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Rameswaram

Pop: 35,000 Area Code: 04573

Rameswaram is one of the four dhamas, or kingdoms of God. The other three are Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka. It is known as the Varanasi of the South. Rameswaram is located at the southeastern end of the Indian Peninsula on the Gulf of Mannar. It is on the eastern side of an island, which is the shape of a conch shell, 55km by 12km.

There is a major, very popular Lord Siva temple here called the Ramananthaswami Temple. It is said that Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, bathed at Dhanushkodi, where the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean meet.
Rameswaram is a small town and except for seeing the temples and holy places, there is not much to see or do.

Orientation
The temple is in the center of town, right next to the sea. It is surrounded by West, North, East, and South Car Streets. This is where the shopping area and most of the hotels and restaurants are located. The Hotel Tamil Nadu is a little north of town. The bus station is 2km west of town.

Information
The Tamil Nadu Tourist Office (21371), 14 East Car St, is open from 10 am to 5 pm. There is a tourist information counter at the railway station, which is open when trains arrive.

There is a Temple Information Office on the east side of the temple.

You can change money at the State Bank of India, N Car St. The Indian Bank (21234), W Car St, changes travelers checks.

The Government Hospital (21233) is located near the railway station.

The post office and telegraph office are on Mela Street. There is post office east of the temple near the police station.

The beach by the Tamil Nadu Hotel is decent and is relatively empty.

Tour
There is a bus tour to Rameswaram that departs from Madurai at 6.30 am and returns at 7 pm. It goes to the Ramanathaswami Temple, Gandhamadhana Parvatham, Laksman Teertham, Agni Teertham, a temple where there is a floating rock, and Indira Gandhi Bridge. It does not go to all the places in the area, but I considered it a good tour. You can arrange it at many of the travel agencies in Madurai. You are picked up and dropped off at your hotel. The only problem with this tour is it goes in a minibus, which can be very uncomfortable if you sit in the back.

Sri Ramananthaswami Temple
This is one of the major Lord Siva temples in India. The name of the deity, Ramananthaswami, indicates that Lord Siva is a great personality whose worshipable deity is Lord Rama. This temple is famous for the 1,220m (3,700 feet) long beautiful corridor that goes around the temple. Parts of the present temple were built in the 12th century. Many additions have been added over the years. Udayan Sethupathi of Ramnad expanded the temple in the 15th century and his statue is found near the southern entrance of the temple. The temple covers 15 acres. The eastern gopuram is 53m (175 ft) high.

This temple is about 200m from the sea, facing east. It is open from 4 am to 1 pm and 3 to 9 pm. Non-Hindus are not allowed into the inner sanctum to see the deities but can walk around the rest of the temple. You have to wait in line about half an hour on a normal day to get a close view of the Ramanantha-linga.

The important festivals are during Maha Siva-ratri (ten days during Feb/March), Brahmotsavam (ten days during March/April), and Thirukalyanam (July/Aug), which celebrates the marriage of Siva and Parvati.

The sea at Agni Teertham, about 250m from the temple, is a sacred bathing place, and it is said that if you take bath there all your sins are washed away. It is traditional to take bath at Agni Teertham before entering the Ramananthaswami Temple.

Temple Story
It is said that Rama installed the Siva-linga in the Ramananthaswami Temple on his return to the mainland from the island of Lanka, after killing Ravana. Rama wanted to install a Siva-linga in Rameswaram to absolve himself of the sin of killing Ravana, who was a Brahmin. Rama sent Hanuman to Mount Kailash to get the linga. Hanuman was late, so when the auspicious time for the installation neared, Sita made a Siva-linga out of sand. This linga was then installed by Rama and is known as the Rama-linga, because Lord Rama installed it.

At that time Hanuman came with the Siva-linga from Kailash. He was disappointed to find a linga already installed. Rama told Hanuman that he could remove the linga made by Sita and install the one that he brought in its place. Hanuman took hold of the linga with his hands and could not move it. He then wrapped his tail around it and tried to pull the linga out, but it did not move. The linga is said to still have the marks of Hanuman’s tail on it. To pacify Hanuman, Rama had the linga that he brought, the Viswa-linga, installed alongside the Rama-linga. He ordered that puja (worship) be performed first to the Viswa-linga. This is still being done today.

Temple Complex
As you enter the main eastern entrance there is a deity of Hanuman trying to remove the sand Ramanatha Siva-linga. There is a 1,220m (4,000 ft) long beautiful corridor, which goes around the temple, with large sculptured pillars that are elaborately designed and carved. It is the longest temple corridor in India. The corridor is 9m high and 5m to 6m (17 to 21 ft) wide. It is 264m from east to west and 200m from south to north. There are 1212 pillars in the north and south corridors. These temple corridors are an impressive sight.

