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Rameswaram

January 08, 2024

This article is about the temple town. For main temple, see Ramanathaswamy Temple. For other uses, see Rameswaram (disambiguation).

Rameswaram (IPA: [ɾaːmeːsʋaɾam]; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilometres from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. It is in the Gulf of Mannar, at the tip of the Indian peninsula.[1] Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India by the Pamban Bridge. Rameswaram is the terminus of the railway line from Chennai and Madurai. Together with Varanasi, it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus and is part of the Char Dham pilgrimage.

Rameswaram
Town
From top: Ramanathaswamy Temple tower, Pamban Bridge, and a set of fishing boats.
Nickname(s): 
Rameswaram, Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram, ராமேஸ்வரம்
Rameswaram
Rameswaram
Coordinates: 9°17′17″N 79°18′47″E / 9.288°N 79.313°E / 9.288; 79.313
Country India
StateTamil Nadu
DistrictRamanathapuram
Government
 • TypeSecond Grade Municipality
 • BodyMunicipality of Rameswaram
Area
 • Total55 km2 (21 sq mi)
Elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total44,856
 • Density820/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
DemonymRameswaram mar
Language
 • OfficialTamil
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN CODE
623526
Vehicle registrationTN 65
class=notpageimage|
Char Dham

According to the Ramayana, Rama is described to have built a bridge from the region approximating this town across the sea to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from her abductor Ravana. The temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, is at the centre of the town and is closely associated with Rama and Shiva. The temple and the town are considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivas and Vaishnavas.[2][3]

Rameswaram is the second closest point from which to reach Sri Lanka from India and geological evidence suggests that the Rama Sethu was a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka.[4]

The town has been in the news in past due to controversies such as the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, Kachchatheevu, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and capturing local fishermen for alleged cross-border activities by Sri Lankan Forces.[5]

Rameswaram is administered by a municipality established in 1994. The town covers an area of 53 km2 (20 sq mi) and had a population of 44,856 as of 2011. Tourism and fishery employ the majority of workforce in Rameswaram.[citation needed]

Legend edit

Rameswaram means "Lord of Rama" (Rāma-īśvaram) in Sanskrit, an epithet of Shiva, the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple.[6] According to Hindu epic Ramayana, Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, prayed to Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon-king Ravana in Sri Lanka.[7][3] According to the Puranas (Hindu scriptures), upon the advice of sages, Rama, along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana, installed and worshipped the lingam (an iconic symbol of Shiva) here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya incurred while killing of the Brahmin Ravana.[8] To worship Shiva, Rama wanted to have a lingam and directed his trusted lieutenant Hanuman to bring it from Himalayas.[9][3] Since it took longer to bring the lingam, Sita built a lingam made of sand from the nearby seashore, which is also believed to be the one in the sanctum of the temple.[9] Sethu Karai is a place 22 km before the island of Rameswaram from where Rama is believed to have built a floating stone bridge, the Ramsetu bridge, that further continued to Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram till Talaimannar in Sri Lanka.[7][10] According to another version, as quoted in Adhyatma Ramayana, Rama installed the lingam before the construction of the bridge to Lanka.[11][12][13][14] But the Dvaita philosopher and vaishnava saint Madhvacharya explains in his book Mahabharata tatparya nirnaya that it's actually not Rama but Shiva who had incurred brahmahatya sin as he had once chopped off Lord Brahma's head so Shiva had prayed to vishnu to relieve him of the sin and Vishnu promised to do so in his Rama avatar the moment Rama installed the shiva linga here Shiva immediately got relieved of brahmahatya sin due to the grace of Rama's touch.

History edit

The history of Rameswaram is centred around the island being a transit point to reach Sri Lanka (Ceylon historically) and the presence of Ramanathaswamy Temple. Tevaram, the 7th–8th century Tamil compositions on Shiva by the three prominent Nayanars (Saivites) namely Appar,[15] Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar.[16] The Chola king Rajendra Chola I (1012–1040 CE) had a control of the town for a short period.[17] Rameshwaram was under Polonnaruwa rule from 1167 until 1182. The Jaffna kingdom (1215–1624 CE) had close connections with the island and claimed the title Setukavalan meaning custodians of the Rameswaram.[18] Hinduism was their state religion and they made generous contribution to the temple.[18] Setu was used in their coins as well as in inscriptions as marker of the dynasty.[18]

According to Firishta, Malik Kafur, the head general of Alauddin Khalji, the ruler of Delhi Sultanate, reached Rameswaram during his political campaign in spite of stiff resistance from the Pandyan princes in the early 14th century.[19][20][21] He erected a mosque by name Alia al-Din Khaldji in honour of victory of Islam.[19][20] During the early 15th century, the present day Ramanathapuram, Kamuthi and Rameswaram were included in the Pandya dynasty.[17] In 1520 CE, the town came under the rule of Vijayanagara Empire.[17] The Sethupathis, the breakaway from Madurai Nayaks, ruled Ramanathapuram and contributed to the Ramanathaswamy temple.[17][3] The most notable of them are the contributions of Muthu Kumara Ragunatha and Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathi, who transformed the temple to an architectural ensemble.[22] The region then fell under the rule of different leaders Chanda Sahib (1740–1754 CE), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725–1764 CE) in the middle of the 18th century.[23] In 1795 CE, Rameswaram came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency. After 1947, the town became a part of Independent India.[17]

Geography edit

 
An aerial view of Dhanushkodi, at the tip of Rameswaram

Rameswaram has an average elevation of 10 m (33 ft). The island is spread across an area of 61.8 km2 (23.9 sq mi) and is in the shape of a conch. 74% of the area has sandy soil due to the presence of sea and it has many islands surrounding it, the Palk Strait in the north west and Gulf of Mannar in the south East.[24] The Ramanathaswamy Temple occupies major area of Rameswaram. The beach of Rameswaram is featured with no waves at all – the sea waves rise to a maximum height of 3 cm (0.10 ft) and the view looks like a very big river.

Rameswaram has dry tropical climate with low humidity,[24] with average monthly rainfall of 75.73 mm (2.981 in),[24] mostly from North-East monsoon from October to January. The highest ever temperature recorded at Pamban station was 37 °C and the lowest was 17 °C.[25]

 
Map of Ramsetu's Bridge (a chain of limestone shoals) and environs, before the cyclone of 1964.

Ramsetu Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals, between Rameswaram and Mannar Island, off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Geological evidence suggests that this bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka.[26] The bridge is 29 km (18 mi) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (North-East) from the Palk Strait (South-West). It was reportedly passable on foot up to the 15th century until storms deepened the channel. The temple records record that Rama's Bridge was completely above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in 1480 CE.[27] The bridge was first mentioned in the ancient Indian Sanskrit epic Ramayana of Valmiki.[28] The name Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu (Sanskrit; setu: bridge) refers to the bridge built by the Vanara (ape men) army of Rama in Hindu mythology, which he used to reach Lanka and rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana.[28] The Ramayana attributes the building of this bridge to Rama in verse 2-22-76, naming it as Setubandhanam.[29] The sea separating India and Sri Lanka is called Sethusamudram meaning "Sea of the Bridge". Maps prepared by a Dutch cartographer in 1747 CE, available at the Tanjore Saraswathi Mahal Library show this area as Ramancoil, a colloquial form of the Tamil Raman Kovil (or Rama's Temple).[30] Many other maps in Schwartzberg's historical atlas[31] and other sources such as travel texts by Marco Polo call this area by various names such as Adam's Bridge, Sethubandha and Sethubandha Rameswaram.[32]

Demographics edit

Religious census
Religion Percent(%)
Hindu
 
 87.4%
Muslim
 
 4.36%
Christian
 
 8.13%
Sikh
 
 0.03%
Buddhist
 
 0.01%
Other
 
 0.07%

According to 2011 census, Rameswaram had a population of 44,856 with a sex-ratio of 969 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.[34] A total of 5,022 were under the age of six, constituting 2,544 males and 2,478 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 6.8% and .03% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 73.36%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.[34] The town had a total of 10579 households. There were a total of 16,645 workers, comprising 69 cultivators, 20 main agricultural labourers, 148 in house hold industries, 15,130 other workers, 1,278 marginal workers, 11 marginal cultivators, 26 marginal agricultural labourers, 44 marginal workers in household industries and 1,197 other marginal workers.[33] The total number of households below poverty lane (BPL) in 2003 were 976, which is 10.45% of the total households in the town and these were raised to 3003 (29.12%) in 2007.[24]

As per the religious census of 2011, Rameswaram had 87.4% Hindus, 4.36% Muslims, 8.13% Christians, 0.03% Sikhs, 0.01% Buddhists, and 0.07% following other religions.[35]

