A trip to Rameswaram and near by temples
This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva named Ramanadeeswarar . This is one among the 276 Paadal petra Shivalayam and one among the 12 Jyothirlingams . Appar Sundarar and Thirugnana Sambandar has sung about this Lord . This temple is just 1km from Rameswaram railway station . We stayed in Hotel Tamilnadu run by our Tamilnadu tourism board .
We reached Rameswaram by early morning and our rooms were near by the temple took a set of dress just brushed up our teeth and had coffee and left to the temple .
The first ritual of Rameswaram yatra is to take bath in ” agni theertham ” in the eastern side of the temple . Here the sea is calm and clear without waves . Pithru tharpanam ( a ritual done for our ancestors ) are being done with the help of priests daily . It’s an auspicious event on thai (mid January to mid February) amavasai ( new moon day ) and aadi (mid July to mid August) amavasai day . Some collect sand here for Kasi yatra .
We took holy dip in agni theertham and entered in to the temple .
There are 22 wells inside the temples, there are men appointed by the temple officials to drag the water from the well and pour on us .
The sacred wells are
Mahalakshmi followed by
Gayatri
Savitri
Saraswathi
Gavya
Gavyaksha
Nala
Neela
Sethumadhava
Gandhamadhava
Brahmahatya Vimochana
Shanku
Surya
Chandra
Chakra
Shiva
Sarva
Satyamrita
Gaya
Ganga
Yamuna
finally Kodi theertham.
After having sprinkled these sacred well waters , we changed our clothes in cloak room alloted inside the temple premises . Later we were allowed to see the main deity Lord Shiva in Lingam form named Ramanaadheswarar. Those who bring Ganges water they collect and use it for next day morning abhishegam for that they collect rs100 .
Legends behind this temple says Lord Rama was asked to install Lingam and worship to get relieved of his Brahmahathi dosham after killing Lanka King Ravana . Lord Rama asked Hanuman to bring a Lingam from Mount Kailash as it took time , Goddess Seetha made this Lingam out of sand and worshipped . Hence it’s called as Ramanadeeswarar.
There are shrines for Goddess Parvathavarthini ,Vinayagar , Murugar , Brahmavidyambigai , Sahasralinga .
Seperate sannidhi for Goddess Lakshmi , Saraswathy , Lord Perumal .
It’s a big temple with 1000 pillars . The famous Rameswaram corridor is a architectural marvel .
One who collects sand from Rameswaram dissolves it in Triveni sangamam of Allahabad and brings river Ganges water to do abishegam to Ramanadeeswarar of Rameswaram .
Kothandaramar temple Rameswaram
Located at a distance of 12 km from the main city, Kothandaramaswamy Temple is one of the popular places to visit in Rameshwaram. This temple is situated in the island, surrounded with sparkling waters of Bay of Bengal on one side and majestic Gulf of Munnar on another side. This temple is also said to be visited by the revered saint Swami Vivekananda before his tour to Chicago which was an important historic event .
Kothandaramaswamy Temple is believed to be more than 1000 years old. This ancient temple is also known for the fact that it withstood the massive cyclone of 1964 which had ruined the entire town of Dhanuskodi. This temple survived the cyclone when almost all the buildings in the town were affected turning this religious town into a ruin. Dedicated to Lord Rama, this temple is also a historical building when is worth visiting while you are on your Rameshwaram tour.
Ramar Paadham Gandhamadana parvatham
Ramar Padham is a Temple for Ram’s Feet, it is Situated in the sandy hillock named Gandha Madhana parvatham (The village where this temple is located is also called as Gandha Madhana Parvatham). The word Parvatham Literally meant Mountain, as per the reference in the epic Ramayana, there was a mount in this place in the ancient times.
The feet of Lord Rama is engraved in a stone chakra in this place. The Ramar padham is the highest point in the Rameswaram, one can see the full panoramic view of Rameswaram island by standing on the top of this Temple.
It is said that one can view sri lanka by standing on the top of Ramar padham. It is however a lie you cannot able to see Srilanka from here. The view of Pamban bridge, Dhoor dharsan Tower, villoondi theertham, olaikkuda light house, Ramanatha swamy Temple, Rameswaram bus stand, Sea can be viewable clearly.
We saw Ramar theertham Lakshmana theertham and a Panchamukha Anjineyar temple . The floating stones used to build Ram Sethu are kept in this temple with ” RAM “written on it in Hindi .
We saw our former President and great scientist Dr. ABJ. Abdul kalam house too .
Pamban bridge another tourist attraction .
A 100-year-old railway bridge located in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Pamban bridge connects Rameswaram island to the mainland. It is not just a railway bridge but a major tourist attraction in Tamil Nadu that leaves travellers awestruck with its scenic beauty.
Dhanushkodi, once a thriving town
Flanked by the Indian Ocean on one side and the Bay of Bengal on the other, Dhanushkodi was once a bustling and flourishing town – with houses, schools, church, temple, a post office and a railway station. Thousands of people resided in this tiny town, known as one of the richest fishing belts in the country. Also, it was the only land border between Sri Lanka and India, and served as a major port for several pilgrims and traders. The temple and the church in the town were visited by many devotees, making it a preferred tourist spot .
The town left in ruins by a cyclone, 1964
The town once bustling with locals and holidaymakers alike was emptied abruptly and completely. On December 22, 1964, a massive cyclone swirled across Dhanushkodi with winds gusting up to 170 mph and the entire town was in ruins and deserted in the aftermath, just as it has stayed to this day. Tragically nearly 1,800 people lost their lives, and all the houses in the town were razed to the ground. The Madras Government quickly labelled the town as ‘not fit for human habitation ’. However , today only a small number of fisher families live here in their thatched huts.
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