After arriving at the quaint little town of Rameswaram in the early hours of the day and letting my friends check in to our pre-booked hotel, I naturally made a beeline towards the one spot that anyone who visits Rameswaram should see: The Ramanathaswamy Temple. Having relentlessly read about the temple and having scanned through multiple photographs while travelling to this destination I was pretty confident that I knew what to expect. Boy was I wrong!

The pictures and the information were wonderful, of course. But like with most sights while travelling, I honestly didn’t know what I was missing all this while until I actually saw the temple in person. The architecture was so gorgeously intricate and detailed, and the entire set up had sudden chills racing down my spine, even though it was a decidedly a hot and humid day.

Entering through the compound wall of the temple and setting eyes on the temple’s towers was a breathtaking moment for me by every definition. And the carved and sculpted designs of the structure could leave anyone spending hours just happily staring. Further, there was an innate sense of awe that overcame me at the sight, along with an almost metaphysical sensation of peace. It was like the vibes around the place were determined to pull you into its story, the feeling practically hypnotic in a sense. And I happily gave in to the strange and calming pull, allowing my eyes to drink it all in thirstily.

The Legend of Ramanathaswamy Temple – A Tale of Epic Proportions

According to the legend of the temple, the temple is situated on the spot where Lord Rama prayed to Lord Shiva before embarking to Sri Lanka in order to save his wife, Lady Sita. There are two Shiva lingams that reside inside the sanctum. And according to the legend, one of the lingams was formed by Lady Sita’s own hands, and the other was the lingam brought there by Lord Hanuman. As per tradition, I went to see and pray to the lingam brought by Lord Hanuman first before visiting and praying to the other one.

Well, passing through the hallowed corridors actually had me getting a feel from the ancient era, sensing sights and images from the story that made its presence felt but were just out of reach. 

The Ancient Bridge to Sri Lanka

After a trip to the ancient times, it time to witness another legendary place, the Dhanushkodi. It is a 15 km stretch of land and is the southern-most point of the island. Again, according to legends, it is this point from where Lord Rama and his army built the bridge to Sri Lanka.

As the sun started to set on the horizon, I recounted in my head the old tales of the Ramayana I’d heard as a child, completely content where I stood as a day at Rameshwaram had the tale coming to life in front of my eyes. A day well spent indeed.