Municipal Administration and politics edit

 
A street in Rameswaram
Municipality Officials
Commissioner A. Kannan[36]
Chairman K.E. Naazarkhan[37]
Vice Chairman V. Dhatchanamoorthy[38]
Appointment Committee Leader D. Mugeshkumar[39]
Elected Members
Member of Legislative Assembly Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam[40][verification needed]
Member of Parliament K. Navaskani[41][verification needed]

According to the Madras Presidency Panchayat Act of 1885, Rameswaram was declared a panchyat union during British times. It became a township during 1958 and was declared a municipality in 2004.[24] Rameswaram is a 3rd grade municipality having 21 wards, out of which 6 are general wards for women and one is reserved for Scheduled Caste women.[42] The major sources of budgeted income for Rameswaram municipality comes from the Devolution Fund of ₹17 million (equivalent to ₹38 million or US$480,000 in 2023) and property tax of ₹2.4 million (equivalent to ₹5.4 million or US$67,000 in 2023).[43] The major expense heads are for salaries of ₹6 million (equivalent to ₹13 million or US$170,000 in 2023), operating expenses of ₹3.7 million (equivalent to ₹8.3 million or US$100,000 in 2023), and repair & maintenance expenditure of ₹2.3 million (equivalent to ₹5.2 million or US$65,000 in 2023).[43] The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning and the Computer Wing.[44] All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the supreme executive head.[44] The legislative powers are vested in a body of 21 members, one each from the 21 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson.[45]

Rameswaram comes under the Ramanathapuram assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years.[46] The current MLA of the constituency is Dr. Manikandan from the AIADMK.[40]

Rameswaram is a part of the Ramanathapuram (Lok Sabha constituency) – it has been realigned in 2008 to have the following assembly constituencies – Paramakudi (SC), Ramanathapuram, Mudukulathur, Aranthangi, Tiruchuli (newly created).[47] The constituency was traditionally a stronghold of the Indian National Congress that won 6 times till the 1991 elections, after which it was won twice each by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is A. Anwhar Raajhaa from the AIADMK party.[41]

Economy edit

Being a pilgrimage town, the majority of the population is involved in tourism related industry consisting of trade and services.[48] Service sector increased from 70% in 1971 to 98.78% in 2001, while the agricultural sector reduced from 23% in 1971 to 0.13% in 2001.[48] Rameswaram is an industrially backward town – there has been no demarcation for industrial land due to the pilgrim sanctity and ecological fragile geography.[48] Being an island town, the traditional occupation was fishing, but due to poor returns, the people in fishing community have gradually shifted to other professions.[48] Banks such as State Bank of India, Indian Bank, Union Bank of India and RDCC Bank have their branches in Rameswaram.[49]

Rameshwaram has well road connectivity from Madurai by National Highway NH87 passes through Manamadurai-Paramakudi-Ramanathapuram and National Highway NH536 from Trichy passes through Pudukkottai-Karaikudi-Ramanathapuram. Indian government and state government are keep developing the road connectivity in this region as the number of tourists gets increased every year.[50]

Transport and Communication edit

 
Road and rail bridge

Pamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait that connects Rameswaram to mainland India. The railway bridge is 6,776 ft (2,065 m)[51] and was opened to traffic in 1914. The railroad bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge section that can be raised to let ships pass under it . The railway bridge historically carried metre-gauge trains on it, but Indian Railways upgraded the bridge to carry broad-gauge trains in a project that finished on 12 August 2007. Historically, the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers.[51] About 10 ships – cargo carriers, coast guard ships, fishing vessels and oil tankers pass through the bridge every month. After completion of bridge, metre-gauge lines were laid from Mandapam up to Pamban Station, from where the railway lines bifurcated into two directions, one towards Rameswaram about 6.25 miles (10.06 km) up and another branch line of 15 miles (24 km) terminating at Dhanushkodi. The noted Boat Mail ran on this track between 1915 and 1964 from Chennai Egmore up to Dhanushkodi, from where the passengers were ferried to Talaimannar in Ceylon. The metre-gauge branch line from Pamban Junction to Dhanushkodi was abandoned after it was destroyed in a cyclone in 1964.[52]

 
Pamban lighthouse, Rameswaram

There are daily express trains connecting major cities in Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Madurai, Trichy, Coimbatore and Karaikudi.[53] There are express and passenger trains connecting to major destinations.[53] The Ramanathapuram – Rameswaram National Highway is the main connecting link from Rameswaram to the mainland.[54] Before the 1914 train service linked the mainland with Rameswaram, boats were the only mode of transport to Rameswaram island.[54][55][56]

 
Rameswaram TV tower

The Rameswaram municipality covers a total road length of 52 km and 20 km of national highway covering about 80 percent of the town.[57] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation runs daily services connecting various cities to Rameswaram and operates a computerised reservation centre in the municipal bus stand of Rameswaram.[58]

Rameswaram is the important port among all the ports in the district, having a ferry service to Talaimannar of Sri Lanka, though not operational throughout the year.[56] Limited foreign trade is conducted with Jaffna, Kaits, Talaimannar and Colombo.[56]

The Rameswaram TV Tower is the tallest tower in India.[59] The tower is a 323m tall circular concrete tower with a square steel mast of 45m height, diameter of 24m at the bottom tapering to 6.5m at top.[60] The tower has been designed for a wind velocity of 160 km/h.[60] There are two lighthouses in Rameswaram, the Pamban lighthouse and Rameswaram lighthouse.[61]

Education and utility services edit

Ramanathapuram district has one of the lowest literacy rates in the state of Tamil Nadu and Rameswaram, following the district statistics has a lower literacy rate. There are two Government high schools, one each for boys and girls.[62][verification needed]There are seven other schools namely, Swami Vivekananda vidyalaya Matriculation School, St. Joseph Higher Secondary School, Mandapam Panchayat Union 9 – School, Micro Matriculation School, Sri Sankara Vidhyalaya, Holy Island Little Flower School and Kendriya Vidhyalaya School.[62][verification needed] Alagappa University Evening College is the only college present in the town[63] and all the nearest colleges are located in Ramanathapuram and Paramakudi.[64][63]

Electricity supply to the town is regulated and distributed by the Ramanathapuram circle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).[65] Water supply is provided by the Rameswaram Municipality – the head works is located at Nambunayaki Amman Kovil, Meyyambuli, Semmamadam & Natarajapuram and distributed through four over head tanks having a total capacity of 1430,000 litres.[66] About 6 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from the town every day in the four zones covering the whole of the town.[67] Rameswaram does not have a sewerage system for disposal of sullage and the disposal system consists of septic tanks and public conveniences.[68] Roadside drains carry untreated sewage out of the town to let out raw into the sea or accumulates in low-lying area.[68]

Rameswaram comes under the Karaikudi Telecom circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Apart from telecom, BSNL also provides broadband internet service[69] along with other major internet service provider including Reliance.[70]

Tourism edit

 
 
 
 
 
Rameswaram
class=notpageimage|
Char Dham

The town is a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre, attracting the visit of thousands of devotees everyday. Adherents assemble to receive a darshana (auspicious sight) of the temple's image of the deity Shiva, which is regarded to have been installed by Rama according to the regional legend.

Ramanathaswamy Temple edit

Main article: Ramanathaswamy Temple
 
Corridor of 1000 pillars

The Ramanathaswamy Temple is the most notable historic landmark of the town. Located in the centre of town, It is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva. The temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines, where Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga, meaning "pillar of light".[71] It is also one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam temples and is glorified in hymns by the three of the most revered Nayanar saints (7th century Saivite saints), Appar, Sundarar, and Tirugnana Sambandar. The temple in its current structure was built during the 12th century by Pandya Dynasty. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The breadth of these columned corridors varies from 17 to 21 feet with a height of 25 feet.[11] Each pillar is sculpted in Nayak style as in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple.[11] The contribution of the kings of the Sethupathy dynasty (17th century) to the temple was considerable.[72][11] Large amount of money was spent during the tenure of Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai towards the restoration of the pagodas which were falling into ruins – the Chockattan Mantapam or the cloistered precincts of the temple was reconstructed by him. 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.[72][11] The eastern tower and shrine of Nataraja were built by Dalavai Sethupathy in 1649 CE.[11] The second enclosure is ascribed to Chinna Udayar Sethupathy and his son Ragunatha Thirumalai (1500–1540 CE).[11] The third enclosure was constructed by Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathy (1725–1771 CE) – his statue is located in the entrance of the corridor.[11]

