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♥♥ It's time to brighten up your lives. It's time to fall in love :) ♥♥
Happy Valentine's Day!!. :)
Did a little Photo manipulation. Birds are real ones from another picture taken by me.
Birds from Marina, Bridge from Rameshwaram :)
The entire 15-kilometre stretch is regardedas very lonely and scary but mystical. Since there is no electricity and means of communication between Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi, and taxis do not work on the stretch after sundown.
Regular bus service is available only up to a certain distance from Rameswaram via the Kodhanda Ram Kovil temple, and many pilgrims who wish to perform religious rites at Dhanushkodi have to depend on private vans who charge anything between ₹100 and ₹200 per passenger depending upon the number of passengers and type of vehicle. There are passenger jeeps and buses which tourists can hire from Dhanushkodi or from the city of Rameshwaram, and are capable of traversing the sandy stretch to the beach.
At the "land's end" terminus of the peninsula to the southeast of Dhanushkodi, known as Arichumunai or erosion point, begins the chain of rocks and islets known as Rama's Bridge. These lead approximately 19 miles (31 km) across the Palk Strait to Mannar Island on the northwestern tip of Sri Lanka.
CWC Photowalk #489 - Kulasai, Manapad, Rameshwaram
Two kids playing happily in the backwaters of Dhanushkodi beach.
Rameswaram (Tamil:இராமேஸ்வரம்) is a town in Ramanathapuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on an island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is less than 40 kilometers from the Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. Together with Kashi, it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages. Hence, it is a bustling pilgrim centre.
It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. According to legend, this is the place from where Lord Rama built a bridge Ram Setu(also known as Adam's Bridge) across the sea to Lanka to rescue his consort Sita from her abductor Ravana. This is also the place where Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to be absolved of the sin of killing Ravana, who is believed to have been the greatest worshipper of Lord Shiva - reason why Ravana is also known as Ravaneeswara (Ravana God) in many parts of Southern India. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage centre which is known as the Varanasi of the south.
Ex-president of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, hails from a fishing hamlet called Dhanushkodi situated on the island.
Happiness is a day at the beach.
Simple but true. Life is just better at the beach. Everything is better at the beach! With no where to go and no where to be, a day at the beach is just what you need.
Canon 100D+Sigma 17-70 f2.8 HSM.
Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu
The Pamban Bridge ( Tamil: பாம்பன் பாலம்) is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait which connects the town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island to mainland India. The bridge refers to both the road bridge and the cantilever railway bridge, though primarily it means the latter. Opened in 1914, it was India's first sea bridge, and was the longest sea bridge in India till 2010. The rail bridge is for the most part, a conventional bridge resting on concrete piers, but has a double leaf bascule section midway, which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through. On 24 February 2014, Pamban Bridge has successfully completed 100 years of its existence.
Source - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamban_Bridge
I must admit the sight of this magnificent creature chained behind bars in the dark was very sad. And believe me, its eyes spoke. It sucks to be a sacred animal in India!
Inside the Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. 2010
Dhanushkodi - The place, just 28 kilometres away from Sri Lanka. It is said that Lord Rama and his vanara sena together with his brother Lakshmana, Hanuman and Ravana's brother Vibhishana, built a bridge using floating stones. This bridge helped them to reach Lanka to rescue Sita from Ravana.
After returning victorious from Lanka, Vibhishana, the new king, asked Rama to destroy the bridge. So, Rama broke the bridge using one end of the bow, giving the place its name - Dhanush meaning bow and Kodi meaning end.
It is believed that there is geological evidence suggesting that this 28-km bridge known as Rama Sethu or Adam's Bridge once connected the Pamban Island tip to Talaimannar in Mannar Island, Sri Lanka.
The locals in Dhanushkodi claim that the bridge, which was once visible, was completely destroyed following a cyclone in the 15th century. Another cyclone that hit the region in 1964, ravaged the region to such an extent that it has remained a ghost town since. The railway link that connected mainland India to Dhanushkodi was destroyed completely. According to a local guide, it is also said that on the fateful day, a daily passenger train known as Boat Mail carrying 115 passengers was washed away as it approached the Dhanushkodi station. The news of this devastation reached the mainland three days later because the area was completely cut off.
