Ramanathaswamy Temple, also known as Rameshwaram Temple or Ramanathaswamy Kovil, located on the conch-shaped Pamban Island of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, is one of the most important temples dedicated to Lord Rameshwara.
Among the Dwadasha Jyotirlingas, it is the eleventh Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva. It is one of the Char Dhams and is a must-visit place for a devotee in a lifetime. It is one of the punya bhoomis for both the sects of culture, Shaivism (followers of Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavism (followers of Lord Vishnu).
Vedic History of Ramanathaswamy Temple
The history of Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameshwaram is related to the era of Ramayana, specifically to the Yuddha Kaandam where Lord Rama was about to cross the stone bridge or sea to reach Sri Lanka.
It is customary to worship one’s ishta-devata before the new beginnings. After the construction of bridge, before embarking on a victory journey to Lanka for killing Ravana, Sri Ramachandra established the Ramanath Jyotirlinga invoke auspiciousness.
In the Skanda Purana, the Ramasetu has been glorified enormously to the extent that Lord Shiva himself is telling, ‘when a person goes to Rameshwaram, one must roll oneself on the Ramasetu. While doing that, how many ever dust particles from Sri Ramasetu stick to the body of this person; that many births or years or lifetimes, he’ll be staying in the saanidhyam of Sri Ramachandra only’.
Due to this glory of Sri Ramasetu and Sri Ramachandra being the ishta devata of Lord Shiva, Lord Shiva chose this location as his eternal residence.
Architecture of Ramanathaswamy Temple
Rameshwara temple is a marvel of the Dravidian style of architecture, built across a land area measuring 15 acres. This temple has 22 gopurams, each gopuram is intricately carved with extensive designs.
The material used for the construction of the second corridor is sandstone. The third corridor is the largest corridor in the world, having 1212 pillars. It is known as chokkatanmantapam. It resembles a gigantic chessboard.
Among the two gopurams, one is located in the east and is five-tier architecture measuring 78 feet high. The other one in the west is a nine-tier architecture, measuring 126 feet high.
There is the Nandi statue, or Nandi Mantapam, that adds beauty to the temple. It is made of limestone, bricks, and seashells, which measure 17 feet in height and 12 feet in width.
Tirthas of Ramanathaswamy Temple
According to the Skanda Puranam, there are 64 tirthas in and around the Pambhan island. The tirthas are the sacred wells, possessing the power to take away the sins of a person. Among 64 tirthas, 24 tirthas have high significance. 22 tirthas or sacred wells are located inside the temple complex and taking a punya snanam here is considered equivalent to performing a penance, and this water possesses some medicinal properties.
Agni Tirtha – It is located on the east of the temple, along the seashore.
22 Tirtha inside Ramanathaswamy Temple Complex
Mahalakshmi Tirtha – Situated near the south of the Hanumanji deity inside the temple complex. King Yuddhisthira took a holy dip in this tirtha and was blessed with immense wealth.
Savithri Tirtha – Dedicated to Goddess Savitri, this sacred well removed the curse of sage Kashyapa.
Gayathri Tirtha – Situated near the west of the Hanumanji deity inside the temple complex. King Kasibar was relieved from his curse after taking punya snanam.
Saraswathi Tirtha – Situated near the west of the Hanumanji deity inside the temple complex. This tirtha also helped King Kasibar get rid of sins.
Sethu Madhava Tirtha – Bathing in this well purifies impure thoughts, and the person will be blessed by Mahalakshmi.
Gandhamadana Tirtha – If an individual takes a bath in this well, the person will get rid of poverty.
Kavatcha Tirtha – This tirtha helps an individual to get rid of sins and not go to hell.
Gavaya Tirtha – Dip in this well will get housing under Karpaga Virutchaga or Kalpa Vriksha tree.
Nala Tirtha – Holy dip in this well helps an individual to get blessed by Surya Dev and reach paradise.
Neela Tirtha – Bathing in this tirtha, is equivalent to performing various yagnas and will obtain Agni Yoga.
Sanku Tirtha – This auspicious tirtha will get rid of sins of being ungrateful.
Chakkara Tirtha – Bathing in this tirtha, Surya Dev’s hand turned into gold.
Brahmahathi Vimochana Tirtha – An individual will get rid of Brahmahatya Dosham (sin of killing Brahmin) after bathing in this well.
Surya Tirtha – Bathing in this well helps an individual to obtain divine knowledge of past, present, and future.
Chandra Tirtha – This tirtha will also help an individual to get divine information about the past, present, and future.
Ganga Tirtha – Situated in the inner corridor of the temple, Gananasuruthi Raja achieved divine wisdom after a holy bath.