Temple tanks edit

 
Kothandaramar Temple, Rameswaram

There are sixty-four Tīrthas or Tirthams (holy water bodies) in and around Rameswaram. According to the Skanda Purana, twenty-four of them are important. Of the 24, 14 are in the form of tanks and wells within the precincts of the temple.[3] Bathing in these tanks is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance. Twenty-two of the tanks are within the Ramanathaswamy Temple. The foremost one is called Agni Tirtham, the sea (Bay of Bengal). Jatayu, a vulture/eagle demigod, is believed to have fought in vain with the rakshasa-king Ravana to save Sita, and is said to have fallen down at Jatayu Tirtham, as his wings were severed.[73] Villoondi Tirtham literally translates to 'buried bow', is located around 7 kilometres from the main temple on the way to Pamban.[73] It is believed to be the place where Rama quenched the thirst of Sita by dipping the bow into the sea water.[73] Other major holy bodies are Hanuman Tirtham, Sugriva Tirtham, and Lakshmana Tirtham.[73]

Gandhamathana Parvatham edit

Gandhamathan Parvatham, a hillock situated 3 km to the north of the temple is the highest point in the island.[73] In a two-storeyed hall, Rama's feet are venerated by adherents as an imprint on a chakra (wheel).[73] The Ramarpatham Temple is located on the hillock.[73]

Dhanushkodi edit

Dhanushkodi is the southernmost tip of the island and houses the Kothandaramaswamy Temple dedicated to Rama.[73] Though Dhanushkodi was washed away during the 1964 cyclone, the temple alone remained intact. It is 18 km way from the centre of the town and can be reached by road. According to local tradition, Dhanushkodi is the site where Vibhishana, a brother of Ravana, surrendered to Rama in the epic Ramayana.[73]

Hindu pilgrimage edit

 
People taking a holy dip in Agni Tirtham, Bay of Bengal

Rameswaram is significant for many Hindus as a pilgrimage to Varanasi is considered to be incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram. The town along with the Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Badrinath, Puri, and Dwarka.[74][75] Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of Hinduism established by Sankaracharya, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer.[76] The four monasteries are located 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 Shaivism and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair.[77] The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime.[78] Traditionally the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circuambulation in Hindu temples.[78] The temple is one of the famous pilgrimage sites historically – the Maratha kings who ruled Thanjavur established chatrams or rest houses all through Mayiladuthurai and Rameswaram between 1745 and 1837 CE and donated them to the temple.[79]

Interaction with Sri Lanka edit

Rameswaram is frequently in headlines over fishermen issues like attack, arrest and alleged harassment by Sri Lankan navy for alleged cross border activities, Sethusamudram canal project, Kachchatheevu, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and also on intercountry smuggling between India and Sri Lanka.[5] As an initial step to curb enhanced smuggling, the Tamil Nadu government has set up 30 more marine police stations to bring the state's entire coastal belt under close vigil.[5]

Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees edit

During the intense civil war of Sri Lanka, post 1980, Rameswaram acted as one of the focal points of smuggling and intense patrolling was carried out during the period.[80] There are a total of 65,940 registered destitute Sri Lankan refugees dwelling in 129 Refugee camps situated in different parts of Tamil Nadu as of Apr 2000 and a majority of them enter via Rameswaram.[81] There are an additional 20,667 non-camp refugees who entered via Rameswaram, registered in Mandapam transit camp and opted to reside outside the camps in various parts of Tamil Nadu.[81] On 11 March 1990, a record number of 2,337 refugees in 38 boats arrived from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Rameswaram – this was the largest number of refugees arriving in a single day since the ethnic violence from July 1983.[82] As of October 2006, an estimated 200,000 refugees have been reported in Mandapam Camp.[83] Sivarasan, one of the mastermind behind the Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the ex-prime minister of India registered as refugee in Rameswaram camp on 12 September 1990.[84]

Rameswaram Fishery edit

 
Fishing boats in Rameswaram

Being an island, a significant population is involved in fishery traditionally. There have been incremental cases of Rameswaram fishermen allegedly killed or arrested by Sri Lankan navy along the maritime borders of India and Sri Lanka from the time of Sri Lankan civil war during 1983.[85] In the face of simmering tension after the 1985 January Colombo bound Yaldevi train attack in which 22 Sri Lankan soldiers and 16 civilians were killed, Rameswaram fishermen dared to venture to seas spelling acute hardship for the 10,000 fishermen family.[86] An estimated 381 fishermen have been killed in the sea due to shoot outs from 1983 to 2009.[85] The Sri Lankan army attributed the killings to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but the casualty continues even after the end of LTTE in the region.[85] The Tamil Nadu state government has increased the compensation of casualty from the original ₹ 100,000 to 500,000 (US$1,800 to $9,000).[85] There has not been a single prosecution in any of the 381 killings committed so far from the Indian judiciary.[85] The cases not being filed is attributed to the fact that people killed beyond the maritime boundary of India are not eligible for compensation and not many file complaints against the Sri Lankan navy.[85] Though the Indian judiciary has provisions to prosecute foreigners, there is little progress due to the diplomatic overheads involved.[85] Indian government has also ventured into the use of technology like use of Global positioning system (GPS) by the fishermen and enabling cellphone blips to alert their mobile phones whenever they are crossing into Sri Lankan waters. The Sri Lankan navy has confirmed reports on Indian fishermen risking the international boundary due to depleted catch in Indian waters.[87]

There is a yearly 45-day ban on fishery with motorboats in the region.[88] The fishing ban for the year 2012 was effective during the months of April–May.[88][89] The jetty at Rameswaram is the largest landing centre for fishing boats in the region and it usually comes alive after the ban, with the arrival of fishermen, boat captains, shore workers and others from their native places.[89]

Sea World Aquarium is a natural habitat lying opposite to the Rameswaram Bus Stand, having an assortment of underwater creatures – it is the only one of its kind in the state, filled with such varied marine life forms including exotic species.[54]

Kachchatheevu edit

 
NASA satellite photo: Rameswaram on top, Sri Lanka at the bottom of the photo

Another focal point on the simmering tension between Indian and Sri Lankan governments is over the use of Kachchatheevu, an uninhabited island 15 km north of Rameswaram, belonging to Sri Lanka.[90] The accord of 1974 allows fishermen of both the countries for resting and soaking the nets in the island.[91] Repeated allegations on attacks by the Lankan navy, which on many occasions killed Indian fishermen, prevented them from making it to the island.[91] The annual two-day Saint Anthony fest at the island draws huge number of people from the fishermen community of both the countries.[91][91][92] The number of pilgrims for the 2012 function crossed 4,000, the largest attendance in the past two decades.[91] The feast also provides an opportunity for the Indian fishermen to meet their Sri Lankan counterparts and exchange views on their mutual problems.[91] The event served as a meeting point to find brides and grooms from both countries, but this practice has now been stopped from the 90s due to political constraint of fishermen family living in different countries.[91]

Sethusamudram Canal Project edit

Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping canal through the shallow sea sometimes called Setu Samudram, and through the chain of islands variously known as Ram Setu or the Rama's Bridge. A few organisations are opposing the dredging of Rama Setu on religious, environmental and economical grounds. Many of these parties and organisations support implementation of this project using one of the five alternative alignments considered earlier[93] without damaging the structure considered sacred by Hindus. With 22 km (14 mi) of dredging remaining, the project is held from March 2010 by a Supreme Court order seeking the Central Government to clarify the status of the bridge as a national monument.[94]

