Rameswaram
Rameswaram is a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas and one of the four holiest places in Char Dham comprising Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka.
Rameswaram is a town on Pamban Island, in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu.It is located on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilometres from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar, at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India by the Pamban Bridge.
Rameswaram is considered holy because of the Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) temple,which is believed to have been established and worshiped by Rama, an avatar of the god Vishnu, to absolve the sins created during the Ramayana war at Sri Lanka.
This temple is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. It is one of the 274 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where the three of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite saints), Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar, have glorified the temple with their songs.
The primary deity of the temple is Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) in the form of lingam. There are two lingams inside the sanctum – one built by Sita, from sand, residing as the main deity, Ramalingam and the one brought by Hanuman from Kailash called Vishwalingam. Rama instructed that Vishwalingam should be worshipped first since it was brought by Hanuman – the tradition continues even today.
The outer set of corridors in this temple is reputed to be the longest in the world, measuring about 6.9 m in height, 400 feet each in the east and west and about 640 feet in the north and the south. The inner corridors are about 224 feet each in the east and the west and about 352 feet each in the north and the south.The total length of these corridors is thus 3850 feet. There are about 1212 pillars in the outer corridor. Their height is about 30 feet from the floor to the center of the roof. Most pillars are carved with individual compositions.
There are sixty-four Tīrthas (holy water bodies) in and around the island of Rameswaram, According to Skānda Purāṇa, twenty-four of them are important. Bathing in these Tīrthas is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance.Twenty-two of the Tīrthas are within the Rāmanāthasvāmī Temple. The number 22 indicates the 22 arrows in Rama’s quiver.
Apart from Ramanathaswamy temple, four most important places to visit are
Pamban Bridge, Dhanushkodi Beach,Five Faced Hanuman Temple, Gandhamana Parvatham.
Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge which connects the town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island to mainland India. Opened on 24 February 1914, it was India’s first sea bridge, and was the longest sea bridge in India until the opening of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in 2010. The rail bridge is, for the most part, a conventional bridge resting on concrete piers, but has a double-leaf bascule section midway, which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through.
Dhanushkodi Beach lies on the tip of the Rameswaram island. In this beach, the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean merge which is known as Arichal Munai in Tamil. Before 1964, Dhanushkodi was a busy city with lots of crowds. The Dhanushkodi Beach attracted thousands of tourists each day.
In 1964, Dhanushkodi was hit by a cyclone and was almost destroyed by it. It is considered a ghost town, as the place became uninhabitable. Tourists still visit Dhanushkodi Beach in large numbers. The main attractions of the beach are Ram sethu view point and the Adam’s Bridge, which was said to be constructed by the army of monkeys for Lord Rama according to Hindu Legend. The Dhanushkodi beach is considered not safe for those who cannot swim as the surf is above 12 feet at certain points.
Five Faced Anjaneya-Floating Stone
Significance:
- The small Hanuman deity inside the temple is fully covered with senthooram (A saffron colored powder).
- There are some floating stones in this temple, this stones weigh a lot but amazingly they float in the water. It is said by the priests that this stones are part of Ram sethu (The Bridge built by lord Ram across the sea to reach Sri Lanka).
History:
- The statue of Hanuman was brought from Dhanushkodi after the 1964 cyclone.
- The Ram, lakshman, sita idols in this temple were also brought from Dhanushkoti after the cyclone.
Legend:
- It is said that the Lord had revealed his five faces here; hence the idol of Hanuman is depicted with five faces which are of Lord Hanuman in the middle along with faces of Lord Narasimha, Lord Adivaraha, Lord Garuda and Lord Hayagriva on the sides.
- According to legend, during the war between Lord Rama and demon Ravana who had abducted Goddess Sita, Ravana had seeked the help of Mahiravana, who was the king of Patala Loka. However, Lord Hanuman, in order to protect Lord Rama and Lakshman, had built a huge fortress around them with his tail. So, later Mahiravana disguised himself as Vibhishana, brother of Ravana who was helping Lord Rama in the war. He then took Lord Rama and Lord Lakshman to Patala Loka so as to kill them. Lord Hanuman while searching them also reached Patala Loka where he found out that in order to kill Mahiravana he is supposed to extinguish all the five lamps at the same time; these five lamps were burning in different directions. So to kill Mahiravana and save Lord Rama and Lord Lakshman, Lord Hanuman took the form of Panchmukhi Hanuman and put out all the lamps at the same time. The five faces of lord Hanuman are of Lord Varaha that faces the north, Lord Narasimha facing the south, Lord Garuda facing the west, Lord Hanuman facing the east along with face of Lord Hayagriva that faces the sky.
Gandamadana Parvatham
- It is famous for its beautiful sunrise and sunset. It is a holy place for the pilgrims, who come to worship Lord Rama’s footprints, which can be seen within the premises of the shrine. The double storied Mandapam of the Ramjharoka Temple on this hillock houses the footprints of Lord Rama on the Chakra.
- The imprint of Lord Rama’s feet is placed on a chakra in the Ramjharoka Temple at the highest point of the Island of Rameswaram this makes Gandamadana Parvatham a major tourist attraction. The name of the place literally means “where Rama waited”. It is supposed to be the first spot where Rama rested after his long expedition to Lanka where Ravana had gone after abducting his wife Sita. It is on this spot that Rama stopped and looked at the vast ocean that lay between him and his destination: the island of Lanka and the abode of Ravana. The area surrounding the spot is pristine and beautiful even though a temple has been erected on the spot to mark the spot.
How to reach Rameshwaram by Air
- The city does not have an airport of its own but tourists from different parts of the country can land at the approaching airport at Madurai. The Madurai airport is approximately 170 km away from the heart of Rameshwaram city.
- How to reach Rameshwaram by Rail
- The Rameshwaram railway station is directly connected via rail to all major stations of Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai, Thanjavur and Chennai. Major cities of Tamil Nadu are connected directly to Rameshwaram via railway networks.
How to reach Rameshwaram by Road
- The city is connected with all major cities of Tamil Nadu hence you can easily reach the city by road. Frequent bus service is available from Madurai and many other cities to reach Tamil Nadu. Chennai is approximately 650 km away from the heart of Rameshwaram. Madurai (169km), Tiruchirappalli (271km) and Thanjavur (231 km) can be traveled from Rameshwaram by road.