Friends if you are visiting Rameshwaram, you should not miss Jatayu Teertham & Jada Teertham.
Rameshwaram’s holy land is endowed with approximately 64 theertham, which are scattered over the island.
Puranas, which are sacred Hindu books, mention these theertham.
So in and around the island of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India, there are sixty-four Trthas (holy water bodies).
Twenty-four of these, according to Sknda Pura, are significant.
Bathing in these Trthas is an important part of the trip to Rameswaram and is considered penance.
Twenty-two Trthas can be found within the Rmantha Swamy Temple.
In a hurry – Watch this video:
Jatayu Teertham
The legend surrounding this temple is linked to incidents from the Hindu sacred text Ramayana.
When the demon Ravana kidnapped Mata Sita, according to religious traditions, Jatayu aided Lord Rama by defeating the monster.
Jatayu’s wings were slashed during the combat, causing it to fall to the ground and perish.
Lord Rama then buried Jatayu’s remains near where a temple devoted to Jatayu presently stands.
It is stated that the entire area where it was buried became vibhuti, which is the holy ash collected by the saints after the yagnas.
It is also stated that Jatayu assisted in obtaining plants from the highlands in order to save Lord Rama’s life.
Jada Teertham
Jada Theertham is on the road to Dhanuskodi, another prominent attraction in Rameshwaram.
Dhanuskodi, a major pilgrimage site that was labelled a ghost town or unfit for habitation following the devastating cyclone of 1964, currently contains only the ruins of an ancient temple that survived the hurricane that destroyed everything.
The legend behind this theertham is linked to Lord Rama’s struggle with the demon Ravana, who captured Ma Sita.
According to mythology, after the conflict and killing the demon Ravana, who was also a Brahmin, Lord Rama chose to atone for his transgression by building a lingam and praying to Lord Shiva.
Lord Rama washed his hair in this pond before worshipping Lord Shiva’s lingam.
As the term Jada implies hair, it is named Jada Theertham.
Kaveri Theertham, a temple near Jada Theertham, is dedicated to Lord Kapardis Vara. Almost every devotee in Rameshwaram visits this temple.
This temple, built near a massive peepal tree, captivates tourists with its architectural splendour as well.
Despite its diminutive size, the temple displays enticing craftsmanship, particularly its lattice work.
Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, and Lord Lakshmana were said to have rested under the same peepal tree while on vanvas (exile) from their kingdom of Ayodhya.
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