Notable people edit

See also edit

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ . Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  2. ^ Gibson 2002, p. 42.
  3. ^ a b c d e Ayyar 1991, pp. 492–495.
  4. ^ "Is Ram Setu, The Land Bridge Connecting India And Sri Lanka, Manmade? Science Channel Says Yes".
  5. ^ a b c Sunday Observer & 13 May 2012.
  6. ^ Caldwell 1881, p. 21.
  7. ^ a b De Silva & Beumer 1988, p. 291.
  8. ^ Mukundan 1992, p. 23.
  9. ^ a b Singh 2009, p. 443.
  10. ^ Guruge 1991, p. 68.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Bajpai 2002, pp. 482–485.
  12. ^ The Hindu & 3 November 2011.
  13. ^ Ohja 2017, p. 17.
  14. ^ Dodiya 2001, p. 227.
  15. ^ Thirunavukkarasar 2004, pp. 18–19.
  16. ^ Tirugnanasambandar 2004, pp. 102–103.
  17. ^ a b c d e Ramanathapuram district history 2011.
  18. ^ a b c Gunasingam 1999, p. 63.
  19. ^ a b Mehta 1986, p. 157.
  20. ^ a b Sharon et al. 1987, p. 271.
  21. ^ Aiyangar 1991, p. 112.
  22. ^ Michell 1995, p. 116.
  23. ^ Harman 1992, pp. 30–36.
  24. ^ a b c d e f Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009, p. 33.
  25. ^ Weather Base 2006.
  26. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica 2007.
  27. ^ Garg 1992, p. 42.
  28. ^ a b Room 2006, p. 16.
  29. ^ Valmiki Ramayan 2004.
  30. ^ The Hindu & 14 September 2007.
  31. ^ Schwartzberg Atlas 2009.
  32. ^ Polo 1854, p. 380.
  33. ^ a b Rameswaram 2011 census.
  34. ^ a b National Sex Ratio 2011.
  35. ^ Religious Census 2011.
  36. ^ "Municipal Commissioner". Rameswaram Municipality. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  37. ^ "Municipal Chairman". Rameswaram Municipality. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  38. ^ "Municipal Vice Chairman". Rameswaram Municipality. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  39. ^ "Appointment Committee". Rameswaram Municipality. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  40. ^ a b MLA of Ramanathapuram 2016.
  41. ^ a b MP of Ramanathapuram 2014.
  42. ^ Rameswaram Municipality features 2007.
  43. ^ a b Rameswaram Municipality budget 2010.
  44. ^ a b Commissionerate of Municipal Administration 2006.
  45. ^ Datta 1995, p. 2396.
  46. ^ List of Assembly constituencies 2010.
  47. ^ The Hindu & 4 March 2009.
  48. ^ a b c d Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009, pp. 38–39.
  49. ^ Rameswaram City Banks 2011.
  50. ^ "TN govt gives industry status to tourism sector". The Times of India. 27 September 2023.
  51. ^ a b The Hindu & 21 November 2003.
  52. ^ The Hindu & 17 July 2007.
  53. ^ a b Train information 2012.
  54. ^ a b c Ramanathapuram District tourism 2004.
  55. ^ Smith 1882, p. 371.
  56. ^ a b c Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009, p. 23.
  57. ^ Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009, p. 61.
  58. ^ SETC Computer reservation centres 2004.
  59. ^ The Indian Express & 7 October 2011.
  60. ^ a b Dhir 1996, p. 167.
  61. ^ DGLL.
  62. ^ a b Rameswaram schools 2007.
  63. ^ a b Affiliated colleges 2012.
  64. ^ Ramnad district education profile 2011.
  65. ^ TNEB region details 2011.
  66. ^ Rameswaram water supply 2007.
  67. ^ Waste management programme 2007.
  68. ^ a b Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009, p. 52.
  69. ^ BSNL 2011.
  70. ^ Reliance Netconnect+ Coverage.
  71. ^ Chakravarti 1994, p. 139.
  72. ^ a b Bandopadhyay 2010, pp. 88–89.
  73. ^ a b c d e f g h i Places of interest in Rameswaram 2007.
  74. ^ Chakravarti 1994, p. 140.
  75. ^ Gopal 1990, p. 184.
  76. ^ Melton & Baumann 2010, p. 540.
  77. ^ Brockman 2011, p. 94-96.
  78. ^ a b Gwynne 2007, p. 271 section on Char Dham.
  79. ^ Thangaraj 2003, p. 54.
  80. ^ Das 2005, p. 67.
  81. ^ a b Das 2005, p. 65.
  82. ^ Chattopadhyaya 1994, p. 172.
  83. ^ Rajamanickam 2009, p. 175.
  84. ^ Kaarthikeyan & Radhavinod Raju 2004, p. 71.
  85. ^ a b c d e f g The Times of India & 23 February 2012.
  86. ^ Chattopadhyaya 1994, p. 77.
  87. ^ News Line & 22 February 2011.
  88. ^ a b The Times of India & 30 May 2012.
  89. ^ a b The Hindu & 28 May 2012.
  90. ^ The Times of India & 5 March 2012.
  91. ^ a b c d e f g The Hindu & 5 March 2012.
  92. ^ Asia News & 3 June 2010.
  93. ^ The Nation & 22 April 2007.
  94. ^ IBN Live & 30 March 2010.
  95. ^ "Achievements of APJ Abdul Kalam". Unacademy. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  96. ^ The Hindu & 27 July 2015.

