The Rameswaram Jyotirlinga, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, is established in the temple and is believed to be associated with the period of the Ramayana. Here, you can learn about the mythological significance of Rameswaram Dham and the important places to visit in Rameswaram.

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Mythological Significance of Rameswaram

According to Hindu beliefs, Rameswaram has a deep connection with the Ramayana era. The ancient epic Ramayana, written by Maharishi Valmiki, mentions Rameswaram in detail.

According to the Ramayana, after King Dasharatha sent Lord Rama into exile for 14 years, Shri Rama left Ayodhya to fulfil his father’s promise. After spending some time in the forest, Ravana deceitfully abducted Goddess Sita and took her to Lanka.

While Ravana was taking Sita to Lanka, he encountered Jatayu, the king of vultures. Jatayu tried to stop Ravana and save Goddess Sita, but Ravana cut off his wings, leaving him severely injured. Later, Lord Rama met Jatayu while searching for Sita in the forest. Jatayu informed Lord Rama that Ravana had kidnapped Sita and taken her towards the south. After conveying this message, Jatayu gave up his life.

Lord Rama performed Jatayu’s final rites and continued his journey towards the south in search of Sita. During this journey, he met Lord Hanuman, who introduced Rama and Lakshmana to Sugriva at Rishyamuk Mountain. There, Lord Rama and Sugriva formed a friendship.

After their alliance, Sugriva sent groups of Vanara warriors in all four directions to search for Goddess Sita. A group led by Prince Angada, including Hanuman, Neel, and Jambavan, reached the southern coastline of India, where they met Sampati, the brother of Jatayu.

Sampati informed them that Goddess Sita was imprisoned in a garden in Lanka. Since Lanka was an island surrounded by the ocean, Jambavan reminded Hanuman of his divine powers, after which Hanuman travelled through the air to Lanka in search of Sita.

After searching through Lanka, Hanuman initially could not find Goddess Sita and became disappointed. However, he later met Vibhishana, a devotee of Lord Rama, who guided him to Ashoka Vatika. There, Hanuman found Goddess Sita sitting under a tree. He gave her Lord Rama’s ring and delivered his message. After this, Hanuman set Lanka on fire and returned to Lord Rama.

Hanuman narrated the entire incident to Lord Rama. To rescue Goddess Sita, Lord Rama reached the southern seashore along with the Vanara army.

Lord Rama knew that defeating Ravana in battle would not be easy and that he needed Lord Shiva’s blessings. To please Lord Shiva, Shri Rama created a Shiva Lingam using sand and worshipped it with proper rituals. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Shiva blessed Lord Rama and granted the Shivling the status of being one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.

After defeating Ravana and rescuing Goddess Sita, Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya. It is believed that the Shivling installed in the Rameswaram Temple is the same Shivling that was established by Lord Rama. Since then, this sacred Jyotirlinga has been worshipped by devotees.

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Famous Places to Visit in Rameswaram

The most important religious attraction in Rameswaram is the Rameswaram Jyotirlinga Temple. Apart from this, the 22 Holy Wells (Kund) and Villurani Theertham are also significant religious sites. There are several other places in Rameswaram that hold great spiritual importance.

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Rameswaram Temple

Rameswaram Dham is located in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. The Shivling present here is considered one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, highlighting the immense religious importance of this holy place.

The temple houses two Shivlings, and both are worshipped even today in the main temple premises.

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Twenty-Two Holy Wells (Kund)

As the name suggests, this place consists of sacred water wells. The Ramanathaswamy Temple complex has several holy wells. Originally, there were 24 sacred wells, but two of them dried up, leaving 22 wells today.

These wells contain sweet water, and there are also a few ponds such as Koti Theertham. Taking a bath in these holy water sources is considered highly auspicious and is believed to wash away sins.

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Villurani Theertham

Around three miles east of Rameswaram, there is a village named Thangachimadam. A sacred water source located in the sea is known as Villurani Theertham.

A unique feature of this place is that fresh water emerges from the middle of the salty sea. According to legend, Goddess Sita once felt extremely thirsty. Since there was no water source nearby except the sea, Lord Rama created this water source by striking the ground with the tip of his arrow.

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How to Reach Rameswaram

Devotees can reach Rameswaram by air, rail, and road.

By Air

The nearest airport to Rameswaram is located in Madurai. Madurai Airport is well connected with Chennai Airport, and regular flights operate between Chennai and Madurai.

By Rail

Rameswaram has its own railway station. Another nearby major railway station is located in Chennai, which has a strong Southern Railway network connecting it with major cities across India.

By Road

Rameswaram is well connected by road with Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu. Regular bus services operate between Chennai and Rameswaram. Visitors can also reach Rameswaram by road from various states across India.

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