Karkata Rashi : Nandanar Kovil in Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple

House : Cancer ( Karkata Rashi )
Lord of the House : Chandra
Best Day to Visit the Temple : Monday

People's whose star sign is Cancer ( Karkata Rashi ) have to visit Nandanar Kovil in Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu twice in an year or atleast once in an year. Should stay in the temple or premises for two and half hours.

Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple

Rameshwaram's sanctity is further enhanced by the belief that if one visits Rameswaram and prays to Lord Shiva one will be relieved of one's sins. Since, the legend has that Sri Rama was expiated of his sin of Brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmin -Ravana was a Brahmin the great grandson of Brahma) here by worshipping Lord Shiva.

Rameswaram is also referred as Varanasi of the south. It is believed that a pilgrimage that starts at Kashi or Varanasi is complete only after worship of Lord Ramanathaswamy at Rameswaram.

A holiday destination with a dash of mythology and religion, Rameswaram is surely a place both for the religiously inclined and the one who loves places with an air of mythology and legends. Rameswaram, located in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu is a small conch shaped island and one of the four major Dhams ( Chardham) of India. Sacred to both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites, it houses one of the 12 Jyotirlingams of Shiva, and is the place where Sri Rama worshipped Shiva after returning from Lanka where he defeated and killed Ravana, the demon king who had abducted his wife, Sita.

Places of Interest

Ramanathaswamy Temple: Located close to the sea on the eastern side of the island and off the Sethu coast is the Ramanathaswamy Temple. Built in the 12th century and expanded over the years by several rulers, the temple spread over an area of 15 acres. The temple famous for its 1220 m long corridor lined with 1200 gigantic granite columns which are located on a 1.5 me high platform; a 53 m high gopuram and 22 sacred wells whose water is said to taste differently from one another.

The Shiva lingams are housed in the inner section of the Ramalingeshwara. High walls enclose the temple, forming a rectangle with huge pyramidal gopuram entrances on each side and since, it is a Shiva temple there is a huge Nandi idol 6.7 m long and 5 m high made of 'Sudai', a material used for sculptures on Gopuras and surrounded by the portraits of Visvanatha and Krishnappa Nayaks.

Major festivals and pujas are performed at the Ramanathaswamy temple, in connection with Thai Amavasi (Jan), Masi Sivarathiri (Feb-Mar), Thirukalyanam (July-Aug) and Mahalaya Amavasi (Sept).

Agnitheertham: Located close to the Ramanathaswamy Temple is Agnitheertham, a place where Lord Rama worshipped Shiva to absolve his sins of killing a Brahmin. The beach of Agnitheertham is very clam and is ideal for swimming.

The Five-faced Hanuman Temple: Located 2 km from the main temple the Five-faced Hanuman Temple houses the idols of Lord Ram, Sita and Hanuman that were brought from Dhanushkodi during the 1964 cyclone. The floating stone, used to build the Sethu Bandanam or the bridge between India and Lanka can be found in this temple.

Satchi Hanuman Temple: Located 3 km from the main temple, on the way to the Gandamadana Parvatham, the Satchi Hanuman Temple is built on the very spot where Hanuman delivered the good news of finding Sita to Rama with satchi or evidence- the hoodamani or the jewel that belonged to Sita.

Gandhamadana Parvatam: Situated on the highest point in the island, Gandhamadana Parvatam located some 3 km from the Ramanathaswamy Temple has an imprint of Lord Rama's feet placed on a Chakra (wheel). The place also commands some excellent views of the countryside.

Olaikuda Beach: Just one km from the main temple and surrounded by coral reefs, Olaikuda Beach makes a nice picnic spot. The beach is also safe for swimming.

Pamban Road Bridge: An engineering marvel that took 14 years to complete, the Pamban Road Bridge is designed like a bow over the sea to allow ships to pass beneath it. The bridge is 2.34 km. long, with a clearance of 24.4 m. and it is supported by 79 pillars, 64 of which are built in the sea. The bridge connects Rameswaram with mainland India and is also known as Annai Indira Gandhi Road Bridge.

Pamban Rail Scissors Bridge: This 2.06 km. long Rail Bridge connects Rameswaram to the mainland Indian. Constructed on 145 stone pillars, some portion of the bridge opens up likes a pair of scissors to let the ship pass under it. Though the bridge was destroyed in the cyclone of 1964, it was rebuilt and was operational in 45 days.

