Rameshwaram

~ Dr MPG Kurup former Executive Director National Dairy Development Board

India : Art , History , Culture , Architecture , Vedic India

History , Culture

Ramanathaswamy Temple : Rameswaram

Sanathana Dharma is commonly referred to as ” Hinduism ” in India , even though the term only refers to the practical and functional aspects of Sanathana Dharma : And Hinduism is the overwhelmingly Hindu !

I am neither a Historian nor an Enthusiast of Sanathana Dharma ! My prime objective in starting these feature posts was to place before the ” am janatha ” , basic information on the enormity of the Levels of achievements of this 5000 years of the unbroken Indian Civilization : Culture , Arts , Architecture , Literature and Spirituality !

Adding to the numbers and size of the Hindus is not part of the ajenda : Sanathana Dharma does not believe in conversions of followers of other faiths to Hindus ! And yet one in seven of all persons on Earth is Hindu !

Ramanathaswamy Temple , located on the Rameswaram Island . The Temple was under the Pandyan Dynasty during the 15th Century , but came under the rule of the Sethupathis , a breakaway group , of the Madurai Nayaks by 1520. AD !Jaffna Kings also contributed to the Temple construction !

The Temple is dedicated to Ramanatha : Shiva : the Jyothirlinga , here , is believed to have been installed and consecrated by Lord Rama himself on his way back from Lanka , for worshipping Shiva and to atone the sins of Brahmahathya for killing Ravana and many others in battle . See Rama Theertha : picture on bottom right , is the Pond Sree Ram used for his daily ablutions !

The Ramanatha Temple had been , over the centuries under the control several dynasties and powers , including the Islamic invader Malik,Kaufer , finally was taken over by the Vijaya Nagara Empire.

Sita Devi is believed to have died in Rameswara . Rama Sethu is identified as the mass of soft sand and floating stones ( Pumice Stones / Lime Stones) from Pampan Island towards the Sea. The Temple architecture is stunning and intricate and has several long corridors with thousands of pillars in them. The third corridor is the longest temple corridors in the world : 197 metres and with 1210 pillars.

Ramanathaswamy Temple is one of the Char Dham Temples and also one of the 12 Jyothirlingas in the Country : the Southern Most.