Rameswaram
Location
About
An island town at the southern tip of India, Rameswaram is one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites and home to the Ramanathaswamy Temple, one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Shiva. Hindu tradition holds that Rama worshipped Shiva here before and after his battle against Ravana in Lanka, and that Rama's army built the Adam's Bridge (Rama Setu) causeway to reach Sri Lanka from this point.
Significance
Rameswaram combines the two great currents of Shaivism and Vaishnavism — Vishnu's avatar Rama worshipping Shiva here sanctifies both traditions simultaneously. The Adam's Bridge / Rama Setu, the chain of limestone shoals connecting India to Sri Lanka, is visible from satellite imagery and is identified by Hindus as the bridge built by Rama's monkey army. The temple's 197-meter corridor is the longest in Asia.
History & Historical Arc
The Ramanathaswamy Temple was built primarily by the Setupatis of Ramnad and Vijayanagara rulers during the 12th-17th ce…
Archaeological Notes
NASA satellite imagery of Adam's Bridge has been interpreted by scientists as a chain of ancient shoals and by Hindu tra…
Key Features & Structures
- Ramanathaswamy Temple (jyotirlinga, 197m corridor)
- 22 sacred teerthas (bathing pools)
Visitor Information
Open year-round. Bathing in 22 teerthas (tanks) inside the temple is the primary ritual. Dress code: men wear dhoti.
Related Figures
In the Bible
Source References
- Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda
- Shiva Purana, Jyotirlinga Mahatmya