Ramanathaswamy Temple | Rameshwaram Temple

Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in India. It is believed that Lord Rama worshiped Lord Shiva in this place after killing Ravana in a war. Later, several Indian rulers and dynasties contributed in the construction of the temple. Rameshwaram was the starting point of the famous bridge called ‘Rama Sethu’, built by Rama with the help of ‘vanar-sena’ (the army of monkey warriors) to reach Lanka to rescue his consort, Sita. It is believed that Kashi (Varanasi) pilgrimage is complete only after visiting Ramanathaswamy temple of Rameshwaram.

About Rameshwaram Temple

Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the famous pilgrimage sites dedicated to Lord Shiva, located on Rameswaram island, in Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the char dhams (four divine sites) in India along with Badarinath, Puri, and Dwaraka. It is also one of the twelve jyotirlinga temples. It is considered a holy pilgrimage site for both Shaivites and Vaishnavites. It is believed that Sri Rama in the Treta yuga has established and worshipped Lord Shiva in the form of lingam here. Later several rulers over the centuries have made changes and renovated the temple. The temple has the longest corridors among all Hindu temples in India.

Rameshwaram is the nearest place from India to reach Sri Lanka and it is believed that Rama built a bridge called ‘Rama Sethu’, across the sea to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita. The geological evidence suggests that there are indeed the remains of a bridge at this place.

There are two lingams worshipped in this place. One is brought by Hanuman from the Himalayas which is ‘Atma lingam’ and the other is created out of the sand by Sita. Both of them are called ‘Vishwalingam’ and ‘Ramalingam’ respectively. Rama instructed to worship the Vishwalingam first, as it was brought by Hanuman from Kailash. This tradition is continued even today.

There are many shrines within the temple complex for various deities. There are separate shrines for Ranganatha Swamy and his consort Goddess Parvathavardhini separated by a corridor. Other shrines are for Goddess Vishalakshi, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Lord Subramanya, Lord Hanuman, Lord Nataraja and Goddess Mahalakshmi.

What is Jyotirlinga

Jyotirlinga means a column of light. Lingam signifies the infinite nature of Lord Shiva, without the beginning and the end. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 jyotirlingas in India, where it is believed that the supreme deity of Hinduism, Lord Shiva himself resides in different manifestations in the form of linga.

Rameshwaram has a very significant position among the twelve jyotirlingas. As per legends, jyotirlinga was installed and worshipped by Sri Rama himself.

History and Architecture of Ramanathaswamy Temple

Many rulers of India have contributed to the making Ramanathaswamy temple. The notable kingdoms are Chola kingdom (1012 – 1040 CE), Jafna Kingdom (1215 – 1624 CE), Vijayanagar Empire (during 14th century), Pandya Dynasty (15th century), and Setupathi dynasty.

Ramanathaswamy temple is definitely a magnificent architectural masterpiece. The temple is built with typical south Indian architecture. The temple is surrounded by four sides with a high compound wall with huge towers (gopurams) to the east and the west and the gate towers to the north and south. The main tower or raja gopuram is 53m in tall. The interior of the temple consists of long corridors with huge pillars and beams. Most of the pillars are carved with an amazing piece of artwork. The total length of these corridors is 3850 feet. There are about 1212 pillars in the outer corridor. The ceiling is covered with colorful lotus art.

Legend behind Rameshwaram Temple

The principal deity of Rameshwaram is called Ramanatha Swamy. There is a story behind it. According to Ramayana, Sri Rama killed Ravana in the war of Lanka. Ravana was a Brahmin warrior and to absolve from the curse of killing a Brahmin person, Rama worshipped Lord Mahadeva in this place.

