Rameswaram, Hindu temple in Rameswaram, India
Rameswaram is a town in Ramanathapuram district, India, sitting on Pamban Island between the Indian mainland and Sri Lanka. The Ramanathaswamy Temple dominates the center, spreading across several adjacent street blocks with entrance towers facing all directions and long sheltered corridors of massive stone columns.
Rulers of the Pandya Dynasty began building the temple complex in the 12th century, expanding earlier shrines from previous eras. Later, kings from Jaffna added the long columned corridors that now rank among the longest in all of South India.
Pilgrims move through a sequence of ritual baths in the temple tanks, each named after a different deity or sacred figure. Before sunrise, worshippers gather for puja while priests chant mantras in lamplight and incense drifts through the columned halls.
The complex opens in two daily sessions, with early morning hours before 7 AM offering calmer visits. Covered shoulders and knees are required, and most visitors walk barefoot through the corridors and courtyards.
Each of the 22 water tanks inside the complex carries a different name, and local belief assigns specific spiritual properties to each one. The corridors extend for over one kilometer in total length, and their carved columns show no two identical patterns.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
