How to Reach Rameshwaram

Rameshwaram, a Hindu ‘tirtha’ (तीर्थ), is one of the Chardham (चारधाम). The sacred island of Rameshwaram is some hundred miles from Madurai and Sri Lanka lies only forty six miles away on the other side of Palk Strait. This sliver of land separates the Bay of Bengal in the north from the Indian Ocean and the train-ride to this outpost of India offers some unique seascapes. Rameshwaram holds its religious significance for the Hindus for its association with Lord Ram. Ram arrived here with his monkey-host to cross over to Lanka. After his victory over Ravan and return, he was advised by the sages to worship Lord Shiva in the form of a Lingam to wash off the sin of having slain Ravan and his hosts. Sri Ram’s faithful servant, Lord Hanuman was sent to the Himalayas to fetch a ‘lingam’ for installation and worship. An auspicious day had been fixed — the tenth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Ani — for installing the image. Hanuman did not return by that date and so an image of ‘lingam’ made out of sea-sand, lying nearby, by Ram’s divine consort Sita, was installed with due ceremony. Hanuman arrived subsequently and, finding his labours vain, tried to pull out the sand-made ‘lingam’, but all his attempts failed. At last Ram, in order to appease his devotee-servant, installed the stone lingam brought by Hanuman to the north of the one already established and ordered that worship may be offered to the image brought by his faithful servant first. The ‘lingam’ in the great shrine of Rameshwaram, being thus the one installed by Lord Rama himself, is considered supremely sacred and is an object of worship to all sections of the Hindus in India.