Currently the rail network connects the mainland till Rameshwaram only. From Rameshwaram town, Dhanushkodi is about 25 kilometres. Almost halfway way to Dhanushkodi is a Koothandaramar temple. Locals believe that at this place Rama crowned Vibhishana, the new king of the asuras. The temple follows a simple architectural style and houses the idols of Koothandaramar (Rama), Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman as well as Vibhishana in the sanctum sanctorum. It is also surrounded by the sea on all sides except the approach road. The walls of the temple have murals depicting how Rama and his vanara sena rescued Sita.
And the only vehicle that will take you to the tip of Dhanushkodi is a specially-modified jeep. The first 12-kilometre drive from Rameshwaram to Dhanushkodi is on a normal road with gusts of wind blowing sand on your face. Once you reach the check post, only a modified jeep (4x4) or big vans can go further. The drive from the check post to the devastated region is like a roller coaster ride on the beach. As you go farther you will see the endless deep blue sea on either side of your vehicle. While on one side there is the Indian Ocean, on the other side is the Bay of Bengal. And the difference is completely stark between the two — one side of the sea is calm and blue while the other side sea is green with choppy waters.
You will also see the remains of the Dhanushkodi station and the railway track. After a few minutes you can see the mighty gateway of the old devastated city and a little later you reach the tip, 'Dhanushkodi'. The tip is just 28 kms from Sri Lanka. Sometimes you might even get a message on your phone welcoming you to the mobile circles of Sri Lanka. Standing on the beach surrounded by the sea, you might wonder if this place contains anything other than sand and blue water. The place is so pristine, isolated and far away from the crowd that one would not want to return to civilization. Even after a good and peaceful 45-minute stroll, most people have to be coerced by the jeep drivers to return.
While returning from Dhanushkodi, other remains of structures such as the buildings, railway water tank and others can be seen, making the whole place look like a shell of its former self.
Currently there are only 300 fishermen families staying in the region who make a living by selling shells and other fancy items. Next to the water tank there is a temple, which has a floating stone kept locked on its premises as a tourist attraction.
The locals will tell you that this is one of the stones used to make the floating bridge which are actually limestone shoals. Near the water tank, you can see the ruins of a church. The locals will also tell you that Dhanushkodi, which was once a city in the Rameshwaram mainland and had all the regular amenities like a post office, school and railway station, is now home to only ruins. Visitors to Dhanushkodi are only allowed to be there till 5.30 p.m. As the night falls, the sea advances into the mainland making it difficult for the drivers to manoeuvre their vehicles on the beach.
.. at DhanushKodi, Rameshwaram
That's me in the video. I guess this is my first video on Flickr. :)
Shot on Phone.
Ramanathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to god Shiva located on Rameswaram island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is also one of the twelve Jyothirlinga temples, where Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam (English: pillar of light).It is one of the 274 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where the three of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite saints), Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar, have glorified the temple with their songs. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by Pandya Dynasty, and its principal shrines sanctum were renovated by Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan and his successor Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan of the Jaffna kingdom. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The temple is located in Rameswaram, an island town in South India, considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas.
According to the Ramayana, Rama, the seventh incarnation of god Vishnu, is believed to have prayed to Shiva here to absolve sin of killing a brahmana, committed during his war against the demon king Ravana in Sri Lanka. Rama wanted to have the largest lingam to worship Shiva. He directed Hanuman, the monkey lieutenant in his army, to bring the lingam from Himalayas. Since it took longer to bring the lingam, Sita, the wife of Rama, built a small lingam out of the sand available in the sea shore, which is believed to be the lingam in the sanctum.
THE TEMPLE
The primary deity of the temple is Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) in the form of lingam. There are two lingams inside the sanctum - one built by Goddess Sita, from sand, residing as the main deity, Ramalingam and the one brought by Lord Hanuman from Kailash called Vishwalingam. Rama instructed that Vishwalingam should be worshipped first since it was brought by Lord Hanuman - the tradition continues even today.
