linking Rameswaram island to the mainland across the Palk Strait with a distinctive double-leaf bascule section.

10.7 km · ~18 min by cab · straight line
templeKothandaramar Temple

A coastal temple en route to Dhanushkodi marking the spot where, per legend, Vibhishana surrendered to Rama; it was one of the few structures to survive the 1964 cyclone.

13.6 km · ~23 min by cab · straight line
islandKrusadai Island

A small uninhabited island in the Gulf of Mannar near Mandapam, known for its rich coral reefs, seagrass beds, and marine biodiversity, part of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.

17.6 km · ~29 min by cab · straight line

All 8 places to visit in Rameswaram →

On the map

Where Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial is

Good to know

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial — frequently asked

Is this Kalam’s childhood house?

No. The National Memorial is at his burial site in Pei Karumbu; the House of Kalam is a separate stop in Rameswaram.

What is on display?

The district lists photographs, paintings and miniature missile models among the memorial’s exhibits.

When is the best time to visit Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial?

Visit during the confirmed public opening period, allowing time before closing.

How do I reach Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial?

Ask for the National Memorial at Pei Karumbu, not simply “Kalam museum”. Leave time to read the displays after entering.

How much time do I need for Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial?

Allow around an hour, longer if reading closely.

What else is near Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial?

Nearby you can pair Gandhamadhana Parvatham (290 m), Badrakali Amman Temple, Rameswaram (1.4 km), A. P. J. Abdul Kalam House (Memorial Museum) (1.7 km), Ramanathaswamy Temple (2.1 km).

Read before you go

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial guides, stories & itineraries

We have not published a story about Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial itself yet. These cover Rameswaram and the wider district, with separate journeys between stops.

Around Rameswaram

These guides explore Rameswaram and the surrounding area. Choose a visit that fits your interests, allowing separately for travel between stops.

Tamil Nadu-wide guides & itineraries

Route-level itineraries and practical guides for the rest of Tamil Nadu.

See all 34 Ramanathapuram guides & stories →

Image credits

Photographs: Selvakumar mallar (CC0), Rangan Datta Wiki (CC BY-SA 4.0), Vetri Vignesh (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.