{"id":30058,"date":"2019-05-03T10:24:42","date_gmt":"2019-05-03T08:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/no-problem-mam.com\/?p=30058"},"modified":"2020-12-20T13:50:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-20T12:50:16","slug":"rameshwaram-tamil-nadu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magikindia.com\/en\/rameshwaram-tamil-nadu\/","title":{"rendered":"Rameshwaram, the legendary island of Tamil Nadu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"coeur\"<\/a>An island surrounded by crystal waters and edged with delightful fishing villages, and a temple with endless pillars that houses one of India’s most holy shrines:<\/strong> Rameshwaram is a mandatory stop for anyone visiting Tamil Nadu.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Rameshwaram\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

The Legend of<\/strong> Rameshwaram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

The legends says that the island of Rameshwaram is where the Hindu god Rama built a bridge across the sea to Sri Lanka to go and rescue his spouse Sita from her kidnapper Ravana.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rameshwaram\"
The bridge to Rameshwaram Island<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The town was named Rameshwaram, “land of Lord Rama” when Rama worshipped Shiva on his return from Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To cleanse himself of the murder of King Ravana, which were an ardent devotee of Shiva, Lord Rama wanted to offer a shrine to Shiva.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rameshwaram\"
Rama offering his prayers to Lord Shiva after the battle of Sri Lanka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He asked Hanuman, the monkey lieutenant of his army, to bring a lingam<\/a><\/strong> from Mount Kailash. But that took time and as the propitious period for installing the lingam was at its end, Sita made a small lingam out of sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rameshwaram\"
Lingam at Agni theertham representing the lingam of sand made by Sita<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Hanuman got back with the Shiva Lingam and saw the sand lingam he was very disappointed<\/strong>. To console him, Rama ordered that all pujas<\/em> should first be performed on the Vishwalinga Hanuman had brought \u2013 a tradition that continues to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ MORE ABOUT THE LINGAMS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rameshwaram\"
Sita creating a sand lingam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Rama’s bridge, Myth or reality?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

The Rama Bridge or “Rama S\u00e9tu” or “Adam’s Bridge” is mentioned in the ancient Indian epic of Ramayana under the name of “Setubandhanam”. Rama S\u00e9tu (“setu” means “bridge” in Sanskrit) refers to the bridge built by the army of the Vanaras (ape-men) of Rama, which was used to reach Sri Lanka and save Sita.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rameshwaram\"
Hanuman and the army of ape men building the bridge to reach Sri Lanka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was only a legend became a bit more of a reality when NASA satellite images of 2002 did reveal an arm connecting Sri Lanka to Rameshwaram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different Hindu religious groups based on these images claim that this bridge did indeed exist and was man-made. Nevertheless, until very recently, numerous scientific studies confirmed by several court decisions in India determined that this bridge was in fact just a long bar of sand and corals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Each of the stones of the bridge bore the inscription \u0936\u094d\u0930\u0940\u0930\u093e\u092e (Sri Rama)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, in December 2017, there was an unexpected turn: several researchers from Indiana University, Colorado and Oregon said that there are indeed rocks under the Adam’s Bridge and that they were older than the sandbank covering them…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next episode of this mythological enigma is to be continued!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rameshwaram\"
Satellite image showing rocks connecting Rameshwaram in Sri Lanka<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

And now, let’s visit Rameshwaram!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Ramanathaswamy Temple<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"Rameshwaram\"
The gopuram at the entrance to the temple<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ramanathaswamy temple is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus, for several reasons: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It contains one of the 12 Jyotir Lingams<\/strong> <\/a>or “lingams of light”;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, the Shiva temples glorified in the verses of the three most venerated Nayanars (Shivaite tamil saints), Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, the temple is one of the Char Dham<\/a><\/strong>, the four most holy places in India, the others being Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
One of the temple’s gopurams of dravidian style<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are two lingams in the temple:<\/strong> the Ramalingam which according to legend was made by Sita and is the temple’s main deity, and the one Hanuman is supposed to have brought, called Vishwalinga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as its spiritual aspect, Ramanathaswamy temple is known for its immensely long corridors with thousands of carved pillars. It’s a perfect architectural gem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rameshwaram\"
The corridor with the 1008 pillars of the temple<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

READ MORE ABOUT THE JYOTIR LINGAMS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[ The art of making chai in Rameshwaram \ud83d\ude42 ]<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n