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Palliyarai ( Sayanangriha) Procession of Swami and the Palliyarai Pooja for Swami and Ambal in the Sayanagriha in Ambal Shrine are performed between 8.45 and 9.00 PM. In additions to the regular poojas at prescribed periods, poojas are also performed by the priests on behalf of individual pilgrims as they come with their tickets obtained from the Devasthanam office.

Pilgrims who wish to offer cash, gold or silver ornaments or other valuable articles should produce them before the temple Peishkar who will arrange to have them placed at the feet of the Lord or Devi as the case may be and get them entered in the temple accounts and issue proper receipts.

Devotees who desire to endow lands or other immovable property should contact the Treasurer or Executive Officer of the temple and arrange to have the prescribed Deeds executed with the approval of the Board of Trustees and legal officers.

Ganga water to be accepted from Abhishekam should be brought in brass, copper or bronze vessels and such vessels will be accepted on payment of the prescribed fees per vessel to Peishkar. Vessels made of tin or iron will not be accepted; but those who bring such vessels should pay for copper or brass vessels available in the temple and the peishkar will have the Ganga water transferred to temple vessels after satisfying himself about the genuineness of the water. Ganga water can also be sent by post or rail with prescribed fee per vessel and an additional One rupee.

A hundi box is available at the main entrance to each sannidhi into which devotees can put their cash offerings. The hundi boxes are opened periodically in the presence of officers and the public and the proceeds are taken to the temple account.

According to a popular legend, it was Lord Rama who installed this Linga here.  Story holds that when Lord Ram was on his way to attack Ravana, he reached this place where he made a linga of sand and worshipped it.  It is said that when Lord Rama was drinking water on the seashore there was celestial proclamation You are drinking water without worshipping me.  Listening to this Lord Rama made a linga of sand and worshipped it and asked to be blessed so that he could vanquish Ravana. Lord Shiva blessed him accordingly. He also requested Lord Shiva to reside eternally here so that entire mankind should benefit from it.  Shiva then manifested himself as the Linga and was installed there for eternity. According to yet another legend, while returning to Ayodhya, Ram worshipped Lord Shiva in the form of a Shiva Lingam made of earth by Sita. It is said that Hanuman was entrusted with the task of bringing an image of Viswanathar from Benaras.  Anticipating delay in Hanumans return from Benaras, Rama offered worship to a Shivalingam at a pre chosen auspicious moment. It is said that the names Ramalingam and the town Rameshwaram were thus got.    

There is yet another Shivalingam here Viswanathar is said to have been brought by Hanuman from Benaras. This Shivalingam is referred to as Kasilingam andHanumalingam. Prayers are offered to Viswanathar before they are offered to Ramanathaswamy.    

Structure of Rameshwaram Temple is spread over an area of 15 acres and has lofty gopurams, massive walls and a colossal Nandi. Rameswaram Jyotirlinga also boasts of a 4000 feet long pillared corridor with over 4000 pillars, supposedly the longest in the world. The carved granite pillars are mounted on a raised platform. Yet another fact about this corridor is that the rock is not indigenous to the island and is said to have been brought in from elsewhere in Tamil Nadu across the sea.

The eastern Rajagopuram towers to a height of 126 feet and has nine levels. The Western Rajagopuram is also quite impressive though not as tall as the Eastern one. The temple also has several mandapams with mini shrines to other deities.  There is a huge Nandi measuring 12 feet in length and 9 feet in height with the idols ofViswanatha Naicker and Krishnama Naicker. The lingams are placed in the inner section of the Ramalingeshwara. High walls enclose the temple, forming a rectangle with huge pyramidal gopura entrances of each side.  

A Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram is among the important injunctions laid on the Hindu from time immemorial. The great temple of Sri Ramanatha is connected by tradition with Kasi. A pilgrimage to Kasi is not considered complete without a pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. In olden days groups of pilgrims, many of them quite old, walked huge distances to the two temples, taking months and years, and some failing to survive the dangers of such incredibly long journeys. The Rameshwaram pilgrimage has long been a tradition in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, and has passed into folklore.  Many kings of old prided themselves on having planted columns of victory in rameshwaram Krishna III the Rashtrakuta, in the 10th century the Hoysala, Vishnuvardhan, in the 12th century.

Moolavar: Ramanathaswamy, Ramalingeswarar               

Amman / Thayar: Malaivalarkaadali, Parvatavartini                

Theertham:
Dhanushkoti

Patikam:
Sambandar, Appar-               

Old year: 1000-2000 years old               

Historical Name: Ramanathapuram

Rameshwaram Temple is situated in the island of Rameshwaram, off the Sethu coast of Tamil Nadu and is reached via the Pamban Bridge across the sea.  The huge temples are known for its long ornate corridors, towers and 36 theerthams.  Rameshwaram Jyothirlinga represents the southernmost of the12 Jyotirlingams of India and has been a time honored pilgrimage center held on par with Benaras. Rameshwaram Temple Jyotirlinga is associated closely with the Ramayana and Ramas victorious return from Sri Lanka.The temple and the island of Rameswaram have acquired this name because, Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, the God of Gods here on return from Sri Lanka. According to legend, after killing Ravana Lord Rama returned with his consort Goddess Seetha to India first stepping on the shores of Rameswaram. To expiate the dosha of killing a brahmin, Lord Rama wanted to offer worship to Lord Shiva. Since there was no shrine in the island had despatched Sri Hauman to Kailash to bring an idol of Lord Shiva.Between 1897and 1904, the ALAR family of Devakottai completed the imposing eastern tower of nine tiers 126 feet in height from Thiruppani funds.