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External links edit

 
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January 08, 2024
rameswaram, this, article, about, temple, town, main, temple, ramanathaswamy, temple, other, uses, disambiguation, ɾaːmeːsʋaɾam, also, transliterated, ramesvaram, rameshwaram, municipality, ramanathapuram, district, indian, state, tamil, nadu, pamban, island, . This article is about the temple town For main temple see Ramanathaswamy Temple For other uses see Rameswaram disambiguation Rameswaram IPA ɾaːmeːsʋaɾam also transliterated as Ramesvaram Rameshwaram is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilometres from Mannar Island Sri Lanka It is in the Gulf of Mannar at the tip of the Indian peninsula 1 Pamban Island also known as Rameswaram Island is connected to mainland India by the Pamban Bridge Rameswaram is the terminus of the railway line from Chennai and Madurai Together with Varanasi it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus and is part of the Char Dham pilgrimage RameswaramTownFrom top Ramanathaswamy Temple tower Pamban Bridge and a set of fishing boats Nickname s Rameswaram Ramesvaram Rameshwaram ர ம ஸ வரம RameswaramShow map of Tamil NaduRameswaramShow map of IndiaCoordinates 9 17 17 N 79 18 47 E 9 288 N 79 313 E 9 288 79 313Country IndiaStateTamil NaduDistrictRamanathapuramGovernment TypeSecond Grade Municipality BodyMunicipality of RameswaramArea Total55 km2 21 sq mi Elevation10 m 30 ft Population 2011 Total44 856 Density820 km2 2 100 sq mi DemonymRameswaram marLanguage OfficialTamilTime zoneUTC 5 30 IST PIN CODE623526Vehicle registrationTN 65 BadrinathDwarkaJagannath PuriRameswaramclass notpageimage Char Dham According to the Ramayana Rama is described to have built a bridge from the region approximating this town across the sea to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from her abductor Ravana The temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva is at the centre of the town and is closely associated with Rama and Shiva The temple and the town are considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivas and Vaishnavas 2 3 Rameswaram is the second closest point from which to reach Sri Lanka from India and geological evidence suggests that the Rama Sethu was a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka 4 The town has been in the news in past due to controversies such as the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project Kachchatheevu Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and capturing local fishermen for alleged cross border activities by Sri Lankan Forces 5 Rameswaram is administered by a municipality established in 1994 The town covers an area of 53 km2 20 sq mi and had a population of 44 856 as of 2011 Tourism and fishery employ the majority of workforce in Rameswaram citation needed Contents 1 Legend 2 History 3 Geography 4 Demographics 5 Municipal Administration and politics 6 Economy 7 Transport and Communication 8 Education and utility services 9 Tourism 9 1 Ramanathaswamy Temple 9 2 Temple tanks 9 3 Gandhamathana Parvatham 9 4 Dhanushkodi 9 5 Hindu pilgrimage 10 Interaction with Sri Lanka 10 1 Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees 10 2 Rameswaram Fishery 10 3 Kachchatheevu 10 4 Sethusamudram Canal Project 11 Notable people 12 See also 13 Footnotes 14 References 15 External linksLegend editRameswaram means Lord of Rama Rama isvaram in Sanskrit an epithet of Shiva the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple 6 According to Hindu epic Ramayana Rama the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu prayed to Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon king Ravana in Sri Lanka 7 3 According to the Puranas Hindu scriptures upon the advice of sages Rama along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana installed and worshipped the lingam an iconic symbol of Shiva here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya incurred while killing of the Brahmin Ravana 8 To worship Shiva Rama wanted to have a lingam and directed his trusted lieutenant Hanuman to bring it from Himalayas 9 3 Since it took longer to bring the lingam Sita built a lingam made of sand from the nearby seashore which is also believed to be the one in the sanctum of the temple 9 Sethu Karai is a place 22 km before the island of Rameswaram from where Rama is believed to have built a floating stone bridge the Ramsetu bridge that further continued to Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram till Talaimannar in Sri Lanka 7 10 According to another version as quoted in Adhyatma Ramayana Rama installed the lingam before the construction of the bridge to Lanka 11 12 13 14 But the Dvaita philosopher and vaishnava saint Madhvacharya explains in his book Mahabharata tatparya nirnaya that it s actually not Rama but Shiva who had incurred brahmahatya sin as he had once chopped off Lord Brahma s head so Shiva had prayed to vishnu to relieve him of the sin and Vishnu promised to do so in his Rama avatar the moment Rama installed the shiva linga here Shiva immediately got relieved of brahmahatya sin due to the grace of Rama s touch History editThe history of Rameswaram is centred around the island being a transit point to reach Sri Lanka Ceylon historically and the presence of Ramanathaswamy Temple Tevaram the 7th 8th century Tamil compositions on Shiva by the three prominent Nayanars Saivites namely Appar 15 Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar 16 The Chola king Rajendra Chola I 1012 1040 CE had a control of the town for a short period 17 Rameshwaram was under Polonnaruwa rule from 1167 until 1182 The Jaffna kingdom 1215 1624 CE had close connections with the island and claimed the title Setukavalan meaning custodians of the Rameswaram 18 Hinduism was their state religion and they made generous contribution to the temple 18 Setu was used in their coins as well as in inscriptions as marker of the dynasty 18 According to Firishta Malik Kafur the head general of Alauddin Khalji the ruler of Delhi Sultanate reached Rameswaram during his political campaign in spite of stiff resistance from the Pandyan princes in the early 14th century 19 20 21 He erected a mosque by name Alia al Din Khaldji in honour of victory of Islam 19 20 During the early 15th century the present day Ramanathapuram Kamuthi and Rameswaram were included in the Pandya dynasty 17 In 1520 CE the town came under the rule of Vijayanagara Empire 17 The Sethupathis the breakaway from Madurai Nayaks ruled Ramanathapuram and contributed to the Ramanathaswamy temple 17 3 The most notable of them are the contributions of Muthu Kumara Ragunatha and Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathi who transformed the temple to an architectural ensemble 22 The region then fell under the rule of different leaders Chanda Sahib 1740 1754 CE Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan 1725 1764 CE in the middle of the 18th century 23 In 1795 CE Rameswaram came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency After 1947 the town became a part of Independent India 17 Geography edit nbsp An aerial view of Dhanushkodi at the tip of RameswaramRameswaram has an average elevation of 10 m 33 ft The island is spread across an area of 61 8 km2 23 9 sq mi and is in the shape of a conch 74 of the area has sandy soil due to the presence of sea and it has many islands surrounding it the Palk Strait in the north west and Gulf of Mannar in the south East 24 The Ramanathaswamy Temple occupies major area of Rameswaram The beach of Rameswaram is featured with no waves at all the sea waves rise to a maximum height of 3 cm 0 10 ft and the view looks like a very big river Rameswaram has dry tropical climate with low humidity 24 with average monthly rainfall of 75 73 mm 2 981 in 24 mostly from North East monsoon from October to January The highest ever temperature recorded at Pamban station was 37 C and the lowest was 17 C 25 nbsp Map of Ramsetu s Bridge a chain of limestone shoals and environs before the cyclone of 1964 Ramsetu Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals between Rameswaram and Mannar Island off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka Geological evidence suggests that this bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka 26 The bridge is 29 km 18 mi long and separates the Gulf of Mannar North East from the Palk Strait South West It was reportedly passable on foot up to the 15th century until storms deepened the channel The temple records record that Rama s Bridge was completely above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in 1480 CE 27 The bridge was first mentioned in the ancient Indian Sanskrit epic Ramayana of Valmiki 28 The name Rama s Bridge or Rama Setu Sanskrit setu bridge refers to the bridge built by the Vanara ape men army of Rama in Hindu mythology which he used to reach Lanka and rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana 28 The Ramayana attributes the building of this bridge to Rama in verse 2 22 76 naming it as Setubandhanam 29 The sea separating India and Sri Lanka is called Sethusamudram meaning Sea of the Bridge Maps prepared by a Dutch cartographer in 1747 CE available at the Tanjore Saraswathi Mahal Library show this area as Ramancoil a colloquial form of the Tamil Raman Kovil or Rama s Temple 30 Many other maps in Schwartzberg s historical atlas 31 and other sources such as travel texts by Marco Polo call this area by various names such as Adam s Bridge Sethubandha and Sethubandha Rameswaram 32 Demographics editReligious censusReligion Percent Hindu 87 4 Muslim 4 36 Christian 8 13 Sikh 0 03 Buddhist 0 01 Other 0 07 Historical populationYearPop 197116 755 198127 928 66 7 199132 721 17 2 200137 968 16 0 201144 857 18 1 Sources 1971 2001 24 2011 33 According to 2011 census Rameswaram had a population of 44 856 with a sex ratio of 969 females for every 1 000 males much above the national average of 929 34 A total of 5 022 were under the age of six constituting 2 544 males and 2 478 females Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 6 8 and 03 of the population respectively The average literacy of the town was 73 36 compared to the national average of 72 99 34 The town had a total of 10579 households There were a total of 16 645 workers comprising 69 cultivators 20 main agricultural labourers 148 in house hold industries 15 130 other workers 1 278 marginal workers 11 marginal cultivators 26 marginal agricultural labourers 44 marginal workers in household industries and 1 197 other marginal workers 33 The total number of households below poverty lane BPL in 2003 were 976 which is 10 45 of the total households in the town and these were raised to 3003 29 12 in 2007 24 As per the religious census of 2011 Rameswaram had 87 4 Hindus 4 36 Muslims 8 13 Christians 0 03 Sikhs 0 01 Buddhists and 0 07 following other religions 35 Municipal