We have covered articles on Char Dham yatra temples and today we will take you to the temple located at Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu – Shri Rameshwaram temple also called as Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple.
This temple is in Tamil Nadu. Devotees from the whole world throng the temple. It has great significance in the Hindu religion.
The followers of Hinduism wish to visit the temple at least once in their life. It is counted among the pious Char Dham Yatra pilgrims.
Shri Rameshwaram temple is devoted to Lord Shiva. The architecture is mesmerizing. It has one of the most famous Jyotirlinga temples of India.
The corridors are the longest in the world known for a temple. The carvings on the pillars are not seen anywhere else in the whole world.
The Lingam is believed to have been placed there by Lord Rama. But the temple has been renovated by several different rulers, so there is an amalgamation of different cultures in the design.
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Shri Rameshwaram temple history:
It has a very interesting story associated with the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple . A belief says that once Lord Rama had killed Ravana he was returning back to Ayodhya with Ma Sita.
But he was overtaken by guilt. He wanted to remove the guilt or the Dosha of having killed so many brahmins. So, the sages with him advised him to install and worship a shiva lingam.
He is the one who can forgive their sins. He wished for the largest lingam to be brought from the Himalayas. This was done by hanuman. But all this took a lot of time. So, in the meanwhile, Ma Sita made a small Shiva lingam out of the sand.
The lingam brought by Hanuman was the bigger one. It was placed beside the smaller one. The larger one is called Shiva lingam while the shorter one is called Rama lingam.
The original temple was just a shed made of straw. But later rulers of the Setupati dynasty built massive structures around the main shrine.
The world-famous corridors were the idea of Muthuramalinga. It is called the Chokkatan Mandapam. Architecture is so special that students from all over the world come to study design.
The intricate carving on the pillars is so profound. It is a beautiful and magical sight. The placement of these pillars is such that you can see the corners of the corridor can be seen from any end. The pillars have been placed with precision.
The architecture of the Rameshwaram temple:
The temple is very famous for its architecture all over the world. like all the other south Indian temples it also has high boundary walls and great main gate structures.
The area is so large that it covers 865 feet east to west and 675 feet from north to south. The famous corridors run on a five feet high platform.
Rameshwaram temple pillars and Rameshwaram temple corridor
The corridors are built using sandstone pillars and ceilings. The total area covered by the corridors is 3850 feet, it is known to be the longest in the whole world. there are 1212 pillars in the outer corridor only.
Rameshwaram temple Rajagopuram
The prominent tower in the center is called the Rajagopuram, it stands 53 meters high. The main halls have been given different names like Sukravara Mandapam, Kalyana Mandapam, Anuppu Mandapam, Setupati Mandapam, and Nandi mandapam.
There are two lingams in the temple, unlike any other temple. The first one is a smaller one believed to have been built by Ma Sita herself.
The second one is the larger one brought by Hanuman from Kailash. There are also 22 holy water tirthas in the temple, these are small water bodies.
The devotees take a bath in the water from all of these to get rid of their sins. Interestingly the water from all of these has a different taste. The main one is called Agni Teertham.
Best time to visit Shri Rameshwaram temple:
The temple is open all twelve months of the year. But the summers are very hot and humid.
You must prefer to go in the winter season. The best time is to go on the occasion of Mahashivratri. The men are expected to wear a dhoti while women must wear a saree.
Western clothes are not allowed in the temple. There are tokens for the arti on the spot.
It is a very sacred place for the Hindus so the dress code is a must. If you do not possess a dhoti or a saree you can hire one from the shops outside the temple.
Shri rameshwaram temple timings
Below are the timings of Lord Ramanathaswamy Temple.
| Weekday | Timing |
| Monday | 5:00 am – 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 5:00 am – 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
| Wedesday | 5:00 am – 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
| Thursday | 5:00 am – 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
| Friday | 5:00 am – 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
| Saturday | 5:00 am – 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
| Sunday | 5:00 am – 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
Rameshwaram temple website
You can visit the below link in case you are looking for some more information
https://tnhrce.gov.in/hrcehome/index_temple.php?tid=35671
For Darshan booking you can click on link below
https://tnhrce.gov.in/hrcehome/eservices_search.php?activity=eservices&tid=35671&catcode=6
Rameshwaram temple pooja
| .No | Pooja Name | Ticket Cost | Pooja Date | Timings |
| 1 | 108 Kalasa Abishegam | 1000/- | Daily | Enquire at counter |
| 2 | 108 Sangabishegam | 1000/- | Daily | Enquire at counter |
| 3 | Rudrabishegam | 1500/- | Daily | 7:00 am – 1:00 pm 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm |
| 4 | Panchamirtha abishegam | 1000/- | Daily | 7:00 am – 1:00 pm |
| 5 | Swamy Sahasranama Archanai | 200/- | Daily | 6:00 am- 1:00 pm 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm |
| 6 | Ambal Sahasranama Archanai | 200/- | Daily | 6:00 am- 1:00 pm 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm |
| 7 | Swamy Nagaparanam | 200/- | Daily | |
| 8 | Ambal Kavasam | 200/- | Daily |
Rameshwaram Temple Dress code
Lors Ramnathaswamy temple is very sacred for Hindus and one of the char dham yatra temple and jyotirlinga. Please follow below dress code when you visit this temple.
For Men – White Pancha, Dhoti and Kurta, Pyjama.
For Females: Saree with blouse, Punjabi Dress with Dupatta , Chudidhar with Dupatta
Please follow this dress code.
How to reach Shri Rameshwaram temple
For those who wish to go by air, the closes airport is Madurai. It is about 174 km from there. You can take a cab or bus to go to the temple from there.
For those who wish to go by rail, there are trains from Chennai and Trichy, etc. it is a local railway station. You can reach Chennai from any part of India.
By road, there are well-connected roads from different cities in Tamil Nadu. There are buses that ply from Tirupati to Rameshwaram directly.
The main festivals celebrated in the Shri Rameshwaram temple:
Mahashivratri
The most auspicious festival is the Mahashivratri, it is in the month of February or March. Here it is a ten-day celebration.
It is the day Lord Shiva had married Goddess Parvati. He saved the world from darkness and ignorance.
The idols are taken out and taken for procession in the streets n a very well-decorated chariot.
There is music and dance all around. The enthusiasm is high among the devotees.
Vasanthautsavam:
This is a festival to celebrate the spring season. It is also a 10-day affair.
The deities are worshipped using sandal, flowers, incense, and rose water. There are flowers all over the place for decoration.
Ramalingam pratishta Utsav:
This is the day marked as the day the lingam made by Sita was established.
Navratri:
The festival of Goddess Durga is also celebrated here with great joy.
Summary:
The temple of Rameshwaram is very sacred for the Hindu devotees. It is close to the seashore on the southern tip of India.
It is dedicated to Lord shiva. It is also visited by many people to admire the architecture used to decorate and construct the temple.
It is a massive building. Also, the unique feature is the presence of two lingams in the same shrine.
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