Ramanathaswamy Temple

Located on Rameswaram Island in Tamil Nadu, the Ramanathaswamy Temple is a highly revered Hindu pilgrimage site, holding the dual significance of being one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and one of the four principal Char Dham destinations. Its origins are deeply embedded in the Ramayana epic. According to tradition, Lord Rama, after his victory over the demon king Ravana in Lanka, wished to atone for the sin of killing Ravana (a Brahmin). He decided to worship Lord Shiva at Rameswaram and instructed Hanuman to bring a Shivalinga from Mount Kailash. As Hanuman was delayed, Rama's wife Sita fashioned a linga out of sand (the Ramalingam), which Rama then consecrated and worshipped. When Hanuman returned with a linga from Kailash (the Vishwalingam or Hanumalingam), Rama instructed that it too be installed and worshipped first. Both lingas remain enshrined in the temple's sanctum. While the site's sanctity is ancient, the present sprawling temple complex is the result of architectural contributions spanning many centuries, primarily from the 12th century onwards. The Setupathi kings of Ramnad (Ramanathapuram), who considered themselves guardians of the Rameswaram pilgrimage route, were major patrons, initiating and overseeing significant construction phases. Contributions were also made by Pandya kings, Vijayanagara rulers, and Nayaka chieftains. Architecturally, the temple showcases the Dravidian style. Its most breathtaking feature is the magnificent complex of outer corridors (prakarams), built mainly during the 17th and 18th centuries. These corridors, renowned for being the longest among all Hindu temples in India (and possibly the world), stretch for about 1.2 kilometers in total length and are lined with approximately 1,212 massive, intricately carved granite pillars. The temple complex also contains 22 sacred theerthams (holy water bodies), mostly in the form of wells and tanks, where pilgrims traditionally take ritual baths in a prescribed sequence before worshipping the main deity. Ramanathaswamy Temple remains a vital center of Shaivism and a cornerstone of Hindu pilgrimage in South India.