Administration and politics edit nbsp A street in RameswaramMunicipality OfficialsCommissioner A Kannan 36 Chairman K E Naazarkhan 37 Vice Chairman V Dhatchanamoorthy 38 Appointment Committee Leader D Mugeshkumar 39 Elected MembersMember of Legislative Assembly Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam 40 verification needed Member of Parliament K Navaskani 41 verification needed According to the Madras Presidency Panchayat Act of 1885 Rameswaram was declared a panchyat union during British times It became a township during 1958 and was declared a municipality in 2004 24 Rameswaram is a 3rd grade municipality having 21 wards out of which 6 are general wards for women and one is reserved for Scheduled Caste women 42 The major sources of budgeted income for Rameswaram municipality comes from the Devolution Fund of 17 million equivalent to 38 million or US 480 000 in 2023 and property tax of 2 4 million equivalent to 5 4 million or US 67 000 in 2023 43 The major expense heads are for salaries of 6 million equivalent to 13 million or US 170 000 in 2023 operating expenses of 3 7 million equivalent to 8 3 million or US 100 000 in 2023 and repair amp maintenance expenditure of 2 3 million equivalent to 5 2 million or US 65 000 in 2023 43 The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments General Engineering Revenue Public Health Town planning and the Computer Wing 44 All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the supreme executive head 44 The legislative powers are vested in a body of 21 members one each from the 21 wards The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson 45 Rameswaram comes under the Ramanathapuram assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years 46 The current MLA of the constituency is Dr Manikandan from the AIADMK 40 Rameswaram is a part of the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency it has been realigned in 2008 to have the following assembly constituencies Paramakudi SC Ramanathapuram Mudukulathur Aranthangi Tiruchuli newly created 47 The constituency was traditionally a stronghold of the Indian National Congress that won 6 times till the 1991 elections after which it was won twice each by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ADMK and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DMK The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is A Anwhar Raajhaa from the AIADMK party 41 Economy editBeing a pilgrimage town the majority of the population is involved in tourism related industry consisting of trade and services 48 Service sector increased from 70 in 1971 to 98 78 in 2001 while the agricultural sector reduced from 23 in 1971 to 0 13 in 2001 48 Rameswaram is an industrially backward town there has been no demarcation for industrial land due to the pilgrim sanctity and ecological fragile geography 48 Being an island town the traditional occupation was fishing but due to poor returns the people in fishing community have gradually shifted to other professions 48 Banks such as State Bank of India Indian Bank Union Bank of India and RDCC Bank have their branches in Rameswaram 49 Rameshwaram has well road connectivity from Madurai by National Highway NH87 passes through Manamadurai Paramakudi Ramanathapuram and National Highway NH536 from Trichy passes through Pudukkottai Karaikudi Ramanathapuram Indian government and state government are keep developing the road connectivity in this region as the number of tourists gets increased every year 50 Transport and Communication edit nbsp Road and rail bridgePamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait that connects Rameswaram to mainland India The railway bridge is 6 776 ft 2 065 m 51 and was opened to traffic in 1914 The railroad bridge is a double leaf bascule bridge section that can be raised to let ships pass under it The railway bridge historically carried metre gauge trains on it but Indian Railways upgraded the bridge to carry broad gauge trains in a project that finished on 12 August 2007 Historically the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers 51 About 10 ships cargo carriers coast guard ships fishing vessels and oil tankers pass through the bridge every month After completion of bridge metre gauge lines were laid from Mandapam up to Pamban Station from where the railway lines bifurcated into two directions one towards Rameswaram about 6 25 miles 10 06 km up and another branch line of 15 miles 24 km terminating at Dhanushkodi The noted Boat Mail ran on this track between 1915 and 1964 from Chennai Egmore up to Dhanushkodi from where the passengers were ferried to Talaimannar in Ceylon The metre gauge branch line from Pamban Junction to Dhanushkodi was abandoned after it was destroyed in a cyclone in 1964 52 nbsp Pamban lighthouse RameswaramThere are daily express trains connecting major cities in Tamil Nadu like Chennai Madurai Trichy Coimbatore and Karaikudi 53 There are express and passenger trains connecting to major destinations 53 The Ramanathapuram Rameswaram National Highway is the main connecting link from Rameswaram to the mainland 54 Before the 1914 train service linked the mainland with Rameswaram boats were the only mode of transport to Rameswaram island 54 55 56 nbsp Rameswaram TV towerThe Rameswaram municipality covers a total road length of 52 km and 20 km of national highway covering about 80 percent of the town 57 The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation runs daily services connecting various cities to Rameswaram and operates a computerised reservation centre in the municipal bus stand of Rameswaram 58 Rameswaram is the important port among all the ports in the district having a ferry service to Talaimannar of Sri Lanka though not operational throughout the year 56 Limited foreign trade is conducted with Jaffna Kaits Talaimannar and Colombo 56 The Rameswaram TV Tower is the tallest tower in India 59 The tower is a 323m tall circular concrete tower with a square steel mast of 45m height diameter of 24m at the bottom tapering to 6 5m at top 60 The tower has been designed for a wind velocity of 160 km h 60 There are two lighthouses in Rameswaram the Pamban lighthouse and Rameswaram lighthouse 61 Education and utility services editRamanathapuram district has one of the lowest literacy rates in the state of Tamil Nadu and Rameswaram following the district statistics has a lower literacy rate There are two Government high schools one each for boys and girls 62 verification needed There are seven other schools namely Swami Vivekananda vidyalaya Matriculation School St Joseph Higher Secondary School Mandapam Panchayat Union 9 School Micro Matriculation School Sri Sankara Vidhyalaya Holy Island Little Flower School and Kendriya Vidhyalaya School 62 verification needed Alagappa University Evening College is the only college present in the town 63 and all the nearest colleges are located in Ramanathapuram and Paramakudi 64 63 Electricity supply to the town is regulated and distributed by the Ramanathapuram circle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board TNEB 65 Water supply is provided by the Rameswaram Municipality the head works is located at Nambunayaki Amman Kovil Meyyambuli Semmamadam amp Natarajapuram and distributed through four over head tanks having a total capacity of 1430 000 litres 66 About 6 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from the town every day in the four zones covering the whole of the town 67 Rameswaram does not have a sewerage system for disposal of sullage and the disposal system consists of septic tanks and public conveniences 68 Roadside drains carry untreated sewage out of the town to let out raw into the sea or accumulates in low lying area 68 Rameswaram comes under the Karaikudi Telecom circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited BSNL India s state owned telecom and internet services provider Apart from telecom BSNL also provides broadband internet service 69 along with other major internet service provider including Reliance 70 Tourism edit nbsp nbsp Badrinath nbsp Dwarka nbsp Jagannath Puri nbsp Rameswaramclass notpageimage Char Dham The town is a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre attracting the visit of thousands of devotees everyday Adherents assemble to receive a darshana auspicious sight of the temple s image of the deity Shiva which is regarded to have been installed by Rama according to the regional legend Ramanathaswamy Temple edit Main article Ramanathaswamy Temple nbsp Corridor of 1000 pillarsThe Ramanathaswamy Temple is the most notable historic landmark of the town Located in the centre of town It is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva The temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines where Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga meaning pillar of light 71 It is also one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam temples and is glorified in hymns by the three of the most revered Nayanar saints 7th century Saivite saints Appar Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar The temple in its current structure was built during the 12th century by Pandya Dynasty The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India The breadth of these columned corridors varies from 17 to 21 feet with a height of 25 feet 11 Each pillar is sculpted in Nayak style as in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple 11 The contribution of the kings of the Sethupathy dynasty 17th century to the temple was considerable 72 11 Large amount of money was spent during the tenure of Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai towards the restoration of the pagodas which were falling into ruins the Chockattan Mantapam or the cloistered precincts of the temple was reconstructed by him 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 72 11 The eastern tower and shrine of Nataraja were built by Dalavai Sethupathy in 1649 CE 11 The second enclosure is ascribed to Chinna Udayar Sethupathy and his son Ragunatha Thirumalai 1500 1540 CE 11 The third enclosure was constructed by Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathy 1725 1771 CE his statue is located in the entrance of the corridor 11 Temple tanks edit nbsp Kothandaramar Temple RameswaramThere are sixty four Tirthas or Tirthams holy water bodies in and around Rameswaram According to the Skanda Purana twenty four of them are important Of the 24 14 are in the form of tanks and wells within the precincts of the temple 3 Bathing in these tanks is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance Twenty two of the tanks are within the Ramanathaswamy Temple The foremost one is called Agni Tirtham the sea Bay of Bengal Jatayu a vulture eagle demigod is believed to have fought in vain with the rakshasa king Ravana to save Sita and is said to have fallen down at Jatayu Tirtham as his wings were severed 73 Villoondi Tirtham