Rameswaram

This article is about the temple town. For main temple, see Ramanathaswamy Temple. For other uses, see Rameswaram (disambiguation).

Inside view of Rameswaram temple

Rameswaram (Tamil: இராமேஸ்வரம், is a town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 50 kilometres from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India by the Pamban Bridge. Rameswaram is the terminus of the railway line from Chennai and Madurai. Together with Kashi, it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages. Hence, it is a bustling pilgrim centre.

It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. According to legend, this is the place from where Lord Rama built a bridge Ram Setu (also known as Adam's Bridge) across the sea to Lanka to rescue his consort Sita from her abductor Ravana. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage centre which is known as the Varanasi of the south.

Ex-president of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, hails from a fishing hamlet called Dhanushkodi situated on this island.

Geography

Rameswaram is located at 9.28°N 79.3°E / 9.28; 79.3. It has an average elevation of 10 metres (32 feet). The religious island is spread in an area of 61.8 square kilometres and happens to be in the shape of a conch. The Ramanatha Swamy Temple occupies major area of Rameshwaram.

The beach of Rameswaram is famous for its beautiful sea featured with no waves at all. The sea waves rise to a maximum height of 3 cm and the view looks like a very big river. Legend has it that Lord Ram of Ramayana prayed to the sea god to pave the way for Lanka. The sea god granted a boon saying that he will make the sea waves less to aid him in building a rock bridge.

Climate

Rameswaram has dry tropical climate, with average annual rainfall 94 cm, mostly from North East monsoon from October to January. The temperature is around 30°C to 35°C. The highest ever temperature recorded at Pamban station was 37°C and the lowest was 17°C.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Rameswaram had a population of 38,035. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Rameswaram has an average literacy rate of 72%: male literacy is 77%, and female literacy is 66%. In Rameswaram, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

View Of the East Gopuram of Rameswaram temple in the morning

Pamban Bridge

Rameswaram is significant for many Indians as a pilgrimage to Benaras is considered by some to be incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram. The presiding deity here is usually referred to as a Linga with the name Sri Ramanatha Swamy, it is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Inner sanctum of the temple was built by Sri Lankan monarch Parakrama Bahu in 10th century. This masterpiece of Indian architecture boasts of the biggest temple corridor in India. Different rulers built the Ramanathaswamy Temple over a period of time starting from the twelfth century.(Although this theory is devised by westerners which has been proven to be false). The temple comprises twenty two wells where the taste of the water of each well is different from the other. The grandest part of the temple is the 1219 m pillared corridor consisting of 3.6 m high granite pillars, richly carved and well proportioned. The perspective presented by these pillars run uninterruptedly to a length of nearly 230 m.

According to the Puranas(the historical records of ancient India), upon the advice of Rishis (Highly respected sages), Bhagwan Rama along with Mata Sita and ShriLakshmana, installed and worshipped the Sivalinga(A form of Lord Shiva) here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmin). (Ravana, the son of Vishrava and the great grandson of Lord Brahma). Shri Rama fixed an auspicious time for the installation and sent Shri Anjaneya to Mount Kailas (Kailash parvat)to bring a lingam. As Bhagwan Anjaneya could not return in time, Sita herself made a linga of sand. When Anjaneya returned with a linga from Mount Kailas the rituals had been over. To comfort the disappointed Bhagwan Anjaneya, Rama had Anjaneya’s lingam (Visvalingam) also installed by the side of Ramalinga, and ordained that rituals be performed first to the Visvalingam.

The above account is however, not supported by the original Ramayana as authored by Maharishi Valmiki, nor in the Tamil version of the Ramayana as authored by Kambar. Support for this account may however be found in some of the later versions of the Ramayana as penned by Tulasidas (15th Century) and others.

In Rameswaram Temple, a spiritual "Mani Darisanam" (Mani Darshan) happens in early morning everyday. This "Mani" is made of "spatikam"[a precious stone] and in form of "Holy shivling". According to some accounts, this is "Mani" of "sheshnag" (Bhagwaan Vishnu's bed).

Sethu Karai is a place 22 km before the island of Rameswaram from where Bhagwaan Ram is said to have built a Floating Stone Bridge Rama sethu from Rameswaram that further continued to Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram till Talaimannar in Sri Lanka as mentioned in the great epic Ramayana.

Places to see

• 
  Ramarpadm - Footsteps of Lord Rama
• 
  Ramarpaadham Temple, Rameshwaram
• 
  Naga Idols at Ram Temple, Rameshwaram
• 
  Lakshman Theertham, Rameshwaram. In the background Rameswaram TV Tower, the tallest tower of India
• 
  Sita Kund - Pond named after Sita
• 
  Floating stones (Hanuman Temple)
• 
  Sugreevar theertham, Lotus pond on the way to Ramar Padham\
• 
  Corridor

See also

• Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram
• Tirthas of Rameswaram
• Rama's Bridge

External links

• Rameshwaram Temple Guide
• RAMESWARAM.ORG.IN
• Rameshawaram Temple
• Rameswaram
• Rameswaram -Tamil Nadu Tourism Site* http://www.tamilnadu-tourism.com/tamil-nadu-temples/rameshwaram-temple.html
• http://www.chennaionline.com/toursntravel/ontheroad/rameswaram.asp
• Photos of Rameswaram (1280x960), published by author
• VedaGnana.org