View allAll Photos Tagged rameswaram
Got lucky to be alone at the world famous Rameswaram corridor... and the early evening sunlight was divine.
The imported WDP-4 20005, still having the original aesthetics even after POH at GOC, in shut down mode takes rest after bringing in the Rameswaram Hubli weekly express well ahead of its schedule. This happened to be the last diesel run of this train !
The temple of Lord Rameswara is famous for its architectural splendor. It has the longest corridor in the world (1220 meter long).
Rameswaram is the abode of one of the 12 Jyothirlingas of India. It is also considered one among four most sacred pilgrim centers of India. They are Rameswaram in the South, Badrinath in the North, Puri in the East and Dwaraka in the West. Among these, Rameswaram is dedicated to Shiva, while the other three are dedicated to Vishnu.
Dhanushkodi is an abandoned town which was devastated by a mega cyclone in 1964. Subsequently the place remains uninhabited but for a few fishermen. At the south-eastern tip of Dhanushkodi you see the waters of Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, side by side.
Shot at Thanushkodi - Rameswaram. We stopped our vehicle in this big open place and had an very good photo session...This 4 Wheel Drive vehicle is waiting for our us....
Golden Rock WDG3A 13286 at Rameswaram with train 07696 08h50 Rameswaram to Tirupati Express on 16th December 2022. This should have been my last ever Indian broad gauge Alco journey. The train was deserted, indeed I had the first vehicle to myself for the first five hours, an ideal way to savour the Alco music for the last time. The Alco was detached at Thiruvarur Jn and exchanged for an electric loco and Mr Lines went to his now pre-booked seat in 2AC down the back of the train! Being in second class until 10pm with no means of ordering a meal and the crowds would have been an ordeal.
Pamban island ( பாம்பன் தீவு)
On 24th February 2014, Pamban Bridge has successfully completed 100 years of its existence.
Along the road to Rameswaram : Pongal.
Date Taken: 2007-01-13
Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
... and the cow just belonged there, cooperation for cleaner beaches !
You meet indeed birds of different feathers in such pilgrim places like Rameswaram, modern equipment keeping up the same tread as traditions !
Rameswaram became as much as a family trip target as much as a place to confess religion, both are very present at the same time and that makes it a real cozy place to be. Apparently it is a feast to travel in their own country for lots of Indians.
Date Taken: 2007-01-14 07:03
Camera: Canon EOS 5D, 16-35mm f/2.8L USM, RAW, ISO-800
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/320 seconds
The Pamban Bridge, 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.
Total length: 2,340 m
Construction started: 1913
Opened: 1914
Bridge type: Cantilever bridge
Location: Mainland India, Rameswaram
Local fishermen mending their fishing nets in a small fishing hamlet at Dhanushkodi, Rameswaram. The blue turquoise water of Bay of Bengal coupled with clear blue skies and sandy beaches make this place a paradise on its own.
Typical (scene) cornerstone temples around Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple area (the man with cycle is selling coffer in his hot case can draped in red cloth)
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
This picture was shot in Dhanuskodi, an island lies between Rameswaram in India and Talai Mannar in Sri Lanka. Before 1964 this place was a bustling town with all infracture and people. A devilish storm which lashed this place for 4 days swallowed all and reduced this to place to some sand mounds. There is nothing left, all perished. Grim Reminder Of The Disaster Is The One See Above
Pamban Island ( பாம்பன் தீவு), also known as Rameswaram Island, is an island located between peninsular India and Sri Lanka.The Pamban Bridge ( பாம்பன் பாலம்) is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait which connects the town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island to mainland India.On 24th February 2014, Pamban Bridge has successfully completed 100 years of its existence.
Uthirakosamangai ( உத்திரகோசமங்கை) is a saivite temple closely associated with saint Manickavasagar (மாணிக்கவாசகர் ) ,one of great Nalvars.It is situated 15 kms away from Ramanathapuram and 72 kms from Rameswaram. There is a 6 ft (1.8 m) tall ancient maragatha Nataraja idol ( மரகதத் திருமேனி) carved out of emerald inside the temple. This statue remains covered with sandal paste throughout the year except one day that is Arudhra darshan day . Uthirakosamangai witnesses the congregation of thousands of followers on that day . The temple has a seven-tiered rajagopuram (gateway tower). There are separate shrines for Mangalanathar (Shiva) in the form of lingam and Mangalambigai.
The meaning of Uthira kosa mangai is உத்தரம் - உபதேசம்; கோசம் - ரகசியம்; மங்கை - பார்வதி. பார்வதி தேவிக்கு இறைவன் வேதாகமங்களின் ரகசியங்களை உபதேசித்தமையால் இத்தலம் உத்தரகோசமங்கை என்னும் பெயர் பெற்றது.மிகவும் பழமையான திருக்கோயில். இத்தலத்தின் பழமையை உணர்த்துவதாக மண் தோன்றியபோதே மங்கை தோன்றியது என்னும் பழமொழி இப்பகுதியில் வழங்குகிறது