literally translates to buried bow is located around 7 kilometres from the main temple on the way to Pamban 73 It is believed to be the place where Rama quenched the thirst of Sita by dipping the bow into the sea water 73 Other major holy bodies are Hanuman Tirtham Sugriva Tirtham and Lakshmana Tirtham 73 Gandhamathana Parvatham edit Gandhamathan Parvatham a hillock situated 3 km to the north of the temple is the highest point in the island 73 In a two storeyed hall Rama s feet are venerated by adherents as an imprint on a chakra wheel 73 The Ramarpatham Temple is located on the hillock 73 Dhanushkodi edit Dhanushkodi is the southernmost tip of the island and houses the Kothandaramaswamy Temple dedicated to Rama 73 Though Dhanushkodi was washed away during the 1964 cyclone the temple alone remained intact It is 18 km way from the centre of the town and can be reached by road According to local tradition Dhanushkodi is the site where Vibhishana a brother of Ravana surrendered to Rama in the epic Ramayana 73 Hindu pilgrimage edit nbsp People taking a holy dip in Agni Tirtham Bay of BengalRameswaram is significant for many Hindus as a pilgrimage to Varanasi is considered to be incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram The town along with the Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham four divine sites sites comprising Badrinath Puri and Dwarka 74 75 Though the origins are not clearly known the Advaita school of Hinduism established by Sankaracharya attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer 76 The four monasteries are located 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 Shaivism and Vaishnavism the Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair 77 The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime 78 Traditionally the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circuambulation in Hindu temples 78 The temple is one of the famous pilgrimage sites historically the Maratha kings who ruled Thanjavur established chatrams or rest houses all through Mayiladuthurai and Rameswaram between 1745 and 1837 CE and donated them to the temple 79 Interaction with Sri Lanka editRameswaram is frequently in headlines over fishermen issues like attack arrest and alleged harassment by Sri Lankan navy for alleged cross border activities Sethusamudram canal project Kachchatheevu Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and also on intercountry smuggling between India and Sri Lanka 5 As an initial step to curb enhanced smuggling the Tamil Nadu government has set up 30 more marine police stations to bring the state s entire coastal belt under close vigil 5 Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees edit During the intense civil war of Sri Lanka post 1980 Rameswaram acted as one of the focal points of smuggling and intense patrolling was carried out during the period 80 There are a total of 65 940 registered destitute Sri Lankan refugees dwelling in 129 Refugee camps situated in different parts of Tamil Nadu as of Apr 2000 and a majority of them enter via Rameswaram 81 There are an additional 20 667 non camp refugees who entered via Rameswaram registered in Mandapam transit camp and opted to reside outside the camps in various parts of Tamil Nadu 81 On 11 March 1990 a record number of 2 337 refugees in 38 boats arrived from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Rameswaram this was the largest number of refugees arriving in a single day since the ethnic violence from July 1983 82 As of October 2006 an estimated 200 000 refugees have been reported in Mandapam Camp 83 Sivarasan one of the mastermind behind the Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi the ex prime minister of India registered as refugee in Rameswaram camp on 12 September 1990 84 Rameswaram Fishery edit nbsp Fishing boats in RameswaramBeing an island a significant population is involved in fishery traditionally There have been incremental cases of Rameswaram fishermen allegedly killed or arrested by Sri Lankan navy along the maritime borders of India and Sri Lanka from the time of Sri Lankan civil war during 1983 85 In the face of simmering tension after the 1985 January Colombo bound Yaldevi train attack in which 22 Sri Lankan soldiers and 16 civilians were killed Rameswaram fishermen dared to venture to seas spelling acute hardship for the 10 000 fishermen family 86 An estimated 381 fishermen have been killed in the sea due to shoot outs from 1983 to 2009 85 The Sri Lankan army attributed the killings to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE but the casualty continues even after the end of LTTE in the region 85 The Tamil Nadu state government has increased the compensation of casualty from the original 100 000 to 500 000 US 1 800 to 9 000 85 There has not been a single prosecution in any of the 381 killings committed so far from the Indian judiciary 85 The cases not being filed is attributed to the fact that people killed beyond the maritime boundary of India are not eligible for compensation and not many file complaints against the Sri Lankan navy 85 Though the Indian judiciary has provisions to prosecute foreigners there is little progress due to the diplomatic overheads involved 85 Indian government has also ventured into the use of technology like use of Global positioning system GPS by the fishermen and enabling cellphone blips to alert their mobile phones whenever they are crossing into Sri Lankan waters The Sri Lankan navy has confirmed reports on Indian fishermen risking the international boundary due to depleted catch in Indian waters 87 There is a yearly 45 day ban on fishery with motorboats in the region 88 The fishing ban for the year 2012 was effective during the months of April May 88 89 The jetty at Rameswaram is the largest landing centre for fishing boats in the region and it usually comes alive after the ban with the arrival of fishermen boat captains shore workers and others from their native places 89 Sea World Aquarium is a natural habitat lying opposite to the Rameswaram Bus Stand having an assortment of underwater creatures it is the only one of its kind in the state filled with such varied marine life forms including exotic species 54 Kachchatheevu edit nbsp NASA satellite photo Rameswaram on top Sri Lanka at the bottom of the photoAnother focal point on the simmering tension between Indian and Sri Lankan governments is over the use of Kachchatheevu an uninhabited island 15 km north of Rameswaram belonging to Sri Lanka 90 The accord of 1974 allows fishermen of both the countries for resting and soaking the nets in the island 91 Repeated allegations on attacks by the Lankan navy which on many occasions killed Indian fishermen prevented them from making it to the island 91 The annual two day Saint Anthony fest at the island draws huge number of people from the fishermen community of both the countries 91 91 92 The number of pilgrims for the 2012 function crossed 4 000 the largest attendance in the past two decades 91 The feast also provides an opportunity for the Indian fishermen to meet their Sri Lankan counterparts and exchange views on their mutual problems 91 The event served as a meeting point to find brides and grooms from both countries but this practice has now been stopped from the 90s due to political constraint of fishermen family living in different countries 91 Sethusamudram Canal Project edit Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping canal through the shallow sea sometimes called Setu Samudram and through the chain of islands variously known as Ram Setu or the Rama s Bridge A few organisations are opposing the dredging of Rama Setu on religious environmental and economical grounds Many of these parties and organisations support implementation of this project using one of the five alternative alignments considered earlier 93 without damaging the structure considered sacred by Hindus With 22 km 14 mi of dredging remaining the project is held from March 2010 by a Supreme Court order seeking the Central Government to clarify the status of the bridge as a national monument 94 Notable people editA P J Abdul Kalam 1931 2015 former President of India 2002 2007 Ex secretary of Defence Research and Development Organisation DRDO Prime minister s chief scientific advisor Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO scientist and Bharat Ratna recipient 95 96 See also editCoral reefs in IndiaFootnotes edit Temple Towns of India Archived from the original on 19 April 2016 Retrieved 4 May 2016 Gibson 2002 p 42 a b c d e Ayyar 1991 pp 492 495 Is Ram Setu The Land Bridge Connecting India And Sri Lanka Manmade Science Channel Says Yes a b c Sunday Observer amp 13 May 2012 Caldwell 1881 p 21 a b De Silva amp Beumer 1988 p 291 Mukundan 1992 p 23 a b Singh 2009 p 443 Guruge 1991 p 68 a b c d e f g h Bajpai 2002 pp 482 485 The Hindu amp 3 November 2011 Ohja 2017 p 17 Dodiya 2001 p 227 Thirunavukkarasar 2004 pp 18 19 Tirugnanasambandar 2004 pp 102 103 a b c d e Ramanathapuram district history 2011 a b c Gunasingam 1999 p 63 a b Mehta 1986 p 157 a b Sharon et al 1987 p 271 Aiyangar 1991 p 112 Michell 1995 p 116 Harman 1992 pp 30 36 a b c d e f Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009 p 33 Weather Base 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica 2007 Garg 1992 p 42 a b Room 2006 p 16 Valmiki Ramayan 2004 The Hindu amp 14 September 2007 Schwartzberg Atlas 2009 Polo 1854 p 380 a b Rameswaram 2011 census a b National Sex Ratio 2011 Religious Census 2011 Municipal Commissioner Rameswaram Municipality Retrieved 24 August 2023 Municipal Chairman Rameswaram Municipality Retrieved 24 August 2023 Municipal Vice Chairman Rameswaram Municipality Retrieved 24 August 2023 Appointment Committee Rameswaram Municipality Retrieved 24 August 2023 a b MLA of Ramanathapuram 2016 a b MP of Ramanathapuram 2014 Rameswaram Municipality features 2007 a b Rameswaram Municipality budget 2010 a b Commissionerate of Municipal Administration 2006 Datta 1995 p 2396 List of Assembly constituencies 2010 The Hindu amp 4 March 2009 a b c d Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009 pp 38 39 Rameswaram City Banks 2011 TN govt gives industry status to tourism sector The Times of India 27 September 2023 a b The Hindu amp 21 November 2003 The Hindu amp 17 July 2007 a b Train information 2012 a b c Ramanathapuram District tourism 2004 Smith 1882 p 371 a b c Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009 p 23 Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009 p 61 SETC Computer reservation centres 2004 The Indian Express amp 7 October 2011 a b Dhir 1996 p 167 DGLL a b Rameswaram schools 2007 a b Affiliated colleges 2012 Ramnad district education profile 2011 TNEB region details 2011 Rameswaram water supply 2007 Waste management programme 2007 a b Directorate of Municipal Administration 2009 p 52 BSNL 2011 Reliance Netconnect Coverage Chakravarti 1994 p 139 