Know in detail about the Ramanathaswamy Temple of Rameswaram

Ramanathaswamy Temple of Rameshwaram: The little Tamil Nadu town of Rameshwaram is home to the Ramanathaswamy Temple. The Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean around the city. It is a well-known pilgrimage site. Being one of the holy four Dhamas—the four places of devotion that every Hindu should visit in his lifetime—the city has particular significance for Hindus. One of the most important sites of devotion for Shaivites and Vaishnavites is the Ramanathaswamy Temple. Please read this article through to the conclusion as we will explain the history, significance, and architecture of the Ramanathaswamy Temple. We will also provide you all the specific details you need to know about this temple.

Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple’s legend

Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple’s tradition states that Lord Rama worshiped Lord Shiva there. After defeating the monster Ravana, Lord Rama, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, prayed to Lord Shiva on his way back. The demon Ravana was a Brahmin king who had abducted Goddess Sita. He chose to worship Lord Shiva as an atonement because Lord Rama murdered him to put a stop to his cruelty and rescue the goddess. Lord Rama requested that Hanuman bring a lingam from the Himalayas so that prayers might be said. But since Hanuman was unable to get the lingam back in time, Goddess Sita created it herself. Then, at the appointed auspicious moment, Lord Rama worshiped Lord Shiva. At his prayer, Lord Shiva graciously blessed Lord Rama and manifested as a linga. It is said that the temple’s sanctum sanctorum presently has the same language.

Legend has it that Hanuman transported a lingam from Kailash to the shrine. Hanumalingam or Vishwalingam are the names of the lingam. Before worshiping Lord Ramanathaswamy, prayers are performed at the Hanumalingam in accordance with Lord Rama’s instructions.

The architecture and history of Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple

Up to the 12th century, Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple is said to have been a modest thatched house. The Sethupathi kings subsequently constructed it as a concrete temple. From the 12th to the 16th centuries, the temple underwent significant development under many monarchs. Stone blocks from Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee were delivered to this temple in the 13th century to rebuild its sanctuary sanctorum. King Jayaveera Cinkaiariyan was in power at the time. Mysore, Travancore, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram, and other kingdoms have all made significant contributions to the construction of this temple, which has grown into a beautiful building. Some of the temple’s modifications also happened later; for instance, the 18th century saw the construction of the temple’s main hallway. The 17th century saw the construction of Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple’s current building.

The current Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple complex occupies 15 acres of land. Every visitor is enthralled by its imposing pillars, well-lit hallways, walls, and gopurams. Perched on a high platform, its granite walls are adorned with elaborate sculptures. Huge walls that range in height from around 865 feet to 657 feet enclose the temple on all four sides. With a total length of 3850 feet, the outside corridor of the Rameswaram temple is regarded as the longest in the world. The main tower of the Rajagopuram is around 53 meters high, while the outside corridor has roughly 1212 pillars that are 30 feet high.

The temple is made even more beautiful by the gate towers on the north and south sides, as well as the magnificent gopurams on the east and west. This temple has a lot of fascinating features that captivate everyone. It is also said that the boulders utilized in the corridor were transported from someplace outside of Tamil Nadu and are not native to this area. Another noteworthy aspect is the distinctive vista provided by the paved walkway that forms a chess board from the western gopuram to the Sethumadhava temple. The place where the deities are housed during the spring festival is known as Chokkattan Mandapam.

Lord Shiva in the form of Lingam is the primary deity of this temple. After worshiping Lord Shiva here, Lord Rama placed the lingam, which was created by Goddess Sita. This temple has two Lingams; the second, called Vishwalingam or Hanumanlingam, is the one that Hanuman purchased from Kailash. Additionally, there are temples to Lord Vinayaka, Lord Subramanya, Goddess Vishalakshi, Parvatvardhini, Utsava Murthi, Sayanagriha, and Perumal. Nandi is another significant idol. Measuring 17.5 feet in height and 23 and 12 feet in length and breadth, respectively, this enormous idol draws worshipers not just for its religious connotations but also for its unrivaled sculptural brilliance. The temple is renowned for its temple tanks and is home to Tirthavardhini, Vishwanatha, Vishalakshi, Sayanagriha (Palliyarai), Jyotirlinga, and Sethumadavam. This temple is home to twenty-two theerthams. To atone for their previous transgressions, devotees go from all over the globe to these temples. As the first theertham, Agni is regarded as one of the most significant.

Hours of operation for Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple

Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple, also called Rameswaram Temple, is open mornings from 5 am to 1 pm and evenings from 3 pm to 9 pm for darshan. Every day of the week, the temple is open.

How do I go to the temple of Sri Ramanathaswamy?

By Air: Madurai, which is around 174 kilometers from Rameswaram, has the closest airport. Flights to several Indian destinations, including Chennai, Trichy, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, are readily available from the airport. From the airport, pre-paid taxi services are offered.

By Train: The main train station is Rameshwaram Railway Station. The station serves trains from Bengaluru, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Thanjavur, Palakkad, and Chennai. The station has taxi services available.

By Road: Rameswaram has excellent road access to other Tamil Nadu cities. Buses operated by the Tamil Nadu Road Transport Corporation often go to Rameswaram from Chennai, Kanyakumari, Madurai, Trichy, and other towns. Every day, buses operated by the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation go from Tirupati to Rameswaram.

FAQs

Q. To whose god is the Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram dedicated?

Ans. Lord Shiva is the object of devotion in this temple.

Q. What makes Ramanathaswamy Temple one of India’s four dhamas?

Ans. One of the twelve Jyotirlingas may be found in this temple, making it one of India’s four Dhamas.

Q. What is Ramanathaswamy Temple of Rameswaram’s primary feature?

Ans. The Jyotirlinga of Lord Ramanathaswamy is situated in the temple’s enormous main sanctum.

Q. What role does the Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram play in religion?

Ans. In response, Rameswaram is a significant Hindu pilgrimage site. Bathing and worshiping here is said to cleanse sins and bring about salvation.

Q. In Rameswaram, when is the ideal time to visit the Ramanathaswamy Temple?

Ans. October through March is the ideal time of year to visit Rameswaram.