Ramanathaswamy Temple is a highly revered Hindu pilgrimage site in Tamil Nadu. This is one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. It is located in a small island named Rameshwaram. Temple’s main deity is a linga, known as Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga. Just as Kashi is considered important in North India, similarly Rameshwaram is important in South India. Rameshwaram is a conch-shaped island surrounded on all sides by the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Jyotirlingas are sacred shrines of Lord Shiva; it is believed that Lord Shiva himself visited these places and hence they have a special place in the hearts of devotees. There are 12 of them in India. Jyotirlinga means ‘column or pillar of light’. The ‘stambha’ symbol represents that there is no beginning or end.
When Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu had an argument about who was the supreme god, Lord Shiva appeared as a column of light and asked each one to find the ends. Neither could do it. It is believed that the places where these columns of light fell is where the jyotirlingas are located. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga gets its name because Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva in this spot.
Journey Through Time: The Chronicle of Rameshwaram
One of the most sacred sites of Hindu pilgrimage, Rameswaram is home to the Jyotirlinga of Shiva that was installed and worshipped by Lord Rama himself. A holy place for devotees of Vishnu and Shiva, it is one of the four major pilgrimages in Hinduism.
According to legend, Lord Rama desired to worship Lord Shiva before embarking on his journey to Lanka. He then established a Shivalinga of Mahadev at this location and offered his worship. This spot came to be known as Rameshwaram Island, and the temple was named Rameshwaram in honor of Lord Ram.
As per the Puranas, Ravana was considered a Brahmin, and Lord Rama sought to worship Lord Shiva to absolve himself of the guilt of slaying a Brahmin. However, as there was no temple on the island at that time, Hanuman was tasked with bringing the Shivalinga from Mount Kailash. When Hanuman couldn’t return with the Shivalinga in time, Mother Sita fashioned a Shivlinga from the sand of the sea, which Lord Ram then worshipped. The Shivalinga brought by Hanuman was also installed at the site.
The glory of this 11th Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga, included among the twelve Jyotirlingas, is described in the Shiva Purana and Skanda Purana. It is mentioned that Lord Rama himself established the Jyotirlinga here before his expedition to Lanka to defeat Ravana.
Legend also recounts that while Lord Ram was residing here and drinking water, he heard a celestial voice admonishing him for not worshiping Lord Shiva. In response, Lord Ram created a Shivlinga from the sand of the sea and performed worship. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Shiva granted Lord Ram the boon of victory over Ravana, who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva.
The Shivlinga crafted from sand by Mother Sita was named Ramalingam, while the Shivalinga brought by Hanuman was known as Vishwalingam.
Interesting facts about Rameshwaram Temple
1. Rameshwaram Temple is approximately 1000 feet long and 650 feet wide. In this temple, two 40 feet high stones have been installed with such equality that it is natural to be surprised after seeing them. According to beliefs, the stones used in the construction of Rameshwar temple were brought from Sri Lanka through boats.
2. The corridor of Rameshwaram temple is the longest corridor in the world. It is 197 meters long from north to south and 133 meters long from east to west. The width of the walls of this corridor is 6 meters and height is 9 meters. The entrance gate to the temple is 38.4 meters high. This temple is built in approximately 6 hectares.
3. it is said that
in Rameshwaram, all the 22 wells inside this temple were made by Lord Rama with his arrows. It is believed that water from many pilgrimage sites was mixed in it.
4. killing a Brahmin considered to the highest sin in Hindu religion. It is believed that to absolve oneself from such a heinous sin, Lord Ram installed a Shivalinga at this site and worshipped it. Consequently, it is believed that adherence to the prescribed rituals while worshipping this Jyotirlinga grants absolution from such sins. Those who devoutly offer water from the Ganga upon the Lord Shiva’s Jyotirlinga here are said to attain salvation. At this location, there are 22 theerthams where bathing is believed to cleanse individuals of all ailments and transgressions. In essence, akin to Kashi, every pilgrim who visits here is said to achieve salvation. It was Lord Rama who personally installed the Shivalinga at this sacred site.
It is also believed that the formidable and renowned scholar Ravana played the role of the priest during the establishment of the Linga of Lord Shiva. According to legend, he brought Mother Sita from Sri Lanka and returned with her after the installation of the Shivalinga. Ravana requested as Dakshina that the host should be in front of him when it was his last time.
Prior to worshipping in Rameshwaram, it is customary to bathe in the sea located in front. Following this, one must undergo a ritualistic cleansing by taking aholy dip in the water from 22 wells before performing the Shiva Abhishek or worship of Lord Shiva.