If you proceed straight from the east entrance you come to the huge bull carrier of Lord Siva, Nandi, who is 5m long and 3m high. You then come to the Ramanathaswami Siva shrine. In the principal sanctum (altar) is the linga of Sri Ramanatha. This is the linga that Sita made and Rama sanctified.

The Viswa-linga, installed by Hanuman, is to the right of the Ramanatha-linga, on an altar along the north wall. Vishalakshi, his consort, is next to him on another altar.

The shrine of Parvathavardhini, the consort of Sri Ramanatha, is left of the Rama-linga. You can enter this shrine through a corridor to the left of the main altar.

 Behind the Sri Ramanatha shrine, between the second and third walls, is a shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu called Setu Madhava. Tradition says that if you bathe in the tank near this shrine and offer worship to this Lord Vishnu deity you receive all the benefits of bathing in Setu.

Temple Teerthams– Bathing Tanks
There are 22 teerthams (tanks) in the temple in which pilgrims traditionally bathe in before seeing the deities. Each tank is said to give a different benefit. Many pilgrims bathe in all 22 tanks before seeing the deity.

These bathing tanks are 1) Maha-Lakshmi; 2) Savitri; 3) Gayatri; 4) Saraswati; 5) Setu Madhava, will receive the blessing of Lakshmi and purification of heart; 6) Gandamadana, will receive wealth and sins will be absolved; 7) Kavatcha, you will not go to hell; 8) Gavaya; 9) Nala, one will go to heaven; 10) Neela; 11) Sankha; 12) Sakra; 13) Brahmahatya Vimochana, Brahma was absolved from his sins; 14) Surya; 15) Chandra; 16) Ganga, attain wisdom; 17) Yamuna, attain wisdom; 18) Gaya; 19) Siva; 20) Satyamrita; 21) Sarva; and 22) Kodi.

Gandhamadhana Parvatham
This two-storey temple is on a small hilltop, about 2.5km northwest of the Ramananthaswami Temple. There is a set of Lord Rama’s footprints on a Chakra here, and the small Ramjharoka Temple. There is a good view of the island from here. It is said that Hanuman made his great leap to Lanka from here. Open 6 to 11.30 am and 3.30 to 6.30 pm.

Kothandaramasvami Temple
There are deities of Rama, Sita, Laksman, Hanuman and Vibhishana bowing to Rama here. It is said that Vibhishana, Ravana’s brother, surrendered to Lord Rama at this place. A series of paintings inside the temple tells the pastime. In 1964 a cyclone wiped out everything in the surrounding area. The only thing left standing was this temple. It is located about 8km from Rameswaram, or about 6km from the southernmost tip of the island going toward Dhanushkodi. Open 9 am to 5 pm. The temple has no electricity and therefore no lighting after dark.

Dhanushkodi
This is the place where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean. It is said that here Lord Rama destroyed a small bridge with his bow at the request of Vibhishana, the younger brother of Ravana. Pilgrims are supposed to bathe in the small lagoon here called Ratnakara. This is a place to offer sraddha to the ancestors. It is said to be especially auspicious to bathe here in May. It is a nice place to visit.

Dhanushkodi is about 20km southeast of Rameswaram. To get to Dhanushkodi you can share a four-wheel drive vehicle (Rs 500) as far as the road goes, which is about 3km from the end of the island. Buses from the local bus stand, on the east side of the Ramanathaswami Temple, go about 2km pass the Kothandaraswami Temple. From there you have to walk the rest of the way into what seems like the middle of nowhere, as there is no road. It is a tough place to get to. There used to be a railway line to Dhanushkodi, but it was destroyed by a cyclone several years ago.

Other Places
There are places connected with the Ramayana in the area. There is a temple near the bridge that you cross to enter Rameswaram where there is a floating rock. When Lord Rama went to Lanka with the monkey army, they crossed the ocean on a bridge of floating rocks. The floating rock in this temple proves that floating rocks exist. Near this temple, close to the bridge, is Laksman Teertham and Rama Teertham. Lord Rama is said to have bathed in these two tanks. Kodi Teertham is a spring that Lord Rama is said to have created by shooting an arrow into the ground.

It is said that at Jata Teertham, Rama washed his hair to get rid of any sins that he might have incurred in the battle at Lanka. This place is 4km from Rameswaram, going toward Dhanushkodi. Next to this place is the Papahareshwar Temple.

Where to Stay
As this is a major pilgrimage town, sometimes lodging can be tight. If possible, reserve a room in advance from a Tourist Bungalow or at a Tamil Nadu Tourist Office. During a festival, if you arrive late in the day, it can be hard to find a place to stay. Also from the middle of December to the end of January you may have a problem getting a room here, especially late in the day. Often music is broadcast on loud speakers from the temple all day, so the places near the temple can be noisy.
Gujarati Dharamshala, about a five-minute walk from the temple, was recommended to me as a cheap, very basic place.

