The memorial and museum dedicated to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, India's 'Missile Man' and 11th President, is located near his birthplace in the Muslim quarter of Rameshwaram. Kalam was born here in 1931 and the museum charts his life from his childhood in the town through his career as a scientist at ISRO and DRDO, and his presidency.
The exhibits include personal photographs, models of the missiles and rockets he developed, and quotations from his speeches and books. The house where Kalam was born, a simple traditional structure in the old quarter, is preserved nearby and open to visitors. The memorial draws a steady stream of school groups and Indian tourists who come to honour one of the country's most widely admired public figures. Rameshwaram's identity as Kalam's birthplace is now almost as prominent as its religious significance.