To worship Lord Shiva, Rama sent Hanuman to the Himalayas to bring the original linga. However, Hanuman couldn’t bring the lingam in time. Because of this, Sita created a shiva lingam from sand and Rama worshipped that lingam. By the time Rama finished the pooja, hanuman brought the lingam from Kailasa. Since Rama has already started the worship with other linga, Hanuman got disappointed. So, Rama ordered to worship the linga brought by hanuman first and he named that shivalinga as ‘vishwalingam’. And the one made by Sita is called ‘Ramalingam’. Like this, the custom of worshipping both the lingas continued in rameshwaram.

An interesting fact about this temple is that the temple priests are Marathi Brahmins of Maharashtra who get Diksha (initiation) from Sringeri Mutt. It is believed that in the 17th century, the King had brought the Brahmins from Maharasthtra, who were well versed in the Vedas.

Theerthams (Holy Water Bodies)

According to Skanda Purana, there are about 64 theerthas (water bodies) in Rameswaram. It is believed that 24 of them are important. It is believed that taking a dip in these theerthas will dissolve all the sins. Twenty two of such spots are located within the Ramanatha Swamy Temple, where devotees take bath. The first and major one is called Agnitheertham. It is believed that Lord Rama took bath in this place to absolve him from the sin committed by killing Ravana. Although not compulsory, it is customary to bathe in all the theerthams. The pilgrims are allowed to take bath in the theerthams from 5:30 AM to 12:30 PM and again from 3 PM to 7 PM.

Rameshwaram Temple Timings

Darshan Timings – 5 AM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 9 PM
Spatika Linga Darshan - 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM
Moolasthana Darshan - 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Entry Fee - Free
Special Days – Maha Shivaratri
Best time to visit - October to April

Places to visit near Ramanatha Swamy Temple

Panchamukhi Hanuman Temple or Five Faced Hanuman Temple

Dedicated to Lord Hanuman, Panchamukhi Hanuman temple is located at 2 km from Ramanathaswamy temple. Lord Hanuman depicted with five faces represents fie manifestations- Varaha, Narasimha, Garuda, hanuman and Hayagriva. The main idol of Hanuman is carved out of a precious huge stone called ‘Senthooram stone’.
Pamban Bridge

Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge that connects the town of Rameshwaram to the mainland. It is the first bridge in India that was constructed over the sea and it is the longest bridge in Southern India with 143 pillars, which is 100 years old. The railroad bridge is a double-leaf bascule section midway that can be raised to let ships and barges pass under it. It is located 7 km from Rameshwaram.
Dhanushkodi

Dhanushkodi is a small picnic spot that has Dhanushkodi temple and Dhanushkodi beach. Dhanushkodi means the end of the bow and it is a place where Lord Rama built the famous bridge with floating stones. It is a must-visit place in Rameshwaram, which offers many activities besides temple visits. Visitors can even indulge in sea surfing.

How to reach Rameshwaram Temple

Ramanathaswamy temple is located in the center of Rameshwaram, which is well accessed by all modes of transport. Located on the Pamban Island, which is connected to the mainland by the Pamban bridge. Rameshwaram is well connected through bus and train services from other major cities of the country.

By Air: The nearest airport is Madhurai airport, which is 160 km away from Rameshwaram. Thoothukudi is another airport, which is around 200 km from the temple.
By Train: Rameshwaram is well connected with all the cities of India. Ramanathaswamy temple is located at a distance of 1.5 km from Rameshwaram.
By Road: Rameshwaram temple is located at a distance of 2 km from Rameshwaram Bus stand. Bus services are available from many important cities of India.

Significance of Ramanathaswamy Temple

It is a holy place for both Shivites and Vaishnavites. Although Rameshwaram is predominantly associated with Sri Rama, the main temple –Ramanathaswamy temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Sri Rama himself established the Shivalinga to absolve the sin committed by killing Ravana.

There are two lingams worshipped in this place. One is brought by Hanuman from the Himalayas which is ‘Atma linga’ and the other is created out of the sand by Sita. Both of them are called ‘Vishwalingam’ and ‘Ramalingam’ respectively.