Temple Devasthana, North Car St, has small, clean rooms for Rs 50/75.

There are good-sized, clean Retiring Rooms (21226) at the railway station for Rs 100/125. Dorm beds are Rs 20. The rooms can be noisy because they are right next to the station.
Santhana Lodge (21229), South Car St, has basic Indian style rooms with bath for Rs 50/60.
Alankar Tourist Home, West Car St, has basic rooms with bath for Rs 110. The Alankar is a little better than the rest of the cheap places.
Santhya Lodge (21329), W Car St, has rooms with bath for Rs 125/150 and Rs 175/250 with A/C. The rooms in the new building are better. Off-season half price.
Swami Ramanatha Tourist Home (21217) has clean basic rooms with bath for Rs 200.
Devasthanam Lodge (21241) has rooms for Rs 150/200.
Hotel Maharaja’s (21271; fax 21161), 7 Middle St (the street that goes west from the west temple gate), has good clean rooms with balconies and bath for Rs 175/250. It also has A/C rooms with cable TV for Rs 550. Triples Rs 350. 24-hour check-out.
Island Star Hotel (21472), South Car St, has clean rooms for Rs 200 and with A/C for Rs 600.
Hotel Venkatesh (21296), Sithi Vinayagar Kovil St, has good rooms with bath for Rs 200/250 and with A/C for Rs 350. Rooms with four beds are Rs 350. The last two places are a little better than the other hotels listed above.
Hotel Chola (21307), North Car St, has airy clean rooms for Rs 150, triple Rs 200, four-beds Rs 300.
TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu (21277; fax 21070) in the northeast end of town, in a quiet area near the beach, has doubles with bath and hot water for Rs 300/350 and Rs 600 with A/C and TV. It is the best place in town. Dorm beds Rs 60. All the rooms have a sea view. It is often full, so you should book in advance at a Tamil Nadu tourist office.
TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu II (21071), near the railway station, has basic rooms for Rs 175.
TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu Mandapam (41512), 14km west of Rameswaram on the mainland, has basic rooms for Rs 300 and dorm beds for Rs 60. Tour groups use it, so it is often full.

Where to Eat
There are many cheap, basic vegetarian places here. Most of them are not very good.
Hotel Abhirami, Sannadhi St, is one of the better South Indian restaurants. It has good service and the dosas and tomato rice are good.
Hotel Guru, next to the temple’s east entrance, is a South Indian place with decent cheap thalis. It is one of the better places in town.
Gujarati Bhojanalay, Sannadhi St, has Gujarati food.
Hotel Ashok Bhavan, W Car St, has South Indian thalis for Rs 20. It has dosas, and idlis in the morning.
The Sri Ganesh, Ashok Bhavan, and Hotel Ariya Bhavan are simple thali places on West Car Street. There is a place run by the Devasthanam Trust located opposite the eastern gate of the temple. The Vasantha Bhawan is at the State Bus Stand.
Hotel Tamil Nadu has a restaurant.

Local Travel
Regular buses go between the bus stand and the temple (Rs 2).

Bicycles can be rented at a shop by the temple entrance or at the Hotel Tamil Nadu for about Rs 15 per day or Rs 2 an hour. This is a good way to get around town, as some of the places are a good distance from the center of town.

Travel
Air The closest airport is in Madurai, 167km away.

Train  There are trains to Madurai (5½-7 hr, 5 daily), Chidambaram (11 hr, 1 daily), Coimbatore (12½ hr, 1 daily), and other places. There are two express trains, the Setu Exp 6713 (7.10 am, 18 hr) and the Rameswaram Exp #6701, 2.25 pm, 18½ hr), that go to Chennai daily (666km). They do not stop in Madurai, but go through Tiruchirappalli. There are three daily passenger trains to and from Madurai (164km, 6 hr) including the Rameswaram-Coimbatore Exp #6716 (4.10 pm, 3 hr).

The Rameswaram Exp #6702 (daily, 12.30 pm) takes 6½ hr to get to Tiruchirappalli. The Rameswaram-Tirupati Exp departs to Tirupati (6 am, 23 hr).

There are regular buses from the railway station to the Ramananthaswami Temple.

Bus The bus station is 2km west of town. There are buses to Chennai (14 hr), Madurai (4½ hr, 20 daily), Kanyakumari (9 hr), and Tiruchirappalli. You can get a bus to Thanjavur and Pondicherry via Madurai. To get to Kerala it is easier and quicker to go by bus than to go by train. There are regular buses to Nagercoil, which is a major bus junction in southern Kerala. There you can connect to other places in Kerala.

From Rameswaram you can get a non-stop tourist bus to Madurai for Rs 75. This bus picks you up at your hotel and drops you off at a hotel in Madurai. You arrange it with your hotel or a travel agency.

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