Between 1907 and 1925 they renovated the Sanctum Sanctorum and the prakaram(inner most corridor) by replacing the lime stones by black granite with adequate provision for light and ventilation and also arranged for the performance of Ashtabandana Kumbabishekam in 1925 then on 22-2-1947 and the third Ashtabandana Maha Kumbabishegam was performed on 5-2-1975.

The temple was originally a small thatched hut looked after by a sadhu.  Subsequently over the centuries various people added to the structure among whom the Sethupathys of Ramnad were significant. King Parakramabahu, King of Sri Lanka, constructed the sanctum around Sri Ramanathaswamy, Sri Viswanathar and Sri Visalakshi in the 12th century.  The temple has three corridors (praharam).  The outer corridor is flanked on either side by a continuous platform with large number of pillars, each adorned by intense sculptures.  The longest corridors are the north and south corridors which from each end present a vista of receding columns and one cannot fail to marvel the grandeur and precision of the art ancient architects and artisans.  The western tower is about 78ft high and the eastern tower about 126ft made up of nine tiers.  There is an imposing nandhi in front of the moolsasthanam.  The sanctum of Lord Ramanathaswamy contains aLingam which is believed to have been installed by Lord Rama himself while on the north of this shrine is the sanctum of Lord Viswanathar which is believed to have been brought by Hanuman from Mount Kailash.  There are other shrines dedicated to various minor deities and 22 theerthams(source of sacred water) within the precinct of the temple. Devotees bathe in these waters before proceeding to the inner sanctum to receive dharshan.

Second Corridor : During the construction of first corridor, it was decided to renovate the second corridor. The lime stone structure in Second corridor was dismantled and started granited stone work. But only compound wall in west side and one portion in north side of western wing in south gate was renovate. After that no Renovation work as done.

Therefore, it was proposed to complete the Renovation work of Second Corridor by collecting Funds from the public. Between 1961 to 1985, the Renovation work of Second Corridor was taken up and completed the western side of Second Corridor and a portion in North and South side, from the Temple Renovation Fund. Now it has been proposed to complete the Renovation of Second Corridor which has been unfinished and the Renovation work is started now.

The Sethupathy mandapam in front of the Temples Raja Gopuram 9main Tower was constructed by Ramanatha Sethupathy, a descendant of Ramnad Raja dynasty, with his own donation of Rs. 2,75,000 /-. This construction was started on 19-11-69and completed on 11-2-74.

It is also most essential to construct the North and South Gopurams. Shri Jagadguru Sringeri Peedathipathy and Shri jagadguru Kanchi Kamakoti Peedathipathy have given their kind blessings for the constructions of the North and South Gopurams of the Temple.

The temple will be kept open for the devotees from 5 A.M to 9 P.M(except between 1 P.M and 3 P.M). The poojas are performed six times a day in this temple.

Pooja performed in the ramanathaswamy temple are Palliyarai Deepa Arathana, Spadigalinga Deepa Arathana , Thiruvananthal Deepa Arathana, Vila Pooja , Kalasanthi Pooja, Uchikala Pooja, Sayaratcha Pooja, Arthajama Pooja , Palliyarai Pooja.

108 Kalasa Abishegam, 108 Sangabishegam, Rudrabishegam, Panchamirtha abishegam, Swamy Sahasranama Archanai, Ambal Sahasranama Archanai, Swamy Nagaparanam, Ambal Kavasam.

Festivals:
Mahasivarathri , Vasanthotsavam, Thirukkalyanam , Navarathri Festival Dasara , Kantha Sashti and Aarudhira Dharshna are the festivals celebrated in this temple.

Pilgrims should take their own vessels and rope and draw water out of the Theerthams(mostly wells) in different parts of the temple. No water should be allowed to go into the wells after bath. The baths refresh both the mind and the body. The waters have medicinal properties besides that the mystic SANCTITY attached to each of them.

The 31 Theerthams outside of the temple, extend from Devipatnam(Navapashanam) and Tirupullani (Darbhasayanam) near Ramnad to Mandapam. Pamban Thangachimadam and Rameswaram though they are the treat traditional importance, many of them have not been properly maintained and so most of the pilgrims do not take the trouble of visiting these places. Several of them are also not easily accessible.

Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple The Joint Commissioner / Executive Officer, Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, Ramanathapuram, District, Rameswaram - 623 526.
Phone No. : 04573 - 221223
Fax : 04573 223230
E-Mail ID : lordramnath2012@gmail.com  
Do:
  • Do pray your Ishta Devata before pilgrimage to Temple.
  • Do contact Temple Devasthanam information centre for enquiry, temple information and for Pooja details etc.
  • Do reserve your travel and accommodation at Temple well in advance.
  • Do bath and wear clean clothes before you enter the temple.
  • Do concentrate on God and Goddess inside the temple.
  • Do maintain silence and recite Om Namahsivaya or your Istamantram to yourself inside the temple.
  • Do observe ancient custom and traditions while in Temple.
  • Do respect religious sentiments at Temple.
  • Do deposit your offerings in the hundi only.

Don't s:

  • Do not come to Temple for any purpose other than worshipping of God and Goddess.
  • Do not smoke at Temple.
  • Do not consume alcoholic drinks at Temple.
  • Do not eat non-vegetarian food in the Kshetram.
  • Do not approach mediators for quick Darshanam. It may cause inconvenient to others.
  • Do not carry any weapon inside the temple.
  • Do not wear any head guards like helmets, caps, turbans and hats inside the temple premises.
  • Do not perform Sastanga Pranama inside the Sanctum Sanctorum.
  • Do not take much time while performing Sparsa Darshanam to God in Garbhagriha.
  • Do not buy spurious prasadams from street vendors.
  • Do not encourage beggars at Temple.
  • Do not spit or create nuisance in the premises of the temple.