Ramanathaswamy Temple
The Ramanathaswamy temple is an ancient temple located at Rameswaram and is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. It is one among the twelve Jyotirlingam temples in the world. The presiding deity, Lord Shiva is believed to have been worshipped by Lord Ram after the war with the demon king Ravan during the period of the epic Ramayana.
Ramanathaswamy Temple - Rameshwaram - Tamil Nadu
Speciality of the Temple
The presiding deity is Lord Ramanathaswamy in the form of a Lingam. The temple’s sanctum has two lingams, one bought by Lord Hanuman from the Himalayas and the other one built by Mother Sita from sand. The temple is seen to have the longest corridor among all the Hindu temples.
History
From the epic Ramayana, after the war with Ravan, Lord Ram in order to absolve of his sins of killing an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, asked Lord Hanuman to bring a Linga. So Hanuman went to the Himalayas to bring back a Linga. But he got late and hence, Mother Sita built a Linga from the sand from the shore. This is believed to be the presiding deity in the temple.
Temple timings
The temple functions between 5.00 am to 1.00 pm and between 3.00 pm to 9.00 pm.
Dress Code
No specific dress code is recommended for a visit to this temple. Still, costumes covering upper arms and legs are suggested as a mark of respect to the temple customs.
Festivals
Maha Shivaratri is celebrated in much grandeur here. Festivals such as Vasanthorchavam, Thiru Kalyanam and Navarathri are also celebrated in the temple.