RAMESWARAM YATRA
Places covered:
1. Ramanathaswamy Temple
2. Agni Tirtham
3. Dhanushkodi Tirtham
4. Kothandaramaswamy Temple
5. Villoondi Tirtham
6. Sri Ekantha Ramaswamy Temple
7. Gandamadhana parvat (hill)
8. Rama Tirtham
9. Laxmana Tirtham
10. Panchamukha Hanuman Temple and Floating stones from Lord Rama’s Bridge
11. Jada Tirtham
12.Thirupullani Temple
13. Sethu Karai(Sethu Bridge)
14. Pamban Bridge
15. Gulf of Mannar Bio sphere Reserve (GOMBR)
Rameswaram is situated at the extreme south end of India on the Gulf of Mannar. The island is in the shape of a conch shell, 55 km by 12 km. It is one of the most prominent holiest pilgrimage places in India. Srimad-Bhagavatam (canto 10 chapter 79 verses 16-17) states that Lord Balarama visited “Setubandha [Rameswaram]” in the course of His pilgrimage. Lord Caitanya also visited Rameswaram during His South India tour as mentioned in Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila Chapter 9 verses 199-209.
Rameswaram is tropical island surrounded by coral reefs and sandy beaches with coconut palms and tamarind trees. It is a major centre of pilgrimage. The Sri Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the most important in India. It is a massive complex with a number of shrines, holy wells, gopurams, and several long hallways, one reaching 4000 feet in length, the longest in the world. The halls are adorned with many large pillars, some of them covered with scroll work, lotus designs, animals, and other figures, and colorfully painted medallions are on the ceilings. The worship at the temple goes back many thousands of years. The Rameswaram temple is also where Lord Caitanya found the Kurma Purana. In Kurma Purana, Lord found a verse stating that Ravana kidnapped an illusory Sita, and the real Sita was safely hidden by Agnideva. This information has greatly relieved many devotees of Sri Sri Sita-Rama. Rameswaram is easy to reach after seeing Madurai and the surrounding area. One can catch the early morning train from Madurai to Rameswaram.
In Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya lila Chapter 9 verse 199, ISKCON Founder-Acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada mentions in the purport: “The path from Mandapam through the ocean to the island known as Pambam consists partly of sand and partly of water. The island of Pambam is about 17 miles long and 6 miles wide. On this island, four miles north of Pambam Harbour, is Setubandha, where the temple of Rameavara is located. This is a temple of Lord Siva, and the name Ramesvara indicates that he is a great personality whose worshipable Deity is Lord Rama. Thus the Lord Siva found in the temple of Ramesvara is a great devotee of Lord Ramacandra.
In this area there are twenty-four different holy places, one of which is Dhanus-tirtha, located about 20 miles southeast of Rameswaram. It is near the last station of the Southern Railway, a station called Ramnad. It is said that here, on the request of Ravaṇa’s younger brother Vibhīṣaṇa, Lord Ramacandra destroyed the bridge to Lanka with His bow while returning to His capital. It is also said that one who visits Dhanus-tirtha is liberated from the cycle of birth and death, and that one who bathes there gets all the fruitive results of performing the yajna known as Agnistoma.”