Places Nearby

Dhanushkodi: Located some 10 km from Rameswaram is Dhanushkodi. The place is named after Lord Ram's bow. The boulders located nearby are said to be the ones from the bridge that was built over the sea to cross over to Lanka (Present day Sri Lanka). It is also believed that Vibishana, the brother of Ravana met Lord Ram at this very place. The Kothandaraswamy Temple located nearby is the only structure that survived the wrath of cyclone that hit the area in 1964. The temple houses the idols of Rama, Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman and Vibishana.
Read more on Dhanushkodi

Devipattinam: Also known as Navabashanam, this coastal village has a temple dedicated to Devi who is said to have killed the demon Mahishasura at this spot. The nine stones visible at low tide are believed to have been set up by Sri Rama to represent the nine planets-the Navagrahas. The Hindus perform religious rites for the forefathers here. Devipattinam is 70 km from Rameswaram.

Uthirakosamangai: Located 72 km from Rameshwaram is the renowned Shiva temple of Uttarakosamangai where the Lord carved out of emerald is worshipped as Mangaleshvara and the Goddess as Mangalesvari. The temple has inspired many Tamil works of devotion, including the songs of the Shaivite saint Manickavasagar. The temple attracts a lot of pilgrims during the annual Arudhra Festival in December when the rare life-size 1.83 metres tall Nataraja statue that remains covered in sandal paste throughout the year is unveiled for just one day.

Kurusudai Island: A treasure trove for the marine biologists, Kurusudai Island located west of the Pamban Bridge is a biosphere reserve and home to rare coral reefs and amazing sea life. Boat rides to the islands can be arranged from Mandapam. It is located 23 km away from Rameswaram.

Ramanathapuram: The district headquarters, Ramanathapuram 55 km away is worth visiting for the Ramvilas Palace of Sethupati kings which houses an amazing collection of oil paintings and 18th century murals. Ramanathapuram also has the tomb of the saint-philosopher Thayumana Swamigal. Mandapam at 18 km away connects Rameswaram with the mainland. A ride to Kurursadai Island can also be arranged from here.

Tirupullani: Tirupullani also known as Dharbasayanam is famous for the temple of Lord Adi Jaganatha Perumal. Sethukarai (68km), Devipattniam (70km), Uppoor (85 km) are other nearby places with temples dedicated to Lord Rama.

Erwadi: An important place of pilgrimage for the Muslims, Erwadi 80 km away, houses the 800-year-old tomb of Sultan Ibrahim Syed Aulia who came from Arabia. Pilgrims from Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore come in large number to visit this place during the 'Sandanakoodu' festival that takes place in December every year.

Valinokkam: A seaside village largely untouched by consumerism and tourism, the water of the beach is calm, clear, clean and ideal for swimming. It is located 90 km away from Rameswaram.

Kanchirankulam: Kanchirankulam is known for its bird sanctuary. Best time to visit is from November to February. Kanchirankulam is 105 km away from Rameswaram.

Best time to visit Rameswaram

Though one can visit Rameswaram any time of the year given the fact the summer and winter are of no difference in Tamil Nadu yet the best time to visit is from January to March when the weather is somewhat relatively pleasurable than the rest of the year.

Stay Options

There are many stay options available in Rameswaram. Hotels in Rameswaram include various guesthouses as well as many budget hotels. For those looking for luxury, Rameswaram also has some good luxury hotels. Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC)also has a few hotels in Rameswarm, which offer good stay options. Tamil Nadu Hotel and Maharaja are two TTDC hotel located in Rameswaram. Check more hotels in Rameswaram.

How to Reach?

By Air: Nearest airport from Rameswaram is at Madurai (173 km).

By Rail: The temple town of Madurai is well connected to all the major states of the country. The town is directly connected by rail to Madras, Madurai, Trichy, Tanjavur and Coimbatore Trains like the Sethu Express, Tirupati-Madurai Express and Tirunelveli Express connect it with other parts of South India while two trains ply daily between the temple towns of Rameswaram to Madurai.

By Road: Being an important pilgrimage town Rameswaram is well connected to all the main towns. The Pamban Bridge connects Rameswaram to the mainland. Rameshwaram is 527 km (13 hrs) from Chennai, 173 km (5 hrs) from Madurai, 315 km (9 hrs) from Kanyakumari and 273 km (7 hrs) from Tiruchirapalli.

Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy Temple Photos