Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple

Rameswaram History

Sri Ramanathaswamy temple is situated close to the sea on the eastern side of the island, which is in the shape of a conch. The island is connected with the main land at Mandapam by an awe-inspiring rail bridge and a road bridge. In ancient days, the shrine was only a thatched hut. Over the centuries, the small shrine was gradually developed into what it stands today as a massive and magnificent structure. Different dynasties were ruling the Ramanathapuram region in different periods. Pandya Kings were ruling up to the 15 century. Later, the region came under the reign of Nayaks of the Vijayanagar empire, who ruled till around the 1 7 century.

Then the Sethupathis, who were the earliest chieftains of the region, came to power. They lavished their funds for art and architecture of the Rameswaram shrine. Notable among them were Udayan Sethupathy, Thirumalai Sethupathy, Raghunatha Sethupathy and Muthuramalinga Sethupathy, whose statues are housed in the temple.


	The reference of Rameshwaram appears not only in the Ramayan and Mahabharat but also the Sangam literature and the Shaivagams.

	The first Aryan to visit Rameshwaram was Agastya Rishi. Pandya was the ancient dynasty that managed to last up to the early 11th century with some obstacles.

	In the early years of the 11th century, Rameshwaram came under the control of Rajaraja and Rajendra Chola.

	The Pandya dynasty arose in the 12th century. It was during this period that the construction of the present day temple began.

	The region was controlled by the Nayaks of Vijaynagar for about 300 years in the Middle Ages.

	In the 17th century, the control shifted to the local Setupati dynasty who considered themselves as the descendents of Kewat Guh.

	In 1795 A.D., the British deposed the then ruler Muthuramalinga Setupati and established a direct control over the region.

	The local Marudhu brothers supported him during the Kottavaman revolution of 1803 A.D. Later they were arrested and hanged to death.

Mythology

Lord Ram installed a Shivling and worshipped it after slaying Ravan in order to be absolved of the sin of killing a Brahmin.

It is believed that pilgrims going to Badrinath should visit Rameshwaram first as the sand from the sea is supposed to be added to the Ganga River in Badrinath and then the Ganga water from there is added to the sea in Rameshwaram.

The pilgrimage to Kashi is considered as incomplete until a visit to Rameshwaram is also made.

According to Ramcharitmanas, a devotee who offers Ganga water to the Shivling in Rameshwaram is entitled to salvation.

According to the Skand Puran, a devotee who sleeps on the sand of the bridge is absolved of the sin of killing as many Brahmins as the number of sand particles that stick to his body.

The Hindu beliefs suggest that the Shivling of Rameshwaram is a symbol of the oneness of Shiv and Vishnu.

Main Places To See

Inside view of Ramnathswami Temple

Ramnath Swami Temple:

This is the most important temple which is world renowned for its architecture and a long corridor. It rests on about 4000 pillars. Shiv and Parvati are worshipped here as 2 forms:

-	Shiv-Rameshwaram Ling (installed by Ram) / Parvati as Parvatvardhini
-	Shiv-Vishwanath Ling (installed by Hanuman) / Parvati as Vishalakshi

Gandhmadan:

This is a hill to the west of the Rameshwaram Temple on which is situated a temple of Lord Ram which has his foot prints. It is also known as Ram Jharokha. The plan to attack Sri Lanka was made at this hill.

Dhanushkodi:

This is the tip of the island and resembles a peninsular structure, with the Bay of Bengal on its one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. Most of the settlements here were destroyed in the cyclone of 1964.

Kodandaram Temple:

This temple was the only one in Dhanushkodi to survive the cyclone of 1964. It is believed that here, Vibhishan was crowned as a king by Lord Ram.

Sakshi Vinayak Temple:

Situated between Pamban and Rameshwaram, this temple is also known as Van Vinayak. A visit to this temple after the Rameshwaram pilgrimage is the general tradition

Tirupulani:

It is a famous site on the mainland. It is said that Lord Ram took a fierce form against the sea. It was here that he also received a bow from Lord Shiv.

Uttarakosa Mangai:

There is an ancient Shiv Temple 16 km to the south of Ramnathpuram wherein the presiding God and Goddess are Mangaleshwar and Mangaleshwari, respectively.

Erwadi:

This place situated at 25 km from Rameshwaram has the tomb of noted Sufi Saint, Ibrahim Auliya. An Urs is held in the month of December every year.

Kurusudai Island:

At 23 km to the west of the Pamban Bridge is an island which has been declared a Marine National Park. A visit for nature lovers is a must.

Light house at Rameswaram in background

How to reach Rameswaram

Travelling tips from Chennai to Rameswaram

The nearest airport is Madurai, about a hundred and seventy kilometers away. We however traveled by train from Chennai. The bridge on the way is the special highlight of the journey..very very unmissable. Rameshwaram is well connected by road and rail. Only Hindus are allowed in the main shrine. It is always better to fix a priest in advance if you want any special pujas performed and also who could help out with the darshan and snan. If you're on your own, it is best to stand at the ticket counter very early in the morning to avoid the rush. Also, take care to do the snan according to the numbering of the wells starting from 1 ending in 22.