The Divine experience of Rameshwaram Island and its Beaches

Rameshwaram, a strategically important island on the east coast of India, is an excellent place for the study of coastal evolution during the Quaternary. Rameshwaram has landforms like beaches, beach ridges, mudflats, raised coral terraces, lagoons, spit, etc. along with living corals. The town is connected to the rest of the country via the famous Pamban channel. Mannar Island in Sri Lanka is about 1,403 km away from Rameshwaram island.

Geology

The coast of Rameshwaram island has several topographic expressions which are the signatures of the interaction of marine and aeolian processes. These topographic features can serve as ecosystems, which have components of terrestrial, marine, and atmospheric processes Ecosystems favor and support rich and diversified fauna and flora apart from serving as areas to protect the coast from the activities of tides and cyclones.

A widely varying nature of landforms and their disposition along the beaches and inland represents the successive phase of transgression and regression of sea level. Along the eastern coast of peninsular India, narrow belts of sand dunes, coastal dunes, and beach ridges are present.

The Coast of Rameshwaram island can be classified into two sectors which are the Northern and Southern sectors. The northern coast extends from Pamban through Rameswaram town to Dhanushkodi and the Southern coast extends from Pamban through Ramakrishnapruram to Dhanushkodi. Cuspate shoreline configuration is observed in the Northern coast between Peikkarumbu and Rameswaram town and in the South coast between Pamban and Ayyanthopu.

The sea and its beautiful stretches of golden sand beaches to cities known for their socio-cultural richness.  With the lush green mountains and endless stretches of tea gardens, every place around Rameshwaram island is a real treat for a nature-loving traveler. Tourists can start the day by enjoying stunning views from the famous Pamban Bridge, visiting the Ramanathaswamy Temple and the other prominent religious sites.

Religious importance

Ram Setu is a great place to explore Rameshwaram island. It is the Char Dham Yatra or the holy pilgrimage.  the Ariyaman Beach is the perfect place to spend some relaxing time in the evening and enjoy stunning views of the sunset on the sea. According to Hindu mythology, Rameshwaram is the place from where Lord Rama built a bridge across the sea to reach Lanka, in order to rescue his abducted wife Sita from Ravana, the king of Lanka.

It is believed that Rameshwaram island was the place where Lord Rama decided to atone for his sins. He sought penance after having killed the Brahmin king, Ravana. Rama wanted to build the largest Shivalingam and asked Hanuman to fetch the linga from the Himalayas. This took time and Sita constructed a Shivalingam there in the meantime. This lingam is regarded to be the one that is still present in the shrine of the Ramanathaswamy Temple.

Ramanathaswamy Temple is the most beautiful piece of architecture built by the Pandya kings and has the longest corridors compared to other Hindu temples. The temple is embraced for one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Lakhs of Hindus are visited every year to the temple to offer prayers and seek blessings from god.

Here are performed most beautiful rituals practiced like-The evening prayers song and dance. Agni Tirtham, a beach east of Ramanathaswamy Temple is one of the most visited Tirthams of Rameswaram for a holy bath. It’s a great spot for touristic to enjoy.

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Rameshwaram island is incomplete without exploring Dhanushkodi. Dhanushkodi is a ‘ghost town’ at a distance of 18 km from Rameshwaram. These are ruins of a town that got destroyed in a natural calamity. Dhanushkodi was once a thriving fishing town in Pamban. In December 1964, a powerful cyclone struck Pamban Island and Sri Lanka, killing over 1800 people in Dhanushkodi alone.

The Pamban Bridge, Dhanushkodi railway station, and the entire town of Dhanushkodi, including all amenities and a port, got washed away. Dhanushkodi was declared unfit for habitation by the Government of Tamilnadu henceforth and has remained a ghost town ever since.

Rameshwaram island has played an important role in the Indian historical culture especially when trade with other countries was involved. The island was a stop-gap point for those traveling to Sri Lanka (Ceylon). In fact, the Jaffna Kingdom of Sri Lanka claimed control of the town and declared themselves Sethukavalan or the custodians of Rameshwaram.

Rameshwaram island has a well-connected railway station as well as a good network of roads. The airport closest to the city is Madurai. Best Time To Visit Rameshwaram has summers and winters.