Interesting Places To Visit & Things To Do In In Rameswaram!

Rameswaram is a spiritual town in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India. Rameswaram is popular for being the place of Hindu pilgrim spot called the Ramanathaswamy temple. The town is also famous for the breathtaking viewpoints and sceneries it has to offer. A lot many Hindu legends and stories are associated with this town. Spiritualists are the main visitors to this tourist destination.

You can also get the opportunity to see the neighboring country of Sri Lanka from this place. Among the Hindu pilgrim tourists visiting the location, most of them are worshippers of Lord Shiva. Devotees of Lord Rama are also found in the location since the place is the venue of certain events that happened in the holy text of Ramayana.

This temple town is located in the district of Ramanathapuram. Rameswaram is also known as “the Varanasi of the South”. This single statement is sufficient enough to reveal the importance of this place in the pilgrimage map of India. Some of the places worth exploring in this sacred town are given below. 

Dhanushkodi Beach 

Dhanushkodi beach is seen at the southmost end of the town, Rameswaram. This is one of the best places to visit in Rameswaram. Rameswaram where casual tourists exceed the number of pilgrim tourists. To the one side of the beach, there lies the Bay of Bengal and to the other side, the Gulf of Mannar can be seen.

The wide shores of the beach are perfect for photography as well as for collecting seashells and stuff. Moreover, those who are interested in adventure activities related to the sea can also be seen in the location. Sea surfing is one of the major activities done by tourists visiting the location. If you are taking your naughty kids along with you, they can also have a fun playful time on the cozy shores of the beach. 

Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple

Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple is the landmark that makes the city of Rameswaram so powerful and distinctive among local and international tourists. This is the topmost pilgrim places to visit in Rameswaram. Shri Ram, the Hindu lord is the main deity of the temple.

Many Vaishnavites across the world are seen visiting the temple to pay respect to the main deity in the temple since it is an incarnated form of Lord Vishnu.

As prescribed by the holy text of Hinduism, the Ramayana, for a Hindu to obtain salvation, he or she should visit the North Indian pilgrim center Varanasi as well as Rameswaram. It is believed that after the exile of Lord Rama, he is found to have seen the location of Rameswaram, attributing the place to its name.

Even if you are not a believer or Hinduism, you must take a visit to the temple just to enjoy its splendid creativity, endless corridors, carved pillars, and a lot more.

Adam’s Bridge

In local terms, Adam’s Bridge is also known by the name “Rama Setu”. The bridge is popular since it connects two different countries viz. India and Sri Lanka. Accurately, you will reach Mannar Island in Sri Lanka from the town of Rameswaram in India. The bridge is around 30km long and continues to amuse and attract tourists for a very long period.

Limestone shoals are the building material of these stones. Many historical and spiritual legends are connected with this structure found in Rameswaram. As per regional beliefs, the bridge was an active means of transport until 1480.

In the year 1480, a major cyclone happened in the area causing destruction to the bridge. Most parts of the bridge got submerged in this natural disaster.

It was a British Cartographer who gave the name, Adam’s Bridge to Rama Setu. The naming happened in the year, 1804. The bridge of Rama Setu can be seen during train journeys and it can also be reached from the center of Rameswaram town at a 20km distance. 

Kothandaramaswamy Temple

This is also another center for pilgrimage in the town of Rameswaram. It is just 12km away from the center of the city. The temple is located on an island in Rameswaram. Surrounding the temple, the crystal blue waters of the Bay of Bengal can also be found. This makes the location of the temple quite picturesque and refreshing.

But to the one side of the temple, the Gulf of Mannar spreads with all pride indicating the presence of the neighboring country of Sri Lanka. The locals of the area believe that Swami Vivekananda had once visited this temple when he was on his way to Chicago.

People also believe that the temple was there in its location for 1000 years marking its ancientness with pride and prestige. When the legendary Rama Setu got destructed in the cyclone of 1480, this temple withstood the calamity and still functions perfectly well welcoming local and international tourists around the year.

Ariyaman Beach

This is a 2KM beach you can consider visiting on your trip to Rameswaram. This beach visit will not give you that urban vibes but rather an extremely calming mood and serene vibes. Peace and positivity will get filled in your mind during the visit. Environmentalists and backpackers are found enjoying the vibes of this place to the maximum.

Moreover, unlike other crowded beaches in the city of Rameswaram, you will find fewer people in the location. Such things make it an offbeat tourist destination in the city. The casuarina tree found plenty in the surroundings of the beach providing better comfort, and shade to the people visiting the beach.

Hence if you are interested in the mood of this beach all you can find will be a bunch of like-minded people. Apart from all these you can also indulge in boating and enjoy the picturesque views of the beach and its premises. 

Lakshmana Tirtham 

The translated meaning of the local word “Tirtham” is “holy water”. Lakshmana Tirtham is the sacred water body in the city of Rameswaram. In the city, you can find a total of 64 sacred Tirthas. Ramanathaswamy Temple is home to the 22 Tirthas among them.

If you are in the temple, the Lakshmana Tirtham is just 1km away from the place. You can also find Rama Tirtham and Sita Tirtham nearby. If you are visiting the city of Rameswaram for the sole purpose of pilgrimage, you can also consider visiting the Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple in the location. Since the Tirtham is known by the name of the Hindu lord, Lakshmana, there is also a temple that is devoted to him adjacent to it.

The way to Lakshmana Tirtham is via the Mandapam of the temple. The floating car procession is the major attraction of the Lakshmana Tirtham and is conducted during the Thaipusam festival of the temple. 

Agni Tirtham

Along with Lakshmana Tirtham, this is also one of the most visited Tirtham in the whole of Rameswaram. When all the other Tirthams in the town are located inside any of the temple complexes, this is the only one that can be found outside the temple. If you are in the Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple, walk to the eastern corner of the beach to reach the location of Agni Tirtham.

