12 Top Tourist Places to Visit in Rameshwaram

At a distance of 2 km from Rameshwaram Railway Station, the magnificent Ramanathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the sacred town of Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu. Popularly called as Rameshwaram Temple, it is one of the popular places of pilgrimage in Tamilnadu, and among the must include places in Rameshwaram tour packages.

Rameshwaram Temple is dedicated to Lord Siva and is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas situated in different parts of India. It is among the prime places to visit in Rameshwaram. The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham sites comprising Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka, and Rameshwaram.

The construction was led by several rulers over the centuries. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by the Pandya dynasty, and its principal shrine was renovated by Jeyaveera .....

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At a distance of 2 km from Rameshwaram Railway Station (just 100 meters away from east entrance of Rameshwaram Temple), Agnitheertham is said to be the place where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to wash off his sins of killing Ravana. It is one of the prime place to visit on a Rameshwaram trip.

It is a sacred place and piligrims believe that taking a bath in Bay of Bengal at Agniteertham will washout one's sins of life time. It is visited by the followers of Lord Shiva as well as Vishnu, whose incarnation was lord Rama.

The sea here is very calm and ideal for bathing.

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At a distance of 12 km from Rameshwaram, Pamban Bridge is a railway bridge located near Rameshwaram. It is India's first sea bridge, and among the popular Rameshwaram tourist places.

Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge or Pamban Bridge connects the town of Mandapam in mainland India with Pamban Island, and Rameswaram. Opened for traffic in 1914, it is the longest sea bridge in India (2.2 km) until the opening of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in 2010. The construction of this bridge has left many engineers wondering as it stands tall and strong even today. The ships too can pass under the bridge and hence it is most convenient means of commutation. It is one of the most visited places as part of Rameshwaram packages.

In 1988, a road bridge was also constructed parallel to the rail bridge. This road bridge is also known as Indira Gandhi Road Bridge. The .....

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At a distance of 15 km from Ramanathapuram, and 65 km from Rameshwaram, Devipattinam is a beautiful coastal village situated in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamilnadu. It is one of the popular Rameshwaram places to visit.

Devipatnam, along with Rameshwaram and Thiruppullani are associated with the Hindu sacred epic Ramayana. Also known as Navapashanam, this holy town is famous for the Navagraha Temple. According to the legend, Lord Rama when going to war to kill Ravana had worshipped navagrahas by installing nine different stones, each symbolizing the nine celestial bodies to calmed the sea. It is said that since then, 9 navagraha stones are located in the sea, at a distance of about 100 meters from the seashore. These can be seen in the morning when the level of seawater is low; however in the evenings when the tides are high, most of the navagraha stones are submerged in the water.

This small .....

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At a distance of 3 Kms from Rameshwaram Railway Station (around two kilometer from Ramanathaswamy Temple / Rameshwaram Temple), Five faced Hanuman Temple has mythological evidence where Hanuman showed his profile with five faces.

The idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Hanuman, which are brought from Dhanushkodi during the cyclone of 1964, are kept here. The 'floating stones', which were used to build the Sethu Bandhanam (bridge) in Ramayana, are also kept in the temple.

There is floating stone outside the temple which was used to create the bridge on the sea as prescribed by our Indian mythology.

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At a distance of 3 km from Rameshwaram Railway Station, Gandhamathana Parvatham is the highest point in the island.

There is a two storeyed Mandapam, where Rama's feet (padam) is found as an imprint on a chakra. Pilgrims visit in thousands to worship Gandhamathana Parvatham. Sukreevar Temple and Theertham are situated on the way to Gandhamadana Parvatham.

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At a distance of 18 km from Rameshwaram, Dhanushkodi is an abandoned coastal town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of must include places in South India tour, and among the most famous Rameshwaram tourist places.

Dhanushkodi is on the tip of Pamban island, separated from the mainland by the Palk Strait. The town is named after Rama's bow. The boulders around the sea between Srilanka and this place known as Adam's bridge, are believed to be used by Hanuman to reach across Srilanka. It is one of the must-visit places as part of Rameshwaram tour.

