Ramanathaswamy Temple Rameswaram

One of the four primary pilgrimage destinations (‘Char Dhams’) for all Hindus across the world, the ‘Ramanathaswamy Temple’ is swarmed by hordes of pilgrims every day. Besides being one of the holy ‘Char Dhams’, the temple is also counted amongst the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. According to mythological legends, the story associated with the Shivlinga enshrined in the main sanctum of the temple goes back to the times of Ramayana. It is believed that after returning from Lanka, Lord Rama wanted to absolve his sins of killing the demon Ravana who was also a great Brahmin and scholar. In order to do so, he decided to worship Lord Shiva and asked Lord Hanuman to get the biggest Shivlinga from Himalayas. As it took very long for Hanuman to get the Shivlinga, and seeing the auspicious time for prayers being run out, Rama’s wife, Goddess Sita built a Shivlinga from sand. The same Shivlinga, known as ‘Ramalinga’ is believed to have been residing in the sanctum of the Ramanathaswamy Temple for centuries. Enshrined next to Ramalinga is the ‘Vishwalinga’, the Shivlinga that was brought by Hanuman. As per the legends, Lord Rama seeing Hanuman disappointed, ordained that for any devotee visiting Rameswaram, the holy yatra would be successful only if he first pays his obeisance to Vishwalinga and since then, all the rituals are first made at Vishwalinga and then at Ramalinga.

Located on the serene island of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, the structure of this temple is believed to have been built during 12th century CE by the Pandya rulers. The tallest of its 4 gopurams stands at the height of 126 feet metres and is built in typical Dravidian style. The temple is also acknowledged for housing longest corridor hall in India made of almost 1000 intricately carved granite pillars. A colossal statue of Nandi 6 metres tall also grabs attention of many.

A visit to the Ramanathaswamy temple not only provides you with an unmatched spiritual experience but, also gives you an opportunity to witness the grandeur and opulence of the kings in the times bygone.