Hindu holy texts such as Skanda Purana, Sethu Purana, and Narada Purana have mentioned Agni Tirtham in them. Pilgrims visiting the city of Rameswaram make sure that they take a dip in the holy water of Agni Tirtham, to begin their pilgrimage to the place.

Full moon and new moon days are the most auspicious days of the location and taking a bath in this Tirtham during these days is believed to have many spiritual benefits. The bath in Agni Tirtham is also believed to have the power of washing away all the sins of the devotees.

Villoondi Tirtham

This is another spiritual place where you can go and pay a visit to the city of Rameswaram. The surroundings of this Tirtham are quite calm and refreshing in every sense. You can reach Villoondi Tirtham from a 6km travel from the main center of the city.

Tides and refreshing sea breeze will rejuvenate you spiritually and emotionally during the visit. Even if you are not an ardent believer of the faiths followed by the Tirthams, you can simply visit the location to enjoy the matchless nature and its good vibes. There is also a natural spring in the ocean making it much more distinct and impressive from the rest of the Tirthams.

During certain months of the year, especially during the summers, the ocean water, and the spring water get mixed together making the taste of the water salty. Certain beliefs assure Villoondi Tirtham was the creation of Lord Rama to quench the thirst of his devotees. 

Water Bird Sanctuary

This is the other side of the city of Rameswaram. Apart from the religious and pilgrimage aspects of the city, you can also enjoy a lot of tropical birds in this Water Bird Sanctuary. A lot of migratory birds are also seen in the location of the sanctuary during the seasonal months of the year. Pelicans and Flamingos are popular among them.

Tourists and pilgrims visiting the city of Rameswaram also make it a point to visit the sanctuary for refreshing themselves and also to spend a feel-good time with nature and its living beings. The biodiversity and vegetation of the area can only be understood and enjoyed by visiting this location.

Environmental enthusiasts, nature lovers, photographers, etc. are the major visitors to the location. The lush green and the cool and calm environment make it a spot to relax from the bustling tourism happening in the main centers of the city. 

Kalam National Memorial

India and Indians will never forget their greatest of all-time presidents, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. This political leader, teacher, and scientist was born and brought up in the city of Rameswaram. This is a memorial dedicated to his matchless personality and the ideals he followed and believed throughout the course of his life.

The memorial was officially inaugurated by the now Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi in the year 2017. Even if it is just a memorial of the former president of the nation, you can learn and enjoy a lot about the tradition, lifestyle, and culture of the city of Rameswaram. This memorial has a total land area of 2.11 acres and the site of this memorial is also home to the grave of Kalam.

It was The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that took initiative to build a memorial for Dr. Kalam to pay tribute to his priceless contributions to the field of Science and Technology of the country. 

Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge

If you have misunderstood this bridge as a normal bridge in the city of Rameswaram having any subtle tourism prominence, you are mistaken. This bridge in the city is the longest in the whole of South India. It is the bridge connecting the island of Rameswaram with the other parts of the state.

The construction of the bridge is done over a bay. You can explore this bridge by traveling from the city center for just a distance of 7km. The natives of the place call the bridge by the name “Pamban Bridge”.

There are so many spiritual legends developed over the bridge. One of them is the story of Lord Rama who helped Sita have some fresh water by creating a water source with the throw of an arrow.

Modern-day engineers and architects stand astonished before this brilliant creation and still could not find the secret behind its strength and resilience. The bridge is functional even today and facilitates hassle-free transportation through it. 

India’s 1st Vertical lift Railway Sea Bridge#NewPambanBridge
🔹84% work completed & track laying work is in progress
🔹Fabrication of Vertical Lift Span girder is nearing completion.
🔹Assembling platform for vertical lift span on Rameswaram end of the bridge is getting ready. pic.twitter.com/0Ze5C7PwBA

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) December 1, 2022

Sea World Aquarium Rameswaram

Being a coastal city, Rameswaram has got plenty of aquatic wealth to showcase to the rest of the world and the Sea World Aquarium is one among them. You can visit this place which is located just opposite the Rameswaram bus stand. this is one of the best places to visit in Rameswaram Octopus, Lion Fish, Snake Fish, Parrot Fish, Rabbit Fish, Clown Fish, and a lot more diverse varieties of fish are displayed in the aquarium.

They include creatures both from the regional oceans and imported. It is better to have kids along with you on the visit to this aquarium since it would give them proper insights into the aquatic life and wealth around us. Moreover, the aquarium and its premises are also properly maintained by the authorities concerned.

No matter if you are a pilgrim tourist or a casual tourist you can easily take a visit to this aquarium and experience the marine diversity from a whole different angle. 

Rama Tirtham

This is a pilgrim spot in Rameswaram and is known for its mythological significance. The tank having the sacred water is the most important feature of this temple too. The devotees believe that Lord Sri Ram crossed the location of this temple while he was on his way to Sri Lanka. All you will get here is the peaceful and rejuvenating vibes of spirituality and faith.

During the visit, you can hear a lot of stories regarding the temple both from the international pilgrims as well as from the regional pilgrims. If you have already visited Lakshman Tirtham, this is also nearby. A Gujarati Satsang hall is found in the location of Rama Tirtham temple where you can enjoy and indulge in the chants and prayers of the devotees visiting the place. 

Best Time To Visit Rameswaram:

October to April

How To Reach Rameswaram?

Nearest Airport: Madurai Airport

Nearest Railway station: Rameswaram (RMM)

Conclusion

Enjoy Hindu spirituality and man-made historic marvels in the location. Indulge in the beauty of the coastal region and have a calming and refreshing vacation in this Temple Town. 

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