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 second corridor is formed by sandstone pillars, beams and ceiling. 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 a chess board and it is popularly known as Chokkattan Madapam where the Utsva deities are adorned and kept during the Vasanthotsavam (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 6.9 m height, 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 1212 pillars in the outer corridor. Their height is about 30 feet from the floor to the center of the roof. The main tower or rajagopuram is 53 m tall. Most pillars are carved with individual composition.
SHRINES IN THE TEMPLE COMPLEX AND AROUND RAMESWARAM
There are separate shrines for God Ramanathaswami and Goddess Parvathavardhini separated by a corridor. There are separate shrines for goddess visalakshi, parvathavardhini, utsava idol, sayanagriha, perumal,and mahaganpathi. There are various halls inside the temple, namely Anuppu Mandapam, Sukravara Mandapam, Sethupathi Mandapam, Kalyana Mandapam and Nandi Mandapam.
TEMPLE TANKS
There are sixty-four Tīrthas (holy water bodies) in and around the island of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India. According to Skānda Purāṇa, twenty-four of them are important. Bathing in these Tīrthas is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance. Twenty-two of the Tīrthas are within the Rāmanāthasvāmī Temple. The number 22 indicates the 22 arrows in Rama's quiver. The first and major one is called Agni Theertham, the sea (Bay of Bengal).
SIGNIFICANCE TODAY
CHAR DHAM
The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka. Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of Hinduism established by Sankaracharya, who created Hindu monastic institutions across India, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer. The four monasteries lie across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in the South. Though ideologically the temples are divided between the sects of Hinduism, namely Saivism and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair. There are four abodes in Himalayas called Chota Char Dham (Chota meaning small): Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - all of these lie at the foot hills of Himalayas. The name Chota was added during the mid of 20th century to differentiate the original Char Dhams. The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime. Traditionally the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circuambulation in Hindu temples.
JYOTIRLINGA
As per Shiv Mahapuran, once Brahma (the Hindu God of creation) and Vishnu (the Hindu God of saving) had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation. To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. Originally there were believed to be 64 jyothirlingas while 12 of them are considered to be very auspicious and holy. Each of the twelve jyothirlinga sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva. At all these sites, the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva. The twelve jyothirlinga are Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas, Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra, Vaidyanath at Deoghar in Jharkhand, Nageswar at Dwarka in Gujarat, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Grishneshwar at Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
HISTORICAL PILGRIMAGE
The temple is one of the famous pilgrimage sites and there are historical references about it. The Maratha kings who ruled Thanjavur established chatrams or rest houses all through Mayiladuthurai and Rameswaram between 1745 and 1837 CE and donated it to the temple.
TEMPLE CONTRIBUTIONS AND DONATIONS FROM HINDU KINGS
The temple in its current shape is believed to have been built during the 17th century, while Fergusson believes the small vimana in the west corridor belonging to the 11th or 12th centuries. The temple is said to have been sanctioned for construction by King Kizhavan Sethupathi or Raghunatha Kilavan. The contribution of the Jaffna kings of the Sethupathy dynasty to the temple was considerable. King Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan (1380 — 1410 CE) shipped stone blocks from Koneswaram temple, Trincomalee to the temple to renovate its sanctum sanctorum. Jeyaveera Cinkaiariyan's successor Gunaveera Cinkaiariyan (Pararacacekaran V), a trustee at Rameswaram who also oversaw structural development of this temple and the promotion of Saivite belief donated part of his revenue to Koneswaram. 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 Rameswaram that he finally completed. The rulers of Sri Lanka contributed to the temple - Parakrama Bahu (1153-1186 CE) was involved in the construction of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
IN NEWS
The temple priests are Mahastra Brahmins who get Diksha from Sringeri Mutt. Shortage of priests has been reported as there are 5 priests to manage the 13 shrines within the temple. The shortage is more pronounced during the 12 day Maha Shivaratri festival when the festival deities of the temple are taken in procession. The temple comes under the renovation and consecration of the 630 temples planned to be renovated by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu. The temple authorities have planned to renovate and widen the pathways to the 22 holy theerthams of the temple. The consecration of the temple is planned during 2013. The temple is one of the temples offering Free meal scheme of the government, which provides meals to devotees of the temple. A pilgrim house is planned by the government to extend the scheme to more pilgrims.
WIKIPEDIA