On Pamban Island at India's southern tip, Rameshwaram is where tradition holds Rama worshipped Shiva before crossing to Lanka - and home to the longest temple corridor in India.
Rameshwaram sits on Pamban Island, connected to the Tamil Nadu mainland by the Pamban Bridge, at the closest point of Indian land to Sri Lanka. Tradition holds that Rama worshipped Shiva here to seek forgiveness before and after the events of the Ramayana's war in Lanka, making this the southern counterpart to Kedarnath's Himalayan setting - together they are sometimes described as marking the northern and southern ends of the Jyotirlinga pilgrimage.
Ramanathaswamy Temple is famous for its corridors - the longest in any Hindu temple in India, lined with hundreds of intricately carved pillars. The temple complex also contains 22 sacred wells, or theerthams, and a traditional part of pilgrimage here involves bathing in a sequence of them, each said to have distinct water character despite their close proximity to the sea.
Rameshwaram has its own railway station connected to Madurai and Chennai, and Madurai's airport, a few hours away by road, is the nearest air link. The drive or train ride across the Pamban Bridge, with the sea on both sides, is itself part of the experience of arriving.
October to April for the most comfortable weather on this exposed coastal stretch; the region can experience cyclonic weather later in the year, so checking conditions before travel is worthwhile.
Browse admin-verified guest houses with honest prices and a real host on the other end.
Find a stay →There are places you visit to admire their beauty. There are places you visit to learn about history. And then there ...
Somnath Jyotirlinga, located in Prabhas Patan, Gir Somnath district of Gujarat, is revered as the first among the twe...
Baidyanath Jyotirlinga, popularly known as Baba Baidyanath Dham, is one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas of Lord Shi...