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| Rameswaram |
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Places To See | Around
Rameshwaram | How to get there
| Festival | Where to stay
| Contact |
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|  South
east of Madurai, on an island in the Palk Strait, is the temple town of Rameswaram,
a sacred place for Hindus. According to the Ramayana, this is the place where
Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, to absolve himself of the sin of killing Ravana. Every
nook and corner of Rameswaram, is steeped in episodes from the Ramayana. Rameswaram
is the Varanasi of the south, and is a major pilgrimage centre for Vaishnavites
and Shaivites.
| | |
| Places
To See | | Ramanathaswamy
Temple
Close to the sea, on the eastern side of the island,
is this 17th century temple, renowned for its magnificent pillar corridor, running
to a length of 1200 metres, and flanked by ornate pillars. This is the longest
corridor in India. Construction of the temple began, in the 12th century AD, and
additions were made to the building, over the succeeding centuries by various
rulers, and, today, its gopuram is 53.6 metres high. There are 22 sacred wells
in the temple, the water of each tasting different from the others.
Agnitheertham
100 metres away from the temple is Agnitheertham, where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva,
to cleanse away the sin of killing Ravana.
Gandamadana
Parvatham
Situated on the highest point in the island, 2 km north of
Rameswaram town centre, is the venerable shrine, housing the imprint of Lord Rama's
feet placed on a chakra.
Dhanushkodi
Dhanushkodi, at the eastern end of the island, is located 8 kms away from Rameswaram.
This is the place where Rama is said to have bathed, and the boulders that pepper
the sea between here and Srilanka, known as Adam's bridge, were the stepping stones
used by Hanuman to find Rama's wife Sita, after she was abducted by Ravana, the
King of Lanka. Dhanushkodi was completely washed away by the sea, in the 1964
cyclone. The only surviving relic of the past is the Kothandaramaswamy temple,
which still contains the icons of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and Vibhishana.
Legend states that Vibhishana, brother of Ravana, surrendered to Rama at this
spot. | | |
| Around
Rameswaram | Ramanathapuram
The district headquarters and an ancient town, Ramanathapuram, is worth visiting
for its Ram Vilas Palace. This palace of the Sethupati Rajas, houses oil portraits
of the Rajas, of the past centuries. Ceilings and walls are decorated with early
eighteenth century murals, depicting subjects such as business meetings with the
English, and battles with the Maratha Sarabhoji, as well as scenes from epics.
Tirupullani
Also known as Dharbasayanam, the Vishnu
temple at Tirupullani, is dedicated to Lord Adi Jagannatha Perumal.
Uthirakosamangai
The site is famous for the Shiva temple, the deity of which is carved in emerald.
The annual 'Arudhra' festival in December, attracts a large number of tourists.
Erwadi
An important site for Muslim
pilgrims, Erwadi houses the tomb of Ibrahim Sahid Aulia. The annual festival in
honour of this saint, takes place in December. | |
| |
Festivals |
| Festivals are celebrated
in the Ramanathaswamy temple, in connection with Thai Amavasi (Jan), Masi Sivarathiri
(Feb-Mar), Thirukalyanam (July-Aug) and Mahalaya Amavasi (Sept).
CLICK FOR MORE |
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| How
to get there | | Connected
by road to all important towns. Rail connections with all major cities like Madras,
Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Tanjavur. Nearest airport is Madurai, which is
173 kms. | | |
| Where
to stay | | Hotel
Tamil Nadu, Rameswaram. TTDC Youth Hostel, Mandapam |
| | |
Contact |
| Tourist
Office, 14 Car Street, Rameswaram. Tourist Information Centre, Railway Station
Compound, Rameswaram. Temple Information Centre, (Inside the temple), East Side,
Ramanathaswamy temple. | | |
Winter: October to March.