a b Bandopadhyay 2010 pp 88 89 a b c d e f g h i Places of interest in Rameswaram 2007 Chakravarti 1994 p 140 Gopal 1990 p 184 Melton amp Baumann 2010 p 540 Brockman 2011 p 94 96 a b Gwynne 2007 p 271 section on Char Dham Thangaraj 2003 p 54 Das 2005 p 67 a b Das 2005 p 65 Chattopadhyaya 1994 p 172 Rajamanickam 2009 p 175 Kaarthikeyan amp Radhavinod Raju 2004 p 71 a b c d e f g The Times of India amp 23 February 2012 Chattopadhyaya 1994 p 77 News Line amp 22 February 2011 a b The Times of India amp 30 May 2012 a b The Hindu amp 28 May 2012 The Times of India amp 5 March 2012 a b c d e f g The Hindu amp 5 March 2012 Asia News amp 3 June 2010 The Nation amp 22 April 2007 IBN Live amp 30 March 2010 Achievements of APJ Abdul Kalam Unacademy Retrieved 16 February 2023 The Hindu amp 27 July 2015 References edit Complete Sethusamudram project at earliest DMK IBN Live 30 March 2012 Archived from the original on 30 March 2012 Retrieved 7 August 2012 Versions of Ramayana The Hindu 3 November 2011 Retrieved 7 August 2012 The People s President A P J Abdul Kalam 1931 2015 The Hindu 27 July 2015 Retrieved 12 August 2015 Jayalalitha quotes literary evidence for Ramar bridge The Hindu 14 September 2007 Archived from the original on 23 October 2007 Retrieved 26 June 2012 A tough task for candidates contesting from Ramanathapuram constituency The Hindu 4 March 2009 Archived from the original on 7 November 2012 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Pamban Bridge to be pulled down for gauge conversion The Hindu Business Line 21 November 2003 Retrieved 8 June 2012 Their sentiment to metre gauge train is unfathomable The Hindu 17 July 2007 Archived from the original on 27 October 2007 Retrieved 8 June 2012 India s second largest TV tower a white elephant The Indian Express 7 October 2011 Retrieved 8 June 2012 Justice plays truant with Rameswaram fishers The Times of India 23 February 2012 Archived from the original on 3 January 2013 Retrieved 8 June 2012 T Nadu steps up security to check smuggling Sunday Observer 13 May 2012 Archived from the original on 19 May 2012 Retrieved 8 June 2012 India plans measures to stop fishermen crossing IMBL News Line 22 February 2011 Retrieved 25 June 2012 Fishing ban ends fishermen hope for a good catch The Times of India 30 May 2012 Archived from the original on 3 January 2013 Retrieved 8 June 2012 As ban period comes to a close fishermen gear up for good haul The Hindu 28 May 2012 Retrieved 8 June 2012 Katchatheevu feast a huge draw this year The Times of India 5 March 2012 Archived from the original on 3 January 2013 Retrieved 8 June 2012 Pilgrims return to Rameswaram The Hindu 5 March 2012 Retrieved 8 June 2012 Thousands of Tamils go on pilgrimage for the feast day of Saint Anthony AsiaNews it 3 June 2010 Retrieved 8 June 2012 Alternative routes for Sethusamudram The Nation 22 April 2007 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Chennai Region DGLL Retrieved 16 September 2014 Census Info 2011 Final population totals Rameswaram Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India 2013 Retrieved 26 January 2014 Census Info 2011 Final population totals Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India 2013 Retrieved 26 January 2014 Population By Religious Community Tamil Nadu XLS Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India 2011 Retrieved 13 September 2015 Ramanathapuram district history Ramanathapuram district administration 2011 Retrieved 16 September 2012 Reliance Netconnect Coverage Reliance Networks 2012 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Historical Weather for Pamban India Weather Base 2006 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Valmiki Ramayan calls mythological bridge built by Rama as Setubandhanam Valmiki Ramayan 2004 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Adam s bridge Encyclopaedia Britannica 2007 Archived from the original on 12 October 2007 Retrieved 14 September 2007 Schwartzberg Atlas Digital South Asia Library uchicago edu 2009 Retrieved 26 June 2012 MLA of Ramanathapuram Government of Tamil Nadu 2011 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Members of Lok Sabha from Tamil Nadu Government of Tamil Nadu 2014 Retrieved 26 May 2014 Salient Features of Rameswaram Municipality Rameswaram Municipality Government of Tamil Nadu 2007 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Rameswaram Municipality Budget PDF Rameswaram Municipality Government of Tamil Nadu 2010 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Commissionerate of Municipal Administration Commissionerate of Municipal Administration 2006 Retrieved 26 June 2012 List of Assembly Constituencies Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu state government 2010 Retrieved 30 June 2012 Rameswaram City Banks Rameswaram Municipality Government of Tamil Nadu 2011 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Train Running Information Indian Railways 2012 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Ramanathapuram District tourism Tamil Nadu district administration 2011 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Ramanathapuram District tourism Tamil Nadu district administration 2004 Archived from the original on 21 July 2011 Retrieved 26 June 2012 S E T C Tamil Nadu Ltd Computer reservation centres Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Ltd Retrieved 8 June 2012 Rameswaram Schools Rameswaram Municipality Government of Tamil Nadu 2007 Retrieved 26 June 2012 State of Rural wireline broadband Tamil Nadu BSNL Tamil Nadu Circle 2011 Archived from the original on 18 July 2013 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Affiliated Colleges Alagappa University 2012 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Water Supply Details Rameswaram Municipality 2007 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Region Details Tamil Nadu Electricity Board 2011 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Waste management programme begins Rameswaram Municipality India 2007 Retrieved 25 May 2011 Places of interest in Rameswaram Rameswaram Municipality Government of Tamil Nadu 2007 Retrieved 26 June 2012 City Development Plan Rameswaram Final Report PDF Directorate of Municipal Administration DMA 2009 Retrieved 26 June 2012 permanent dead link Aiyangar Krishnaswami S 1991 South India and Her Muhammadan Invaders New Delhi Asian Educational Services ISBN 81 206 0536 5 Ayyar P V Jagadisa 1991 South Indian shrines illustrated New Delhi Asian Educational Services ISBN 81 206 0151 3 Bajpai R S 2002 The Splendours And Dimensions of Yoga 2 Vols Set Delhi Atlantic Publishers and Distributors ISBN 81 7156 964 1 Bandopadhyay Manohar 2010 Tourist destinations in India Delhi Oriental Books ISBN 978 93 8094 400 5 Brockman Norbert C 2011 Encyclopedia of Sacred Places California ABC CLIO LLC ISBN 978 1 59884 655 3 Caldwell Bishop R 1881 History of Tinnevelly A Political and General History from the Earliest Period to Its Cession to the English in A D 1801 Asian Educational Services ISBN 9788120601611 Chakravarti Mahadev 1994 The Concept of Rudra Siva Through The Ages Second Revised ed Delhi Motilal Banarsidass ISBN 81 208 0053 2 Chattopadhyaya Haraprasad 1994 Ethnic Unrest in Modern Sri Lanka An Account of Tamil Sinhalese Race Relations New Delhi M D Publications Pvt Ltd ISBN 81 85880 52 2 Das Sumita 2005 Refugee Management Sri Lankan Refugees in Tamil Nadu 1983 2000 New Delhi Mittal Publications ISBN 9788183240666 Datta A 23 September 1995 Municipal Reform in India Comparative Models and Processes Economic and Political Weekly Sameeksha Trust 30 38 2395 2398 JSTOR 4403247 De Silva Rajpal Kumar Beumer Willemina G M 1988 Illustrations and Views of Dutch Ceylon 1602 1796 London Serendib Publications ISBN 0 9510710 1 7 Dhir Ravindra K 1996 Radical Concrete Technology Proceedings of the International Conference London E amp FN Spon ISBN 0 203 47662 X Dodiya Jaydipsinh 2001 Critical Perspectives on the Ramayaṇa New Delhi Sarup and Sons ISBN 81 7625 244 1 Garg Ganga Ram 1992 Adam s Bridge Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World Vol A Aj New Delhi South Asia Books p 142 ISBN 81 7022 374 1 Guruge Ananda 1991 The Society of the Ramayaṇa New Delhi Abhinav Publications ISBN 81 7017 265 9 Gibson Lynne 2002 Hinduism Oxford Heinemann Educational Publications ISBN 0 435 336193 Gunasingam Murugar 1999 Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism Sydney MV p 238 ISBN 0 646 38106 7 Gopal Madan 1990 K S Gautam ed India through the ages Publication Division Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India Gwynne Paul 2007 World Religions in Practice A Comparative Introduction Oxford Blackwell Publication ISBN 978 1 4051 6702 4 Harman William P 1992 The sacred marriage of a Hindu goddess Motilal Banarsidass pp 30 36 ISBN 978 81 208 0810 2 Kaarthikeyan D R Radhavinod Raju Radhavinod Raju 2004 Rajiv Gandhi Assassination New Delhi Sterling Paperbacks ISBN 9788120732650 Thangaraj M 2003 Tamil Nadu an unfinished task SAGE p 170 ISBN 9780761997801 Mehta Jaswant Lal 1986 Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India Volume 1 New Delhi Sterling Publishers Private Limited ISBN 978 81 207 0617 0 Melton J Gordon Baumann Martin 2010 Religions of the World Second Edition A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of beliefs and practises ABC CLIO ISBN 978 1 59884 203 6 Michell George 1995 Architecture and Art of Southern India Vijayanagara and the successor states Volume 1 Cambridge University Press ISBN 9780521441100 Mukundan Anayath Pisharath 1992 Unto Siva consciousness a brief saga of Lord Siva as the presiding deity of prosperity and national integration Samkaleen Prakashan ISBN 978 81 7083 109 9 Ohja S P 2017 Sri Ram Charit Manas New Delhi Diamond Pocket Books P Ltd ISBN 978 81 7182 071 9 Polo Marco 1854 The Travels of Marco Polo the Venetian The Translation of Marsden Revised Concept Publishing Company Rajamanickam Muniappa 2009 Psychological Perspective of International Terrorism Concept Publishing Company ISBN 978 81 8069 580 3 Room Adrian 2006 Placenames of the World McFarland amp Company p 19 ISBN 0 7864 2248 3 Sharon Moshe Bosworth C E Dozel E Von B Lewis Pellat C H 1987 Studies in Islamic History and Civilization In Honour of Professor David Ayalon BRILL ISBN 9789652640147 Singh Sanjay 2009 Yatra2Yatra Yatra2Yatra ISBN 978 81 908569 0 4 Smith George 1882 The Geography of British India Political amp Physical J Murray p 371 Retrieved 26 June 2012 Tirugnanasambandar 2004 Muthalam Thirumurai PDF Online Project Madurai Thirunavukkarasar 2004 Aaram Thirumurai PDF Online Project Madurai External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rameswaram Rameswaram Municipality nbsp Rameswaram travel guide from Wikivoyage Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rameswaram amp oldid 1193633010, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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