Rameswaram

Rameswaram

Rameswaram is a town in the Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu, India. It is on Pamban Island which is separated from mainland India and is around 40 kilometres away from Mannar Island which is in Sri Lanka. Pamban Island is also known as Rameswaram Island. It is connected to mainland of India by the Pamban Bridge. it is considered to be one of the religious spot to Hindus and part of the Char Dham pilgrimage.

According to tradition, God Ram made a bridge from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka to save his wife Sita from the demon king Ravan. Hindus trust that visiting all the Char Dham will help them to get moksha (liberation from rebirth).

The Ramanathaswamy Temple is in the center of the town. It is dedicated to God Shiv and is closely connected with Ram. The temple and the town are considered a holy pilgrimage site one of the Char Dham.

History

Rameswaram means Lord of Ram, the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple. According to Ramayan, Ram (seventh avatar of the God Vishnu) with his brother Lakshman, installed and worshipped the lingam (an iconic symbol of Shiva) here to get blessing to shiv before the war against the demon-king Ravan in Sri Lanka. 

Hindu Pilgrimage

Rameswaram is important for all the Hindus. Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the holiest Char Dham places comprising Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka. Hindus believe that visiting these pilgrimage e places helps achieve "Moksha" (salvation). Adi Shankaracharya defined the four Hindu pilgrimage Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri and Rameswaram places as Char Dham. According to the Hindus customs every Hindu must visit the Char Dhams in one's lifetime.

The four Shankaracharya Peeth (Seats) at the Chaar Dham created four Hindu monastic institutions. He organized four Hindu Maṭhas at Dvaraka Math (मठ) in the West, Sringeri Sharada Peetham Math in the South, Jagannatha Puri Math in the East and Badrikashrama Math in the North. Rameswaram got its position when Ram worshiped Shiv to get the blessings of him in the Treta Yug.

Tourist attraction in Rameswaram

Ramanathaswamy Temple

The Ramanathaswamy Temple is the most famous Hindu temple which is situated in the center of town. Ramanathaswamy Temple is dedicated to the God Shiv. In Ramanathaswamy Temple, Shiv is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga whose meaning is ‘pillar of light’. This shrine is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines.  The temple was made during the 12th century by Pandya Period.

Dhanushkodi

Dhanushkodi is an island and here there is Kothandaramaswamy Temple dedicated to Ram. It is 18 km far from the town and can be reached by road. According to the epic Ramayana, Dhanushkodi is the place where Brother of Ravan, Vibishana surrendered before Ram. A cyclone hit the town of Dhanushkodi, wiping most of it in 1964. It is estimated that approximately 2,000 people were killed in this storm. The town was submerged under sea water.

Temple Tanks

There are sixty-four Tīrthas (holy water bodies) in and around Rameswaram.  24 of them are important as mentioned in the skanda Puran. 14 are in the form of tanks and wells in the temple. Tourist takes bath in these tanks that is a main part of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram. Bathing in these tanks is equivalent as to penance.

One of these tank or well is called Agni Theertham the sea (Bay of Bengal). Jatayu fought with the demon-king Ravan to save Sita. Jatayu fallen down at Jadayu Theertham as his wings were cut. Another is Villoondi Theertham means 'buried bow'. It is situated about 7 kilometres from the main temple on the way to Pamban. It is said that this is the place where Ram quenched the thirst of Sita by dipping the bow into the ocean water.  Other holy bodies are Hanuman Theertham, Sugreeva Theertham and Lakshmana Theertham.

Gandhamathana Parvatham

Gandhamathan Parvatham is a hill which is located about 3 km to the temple. It is the highest point in the island. Here is Ramarpatham temple where Rama's feet are found as an imprint on a chakra (wheel).

Train journey over Pamban Bridge

Pamban Island is connected by two noteworthy bridges. Pamban Rail Bridge is the oldest sea bridge in India and completed in 1914. Another Bridge is Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge started in 1988 and runs parallel to the rail bridge. It is the second longest sea bridge in India, Spanning 2.35 kilometers. A train journey over the rail bridge is particularly exciting as it sits quite close to the ocean. Here are the Indian Railways trains that depart from Rameshwaram and arrive in Rameshwaram.

Water Bird Sanctuary

In Rameswaram one can enjoy the native and migratory birds in the city’s water bird sanctuary. They come here in a lot of numbers for breeding and feeding.  The best time to visit bird sanctuary is October to January. 

Rama Setu

Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu is also known as Adam's Bridge that is a chain of limestone shoals, between Pamban Island (known as Rameswaram Island) of India, and Mannar Island of Sri Lanka.

The bridge is 48 km (30 mi) long. The bridge connects the Pamban Island to the Mannar island of Sri Lanka.  Even it was possible to walk on the bridge until it was destroyed by a cyclone in 1480.

Age of Ram Setu

According to Scientific analysis that the rocks are 7,000 years old but the sand is only 4,000 years old. Thus the date is the construction of Ram Setu around 5,000 years ago. It is said that It is a 35 km long man made bridge under the ocean between Pamban Island of india and Mannar Island of Sri Lanka. The bridge is submerged in the water and is around 100 meters wide and up to 10 meter in depth.

Location of Ram Setu

Ram Setu starts as a chain of shoals from the Dhanushkodi tip of India's Pamban Island and ends at Mannar Island in Sri Lanka.A chain of limestone shoals that is known as Adam's Bridge, extends to the coast of Sri Lanka. Hindus call it Ram Setu and respect it as remnants of the bridge that God Ram made. Even it was possible to walk on the bridge until it was destroyed by a cyclone in 1480.

How to Reach

By Air: The nearest airport is Madurai Airport that is about 149 kms from the city. Other nearest airport is Tuticorin Airport that is far of 142 kms. Private and Government Buses, cabs and rented taxis can be taken easily from outside of the airport to reach the city.

 By Rail: The nearest railway station is the Rameshwaram railway station. It is directly connected to all major stations of Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai, Thanjavur and Chennai.

By Road: Rameshwaram is well linked to various parts of the country by road. State transport buses are regularly available.

Best time to Visit

Rameshwaram can be visited any time of the year. The best time is to visit it from October to April. These months are enjoyable.