- Ramanathaswamy Temple
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Ramanathaswamy Temple 
Ramanathaswamy TempleLocation in Tamil NaduCoordinates: 9°17′17″N 79°19′02″E / 9.288106°N 79.317282°ECoordinates: 9°17′17″N 79°19′02″E / 9.288106°N 79.317282°E Name Proper name: Ramanathaswamy Thirukoil Location Country: India State: Tamil Nadu Location: Rameswaram Temple Details Primary Deity: Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) Architecture and culture Architectural styles: Dravidian architecture History Creator: Pandya kings Char Dham Badrinath • Rameswaram
Dwarka • Puri
Practices
Ramanathaswamy Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva located in the island of Rameswaram (Devnagri:रामेश्वरम, Tamil:இராமேஸ்வரம்) in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
Contents
Deity
The primary deity of the temple is Shiva.
Significance
According to Shaiva mythology, Lord Rama is believed to have prayed to Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon king Ravana.
This account is however, not supported by any such mention in the original Ramayana authored by Maharishi Valmiki, nor in the Tamil version of the Ramayana authored by Sri Kambar. Support for this account may be found in some of the later versions of the Ramayana, such as those penned by Swami Tulasidas (15th Century) and others.
The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham shrines that has to be visited in one's lifetime and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holy abodes of Lord Shiva[1].
Temple structure
Ramanatha Swami Temple - Official Web site Like all ancient temples in South India, there is a high compound wall (madil) on all four sides of the temple premises measuring about 865 feet furlong from east to west and one furlongs of 657 feet from north to south with huge towers (Gopurams) at the east and west and finished gate towers on the north and south. The temple has striking long corridors in its interior, running between huge colonnades on platforms above five feet high.
The junction of the third corridor on the west and the paved way leading from the western gopuram to Setumadhava shrine forms a unique structure in the form of chess board and it is popularly known as Chokkattan Madapam where the Utsva deities are adorned and kept during the Vasntotsavam (Spring festival) and on the 6th day festival in Adi (July-August) and Masi (February-March) conducted by the Setupati of Ramnad.
The outer set of corridors is reputed to be the longest in the world being about 400 feet in each in the east and west and about 640 feet in north and south and inner corridors are about 224 feet in east and west and about 352 feet each in north and south. Their width varies from 15.5 feet to 17 feet in the east and west about 172 feet on the north and south with width varying 14.5 feet to 17 feet. The total length of those corridors is thus 3850 feet. There are about 1200 pillars in the outer corridor. Their height is about 30 feet from the floor to the center of the roof.
Third Corridor
Third Corridor
Outer Wing East-West 12 feet North-South 43 feet Inner wing East-West 45 feet North-South 3 feet Total number of pillars 12 Height of corridor 2 feet 7.6 inch Temple contributions and donations from Hindu kings and zamindars
The contribution of the kings of the Sethupathy dynasty to the temple was considerable. Especially to be remembered are the immense sums that were spent during the tenure of Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai towards the restoration of the Pagodas which were falling into ruins, the splendid Chockattan Mantapam or the cloistered precincts of the temple at Rameshwaram that he finally completed. The temple was repaired and substantial portions reconstructed by the Nagarathars of Devakottai, especially Shree AL.AR.RM.Arunachalam chettiar, then Zamindar of Devakottai,He was the Hereditary Trustee of RamanathaSwamy Temple.There after his son AL AR Kalairajah Chettiar,subsequently his son AL AR K Veerappa Chettiar are Hereditary Trustees of Rameswaram RamanathaSwmy Temple
Shrines in the temple complex and around Rameshwaran
- Ramanathaswami Shrine
- Viswanatha Shrine
- Visalakshi Shrine
- Parvathavardhini
- Utsava Idols
- Sayanagriha
- Perumal Shrine
- Santanaganpathi
- Sukravara Mandapam
- Mahaganapathi Shrine
- Subrahmanya Shrine
- Sethumadhava Shrine
- Ramalinga Pratishta
- Natraja Shrine
- Anjaneya Shrine
- Sethupathi Mandapam
- Anuppu Mandapam
- Mahalaxmi Shrine
- Kalyana Mandapam
- Nandi Mandapam
- Gandhamadanaparvatam
- Arilmigu Kothandaramar Temple
- Nandi Statue
Temple Gallery
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Shri Rameshwar Jyotirlinga
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People thronging for the Holy Bath, Rameshwaram
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People thronging for the Holy Bath, Rameshwaram
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People and animals alike gather for the Holy Bath, Rameshwaram
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Cows, sacred in India, join the fun at the Holy Bath, Rameshwaram
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Shankara Math, Rameswaram
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Near the bathing ghat
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a temple car and the local autorickshaws
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a temple car and the local autorickshaws
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a temple car
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a banana cart near a temple car
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Tempe tower
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Corridor of 1000 pillars
Shrines in Rameswaram
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Ramarpadm - Footsteps of Lord Rama
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Ramarpaadham Temple, Rameshwaram
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Ramarpaadham Temple, Rameshwaram
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Ramarpaadham Temple, Rameshwaram
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Ram Temple, Rameshwaram
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Naga Idols at Ram Temple, Rameshwaram
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Lakshman Theertham, Rameshwaram
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Sita Kund - Pond named after Sita
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Floating stones (Hanuman Temple)
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Sugreevar theertham, Lotus pond on the way to Ramar Padham
See also
- Tirthas of Rameswaram
- Dhanushkodi
Notes
- ^ See: Chakravarti 1994, p 140
References
- Chakravarti, Mahadev (1994), The Concept of Rudra-Śiva Through The Ages (Second Revised ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0053-2
External links
Shiva temples Kailash Mansarovar · Kashi · Kedarnath · Amarnath · Madurai · Rameswaram · Kanchipuram · Chidambaram · Thiruvannamalai · Kalahasti · Thiruvanaikaval · Thanjavur · Tirunelveli · Somnath · Vadakkum Nathan · Tiruchengode · Panch Kedar · Lingaraj Temple
Jyotirlinga temples of Shiva Somanātha · Mallikārjuna · Mahākāleśvara · Omkāreśvara · Kedāranātha · Bhimāśankara · Viśveśvara · Tryambakeśvara · Vaidyanātha · Nāgeśvara · Rāmeśvara · Ghuṣmeśvara
Shaivism Topics History 
Deities Texts Shvetashvatara Upanishad · Shiva Rahasya Purana · Shiva Purana · Shiv Chalisa · Shiva mahimna stotram · Shiva Sahasranama · Shiva Tandava StotraPhilosophies Jyotirlingas Somnath · Mallikārjuna · Mahakaleshwar · Omkareshwar · Kedarnath · Bhimashankar · Kashi Vishwanath · Trimbakeshwar · Rameshwar · Grishneshwar · Vaidyanath · NageshwarTraditions Category · Portal Categories:- Hindu temples in Ramanathapuram district
- Char Dham Temples
- Jyotirlingas
- Padal Petra Stalam
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