Rameshwaram: Dham Created by Lord Ram

We all have heard about the holy place of Rameshwaram. People from all over the world tend to go there in order to worship their Lord. The temple is very famous. It is located in Tamil Nadu on an island. Rameshwaram temple is considered to be a holy place that an individual must visit before death. Every year almost lakhs of people perform their pilgrimage to this temple. 

However, there are a lot of secrets that the premises of this temple hide. In this blog, we will learn about the story and history of the temple. If you are curious to know it, then read the entire blog for the same.  

About Rameshwaram 

It is said that Rameshwaram represents to the South what Kashi denotes to the North. The name means ‘Lord of Ram’, denoting Shiva, who is the deity presiding in the temple of Rameshwaram. It is a revered temple for Hindus as Rameshwaram is considered one of the ‘Char Dham’ and also one of the 12 Jyotirlinga. The story that is attached to this temple is just as interesting as its architecture is intriguing. 

Story Of Rameshwaram

Let us first begin with the legend behind the Rameshwaram Temple. During the Treta Yug, after Lord Ram came back victorious from Lanka, he was advised by knowledgeable sages to perform a yagna. This yagna would be to pray for the peace of all who were slain during the war. Along with this, Ram had also taken over the sin of Brahma hatya (murdering a Brahman) by killing Ravan, and penance need to be done for the same.

The Ayodhya king was then advised to make a temple of Shiva at Gandhamadhanam (the ancient name of the land) to make up for the sins. Ram then instructed Hanuman to bring him a deity, the Shiv-ling. Hanuman instantly flew away to get his Lord the requested Shiva-ling.

However, it took Hanuman a long time to return, and the muhurta or blessed time, was passing. Ram then asked Sita to make a small Shiv-ling from the sand on the beach, and they proceeded to do the rituals. When Hanuman came back, he was deeply hurt that the Shiv-ling brought by him was not used for the rituals. To appease Hanuman, Ram said that anyone who entered the temple would first have to pray to the lingam brought by Hanuman, known as the Vishwalingam, which was placed in the vicinity of the shrine. Within it, the lingam made by Sita was placed, which came to be known as the Ramalingam. 

Also Read: 5 Alluring Temples Of Gujarat You Must Visit

About The Rameshwaram Temple

The temple’s legend is as noteworthy as its stunning build and beautiful architectural design. The temple’s area is spread over 15 acres. It has breathtaking shrines of Visalakshi, Mahaganapathi, and Nandi, amongst others. It has the longest corridors in the world. The dimensions of the inner corridor are around 224 feet on each side from east to west and 352 on either side from north to south, with a total length of 3850 feet.

The most wondrous structure is that of the 22 Teerthams that are present in the praangan of the temple. Teerthams means holy water, and in Rameshwaram, there are 22 wells which are considered sacred within the premises of the temple. It is believed that Lord Ram released 22 arrows from his quiver, summoning the water of 22 holy places of India.

Interestingly the water of these 22 wells is fresh, and the rest of the wells have seawater in them. Pilgrims take a bath in these sacred water bodies and then proceed to worship the 2 lingams. Worshipping Lord Shiv here is said to balance out many sins and bring the pilgrim closer to moksha.

Also Read: 6 Different And Beautiful Architecture Of Temples In India

Amazing Facts About Rameshwaram Temple

Now, as we have learned about Rameswaram temple history along with its story, it is time to look at some lesser-known facts. Rameshwaram temple holds a lot of mysteries. Let us have a look at these facts. These facts are as follows: 

• Rameshwaram Temple was built by lord Ram in order to worship Lord Shiva.
• It is one of the char dham. It is considered highly auspicious to visit the temple.
• The temple has 2 lingams. Traditionally, almost all temples have one lingam. However, Rameshwaram temple has 2 lingams.
• The halls of Rameshwara temple have 100 pillars.
• Another amazing fact about Rameshwaram temple is that it has the longest corridor in the world. 

Conclusion

There you have it, folks! These were the stories, mythologies and facts about the Rameswaram Shiva temple. The temple is said to have 2 Lingams. These 2 lingams are something that attracts people here the most. The story behind the 2 lingams has the essence of purity within itself. One Lingam is said to be built by SIta mata, and the other was brought over by Hanuman. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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