Flanked by the Indian Ocean on one side and the Bay of Bengal on the other, Dhanushkodi was once a bustling and flourishing town, and one of the richest fishing belts in the country. Also, it was the only .....

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At a distance of 20 km from Rameshwaram (about 4 km from Mandapam), Kurusadai Island is an uninhabited Island lies to the west of the Pamban Bridge between the mainland and Pamban Island. About 10,500 sq. kms of the sea around here constitute a Marine Biosphere, a paradise for Marine Biologists and nature lovers.

There are plenty of coral-reefs and fishes. You can also see dolphins and sea-cows (Dugong). A special permission from the Director of Fisheries, Chennai is required to visit this Island.

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At a distance of 55 km from Rameshwaram & 498 km from Chennai, Ramanathapuram is an ancient town and now the head quarters of the district. Prior to independence, the district was called as Ramnad but it was renamed as Ramanathapuram in 1910. This is largely a gateway to the pilgrimage centres of Rameshwaram and Devipattinam.

The main tourist attraction in Ramanathapuram is the Raja Palace. This Palace was built by the Sethupatys and continues to be inhabited by the descendants of the royal family, although they are no longer in power. The royal family has set up schools and hospitals in the area as part of their community service. The Ramalinga Vilasam Palace with a good collection of paintings, and the tomb of Thayumana Swamigal, a philosopher-saint, are worth visiting.

Ramanathapuram finds a mention in Hindu mythology as well. It is believed that Lord Rama after defeating Ravana, returned to nearby Rameswaram. He .....

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At a distance of 15 km from Ramanathapuram, and 66 km from Rameshwaram, Thirupullani is a temple town situated near Rameshwaram. It is one of the prominent places of pilgrimage in Tamilnadu, and among the must-visit places during your Rameshwaram Trip.

The town is known for Aadi Jagannatha Perumal Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Popularly known as Thirupullani Temple, it is one of the 108 Divya Desam temples of Lord Vishnu. It is also known as Dharbasayanam as Rama took rest on a couch of grass at this place. Other names of this place are Thiruvadanai, Pularanyam, Adhisethu and Ratnaharam.

This ancient temple not only attracts visitors because of its sacredness but also for its historical background and architectural excellence. Built during the reign of Cholas, various contributions were made to this temple during Pandyan rule and the rule of Sethupathy Kings. It is now maintained by the Hindu Religious and Endowment .....

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At a distance of 70 km from Rameshwaram and 15 km from Ramanathapuram. Uthirakosamangai is famous for an ancient Siva temple considered to be 3000 years old. This is the place where Siva transferred the secrets of Vedas to Parvati. Uthiram means (updesham) kosam (secrets) Parvati (Mangai) hence this place is known as Uthira Kosa Mangai.

The main deity here is Mangalanathar (Siva) and his consort is Mangleshwari. The main attraction of this temple is a statue of Natarajar made of emerlad which is about 51/2 feet tall. This idol is known as Margatha Natarajar and the deity is always covered with sandal paste. Only in the Tamil month of Margazhi on Tiruvathira nakshtram the sandal paste gets removed and there is abhishekam for the idol and this special darshan is known as Arudhra darishanam.There is a Nandi just outside the sanctum and a bigger Nandi in the outer prakaram known here as Pradosha Nandi. Special poojas are conducted .....

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At a distance of 87 km from Rameshwaram and 31 km from Ramanathapuram, Erwadi is located on the sea shore in between keelakarai and Valinokkam. The town is famous for the shrine of Hazrat Sultan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed Badusha Radiyallah Ta'ala Anhu. It is 800-year-old tomb of Sultan Ibrahim Syed Aulia who came from Arabia via Cannanore.

Hazrat Sulthan Syed Ibrahim is a 18th generation hereditary grandson of Prophet Muhammad. He was the king of Madinah while he started towards India in early 12th century to spread Islam according to the Prophet's wish. Erwadi durgah is a symbol of religious harmony in Tamil Nadu. People with satanic illness visit this durgah in large number and get cured.

Pilgrims from different states and countries visit this place. The 'sandanakoodu' festival is in honour of this Muslim saint and takes place in December every year.

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