India’s famous sea bridge
Rameswaram is located on the island of Pamban and reaching there is more than half the fun of visiting the town. The island is connected to mainland India by twin rail and road bridges. Although the two bridges are located next to each other, they were built over a time span of about 25 years.
The bascule section of the Pamban rail bridge and the Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge
The rail bridge dates back to 1914 and was the first sea bridge of the country. A large section of the rail bridge is conventionally built, supported by concrete pillars and located just a few feet above the sea level. However, in order to allow the ships to pass, a section of the bridge has a double-leaf bascule system, which opens up.
The road bridge came up in 1988 and is officially known as the Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge.
A pilgrimage site
One of Ramanathaswamy Temple’s towering gateways
The region’s main temple, the Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple, is part of the 12 Joytirlingas of the country. Today, Rameswaram is an important Hindu pilgrimage spot along with Badrinath, Dwarka and Puri — and one of the holy char dhams.
It is probable that the temple started as a humble shrine and slowly grew over time. According to experts, the earliest part of the present-day structure dates back to the 11th and 12th centuries and it was probably in the 17th century that the temple got its present form. The temple is located in a walled complex with towering gateways on all four sides.The complex houses several ponds and bathing in them is part of the ritual followed by pilgrims visiting Rameswaram.
Gateways leading to the beach and sea at Rameswaram, where devotees take a dip
The star attraction of the temple, however, is the intricate network of brightly painted pillared corridors. The corridors form a maze-like pathway leading to several small shrines scattered all over the temple complex. They are classified into three sections according to the time of construction and are known as first, second and third corridors. Spanning 690 feet in the east-west direction and 435 feet in the north-south direction, the third is definitely the show-stopper. It is supported by a staggering 1,212 pillars and is considered the longest pillared corridor in the world. The pillars are beautifully designed and painted in bright colours with geometric and floral designs. The colours and designs also spread out to the ceiling.
Plaque showing the Swami Vivekananda’s remark in Ramanathaswamy Temple’s visitors' book
Over the years, the Ramanathaswamy Temple has been visited by many dignitaries, including Swami Vivekananda. A plaque near the inner sanctum displays Vivekanada’s remark written in the temple’s visitors’ book on January 27, 1897. Vivekananda had made a brief stop at the Ramanathaswamy Temple during his return from the Parliament of Religion in Chicago and delivered a speech. The entire speech has been inscribed at the entrance of the inner sanctum of the temple.
Rameswaram beach with devotees taking a ritual dip in the sea
Travel details:
- The Ramanathaswamy Temple is open from 5am to noon and again from 6pm to 8.45pm.
- With a few exceptions like the inner sanctum and a few shrines, photography inside the temple is allowed.
- Dhanuskodi and the tomb and memorial of APJ Abdul Kalam are the other primary attractions of Pamban Island.
- Autos are available to take you to Pamban bridge. The auto drivers know the train timings and can take you there at specified times to see trains cross the bridge.
