Rameshwaram and Dhanushkoti

Date of visit: 20 Jan 2008
Country: India
Major Places visited: Rameshwaram, Dhanushkodi
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pareshredkar/sets/72157603761639036/

Long time ago according to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama on his way to Sri Lanka to save his wife Sita, had to construct a bridge, Ram Setu(also known as Adam's Bridge) over the sea. The place he choose to start from was Rameshwar. On his return back from Lanka after killing Ravana, Lord Rama, installed and worshipped the Sivalinga here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmin).

My journey to this holy places started from Madurai at 2:20 AM from the Madurai train junction. Travelling in the general compartment with hordes of people on their way to visit the holy place, we had a tough time getting ourself a seat. at 4 am we finaly managed to get an upper berth and got about an 1hrs time of eyeshut. We reached Rameshwaram at 5:15 am. Went straight to the temple. Never before have I gone to a temple at 5:30 in the morning. At the temple, you can go in for the 22 theertham bath, where the priests will shower water from 22 different wells. It is believed that after the bath, all your sins will be washed away. Or you can just walk into the temple. The temple comprises forty wells where the taste of the water of each well is different from the other.


The temple is a beautiful structure. It has a lot of pillars and the grandest part of the temple is the 1219 m pillared corridor consisting of 3.6 m high granite pillars, richly carved and well proportioned. The perspective presented by these pillars run uninterruptedly to a length of nearly 230 m.

We came out of the temple and went to the beach next to the temple. Hordes of devootes were taking a bath there. We left for Dhanushkoti in a bus (No 3). It takes about 20 -25 minutes to reach the beach. Breakfast was at a small tea shop. We had omlet and paratha. The curry they gave along was the best I have ever had.

Tummy filled, we headed off to the ruins of Dhanushkodi in a tempo which accomodated 20 people. Some were riding on the top of the tempo. They charge anywhere from Rs. 40 to Rs. 60 for a 30 minute ride. The Dhanushkodi railway line was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone from Pamban Station and a trainload of passengers was washed into the sea.Even though the railway line was laid between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, it was in course of time covered by six sand dunes and it was abandoned. Here you will find a ruined church, a shiv ling, several temples associated with Lord Rama and the ruins of a now a ghost town. A local guide will take you around explaning in Tamil. You need to have a translator with you.

The water is very blue and enchanting. I took a dip in the water and it was very refreshing. 20 minutes later the tempo driver comes by asking you to get in the tempo for the trip back.

We then went to Rameshwaram and took an autorikshaw to visit some of the temples around the place. One the must visit place is Ram Jharokha. The name of the place is actually Ram ji Rukhe, meaning Lord Rama had waited. Over the period of time it became what it is now. You will get a fantastic view of the town from top of the temple.

Another place is Lakshaman kunbd and Sita Kund. Legends holds that Lord Rama's brother Lakshman and his wife Sita took bath in these respective ponds.

Once done visiting these places, we headed back to Madurai in the 2:00 pm bus.