Image Credits : J.shobia
.jpg)
Image Credits : Vinayaraj
Image Credits : Mike Prince
Image Credits : BOMBMAN
Image Credits : Kajasudhakarababu .
Popularly known as “The Island City,” Rameshwaram is an attractive place to visit in Tamil Nadu with clean sea breezes, sacred ponds, and ancient temples. Standing Between Sri Lanka and India, this city is a little town in its area. This place sits on the Pamban Island, off the mainland of India at the Indian Peninsula’s tip. It allures tourists and travelers from across the world. Being one of the famous Char Dhams of India, it is a fervent place for the Hindu devotees. It is believed that visiting the Char Dhams including Rameshwaram will help one achieve moksha. According to Ramayana, Lord Rama constructed a bridge here to Lanka with the help of Hanuman to save Sita, his wife from Ravana.
Rameshwaram in Sanskrit refers to “Lord of Rama.” As per a version of Ramayana, Lord Rama, who was the 7th avatar of Lord Vishnu, dedicated prayed to God Vishnu to forgive all sins that he may have done during the war against Ravana. It is stated in the Puranas that on the recommendation of sages, Lord Rama with Lakshman (his brother) and Sita (his wife), installed and worshipped a lingam of Shiva at this place to atone the Brahmahatya sin that happened while killing Ravana, the Brahmin. To worship Lord Shiva, Lord Rama directed Hanuman to get one lingam from the Himalayas. Since Hanuman took a long time to get one, Sita, his wife, built a lingam herself with the sand of the shores. This lingam is still believed to be present in the Ramanathaswamy Temple’s sanctum. A place nearly 22 km before Rameshwaram known as Sethu Kaai is from where Lord Rama built a floating bridge that continues to Rameshwaram’s Dhanushkodi till Sri Lanka’s Talaimannar.
As per another version of Ramayana, Lord Rama installed this lingam before he constructed the bridge. However, there is no evidence to support this story.
Rameshwaram’s history revolves around this island being a point of transit to get to Sri Lanka and the Ramanathaswamy Temple. The 7th century - 8th century composition in Tamil on Lord Shiva, known as Tevaram, was created by 3 prominent Nayanars – Appar, Thirugnanasambandar, and Sundarar. Rajendra Chola, the Chola King from 1012 CE to 1040 CE had complete control over this town. Later from 1215 CE to 1624 CE, the Jaffna Kingdom has a connection with this island. They followed the Hinduism religion and made a great contribution to the famous temple here. Setu is known to be used in inscriptions and coins as the marker of their dynasty.
As per Firishta, the Alauddin Khaji’s head general and Delhi Sultanate rule, Malik Kafur reached Rameshwar while he organized a political campaign even after solid resistance from Pandyan Princess in 14th century. To honor the victory of Islam, he constructed Alia al-Din Khaldji mosque here. In the 15th century, the present Kamuthi, Rameshwaram, and Ramanathapuram were made a part of the Pandya Dynasty. Vijayanagara Empire took over the town in 1520 CE. The area then was ruled by different leaders like Chanda Shib, Muhammed Yusuf Khan and Arcot Nawab, and more. It came in The British East India Company’s direct control in 1795 CE and was captured by the Madras Presidency. After the Independence of India, the town also became independent.
Wondering about what are the best places to visit when in Rameshwaram? Below is the whole list of those places whose visit will make you experience the best of Rameshwaram:
Visit the Beaches: Many beaches are situated alongside the coasts of Rameshwaram. They are quite and calm beaches that make excellent picnic spots for family and friends. The beaches offer you many water sports to enjoy as well.
Bird Watching: All the nature lovers are sure to have a delightful experience by visiting the different bird sanctuaries in and around Rameshwaram. You might be the lucky person to witness flamingos that flow from Australia. Other birds that can be seen here include pelicans, ibis, egrets, and storks.
Scuba Diving: When in Rameshwaram, ensure to go for Scuba Diving once at least. The sea is beautiful and mesmerizing and will let you get close to some of the rare species of sea lives and corals. You will also be able to witness sea cucumber, sea cows, starfishes, and algae.
Sea World Aquarium Trip: For the little ones especially, visiting Sea World Aquarium can be a thrilling experience. This place offers them a chance to see many different fascinating sea lives in the aquarium. You can easily find many colorful and beautiful sea creatures such as beach tamet, sharks, lobsters, rabbitfish, octopus, parrotfish, lionfish, and prawns here.
Rameshwaram is connected to different cities of the country by roads. The town is connected to every major city via Rameshwaram railway station. Many superfast and express trains run from and to Ramesheshwaram. The nearest airport is the Madurai Airport to Rameshwaram. It is located at a distance of 142 km from Rameshwaram. Another closest airport to Rameshwaram is the Tuticorin airport located at a distance of 149 km only.
If you want to go for a vacation to the serene town of Rameshwaram, do not wait for it anymore. It is the right time to experience it! So, plan a trip to Rameshwaram immediately for a spiritual and soothing holiday experience!