Yamuna Tirtha – This tirtha also helped Gananasuruthi Raja attain wisdom.
Gaya Tirtha – Even this tirtha helped Raja Gananasuruthi to attain wisdom.
Siva Tirtha – Located in the inner corridor, this sacred tirtha helped Bhairava to get rid of Brahmaharthi dhosham.
Sathyamirtha Tirtha – Also known as Sadyamirtha tirtha, located in the inner corridor of the temple, helped Puhurunu Chakravarthy (Emperor Bururoonu) relieve himself of past sins.
Sarva Tirtha – This tirtha helped Sutharishna (Sudharsanar) get away from his blindness and unwellness after taking a bath in this tirtha. This tirtha helps an individual derive the merit of bathing in all other thirthas.
Kodi Tirtha – This is the last tirtha among the 22 tirthas. This tirtha helped Lord Krishna get rid of the sin of killing Kamsa. Also at this place, Lord Rama shot the arrow into the earth to get the water for the abhisheka of the Shiva puja.
Nearby Temples to Visit
Jada Tirtha – Sacred Pond located at 3 kms from the Ramanathaswamy temple. This pilgrimage spot attracts a huge number of devotees across the world because here Lord Rama washed his hair after killing demon king Ravana.
Lakshmana Tirtha – Dedicated to Lord Lakshman, is a beautiful sacred pond where devotees take a dip in holy water to wash off their sins. According to ancient puranas, Lord Lakshman took a bath to relieve himself from his sins committed in the war. Thai Poosam is a widely celebrated festival.
Nambu Nayaki Amman Temple – Located around 8 Kms from the temple, it is dedicated to Goddess Dakshina Kali. Devotees flock in huge numbers to get the blessings of the goddess, who blesses them with richness and good health. This temple has huge significance because Goddess Kali has given darshan to sages Dakshin Dhruvan and Paschima Dhruvan.
Kothandaramaswamy Temple – Located 12 Kms from the Rameshwara Temple. It is a place where Pattabhisheka of Vibhishana is performed and made him the ruler of Sri Lanka.
Dhanushkodi Temple – It is one of the unique attractions, located around 20 Kms from Rameshwaram. It is the place where Lord Rama and the vanara senas built the Rama Setu to rescue Sita Mata.
Gandhamadhana Parvatham – It is the highest point in Rameshwaram and is located about 3 Kms from the Rameshwara Temple. According to the Vedic history, it is at this spot Lord Rama met King Vibhishana. Here the footprint of Rama is found.
Timings of Ramanathaswamy Temple
The darshan timings of Rameshwaram Temple are as follows:
Morning – 5:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Evening – 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Best Time to Ramanathaswamy Temple
October to March is the best time to visit this temple. The charming weather makes it suitable for devotees to attract this religious place.
Daily Rituals and Festivals of Ramanathaswamy Temple
Arudra Darshanam – This auspicious day is celebrated as a cosmic ecstatic dance performed by Lord Nataraj, which falls on Arudra or Thiruvadirai Nakshatra on Pournami in the month of Marghazi (December-January). It is regarded the lengthiest night of the year.
Masi Mahotsavam – Celebrated in the month of Masi (February-March), marking the Pattabhisheka of Lord Rama as the King of Ayodhya. This festival continues for ten days.
Thirukalyanam – Celebrated in the month of Phalguni (March-April) to celebrate the Tirukalyana of Parvati Devi and Ramanatha (Lord Shiva).
Navratri Festival – It is a nine-day celebration dedicated to Goddess Durga.
Thaipoosam – It is an important Tamil festival celebrated by devotees while carrying kavadis with peacock feathers.
How to Reach Ramanathaswamy Temple
If you prefer to travel by yourself, here are a few options.
By Air: The nearest airport to Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga is Madurai Airport. From there, you can hire a taxi or a bus to reach the destination.
By Train: Rameshwaram railway station is the nearest railway station. Trains are connected from major cities like Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, etc.
By Road: It is well-connected by roads. You can reach it by bus, auto, or private taxi.
Dress Code at Ramanathaswamy Temple
If you want to visit the Ramanathaswamy Temple, devotees need to adhere specific dress codes that is followed by temple guidelines.
Men and Women should wear modest clothes and should not wear revealing clothes.
Male devotees should wear traditional attire. Kurta-pyjama, dhoti-shirt, pant-shirt are permitted inside the temple. Men are not allowed to wear jeans, bermuda, tight leggings, T-shirt, and lungi.
Women devotees should wear sarees, churidars or pavadai (half-sari). Should cover their shoulders and legs. Women are not allowed to wear jeans, tight leggings, sleeveless tops.
0
Leave a Reply