Ramanathaswamy Temple is an important pilgrimage center in the Rameswaram Island. It is believed that a visit to this temple will washes away sins of human beings and brings salvation to their life. Being situated in Rameswaram, the shrine is popularly known as Rameshwaram temple .
The construction of this temple is assumed to have begun in the 12th century and took a bit more time for its completion because of the change over of rulers in the region. The idol of Lord Siva consecrated in the Ramanathaswamy Temple is said to be one of the twelve Jyothirlingas of Lord Siva. This is the place where Lord Rama offered his prayers to Lord Siva after his victorious arrival from Sri Lanka. Because of the religious and historical significance, this is one of the most visited temples in India. Inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple Ramalingam and Viswalingam are consecrated side by side. It is said that Lord Rama wanted the Viswalingam to be worshiped first. Maha Sivarathri is celebrated here with great passion.
History of the temple is very much associated with the great epic Ramayana. The temple and the island of Rameswaram acquired the name because of Lord Rama who worshiped Lord Shiva, the God of Gods at this location on return from Sri Lanka. According to legend, after killing Ravana Lord Rama returned with his consort Goddess Seetha to India by first stepping on the shores of Rameswaram. To eradicate the sins of killing a Brahmins during the war, Lord Rama wanted to worship Lord Shiva. Since there was no shrine in the island he asked Sri Hanuman to bring a sacred idol of Lord Siva from mount Kailash. But, Lord Hanuman could not return in time and it was getting late. Understanding the situation, Seetha herself made a ‘linga’ of sand and Lord Rama installed the same in the sanctified moment. When Hanuman came back with the sacred ‘linga’, the formal procedures of consecration were over. Lord Rama consoled the disappointed Hanuman and installed the sacred lingam (Viswalingam) next to Ramalingam. To enhance the sanctity of lingam Rama wanted the rituals to be performed on the Viswalingam first and then on the Ramalingam.
The main attraction of the Ramanathaswamy Temple being the twenty two sacred wells located inside the temple premise. The water in these wells are with different taste, temperature, salinity and have curative properties. These wells are said to have created by Lord Rama himself by firing arrows to the earth.
Rameswaram temple is stretched over a vast area of 15 acres and stands as a typical specimen of Dravidian style architecture. The towering spires of the temple truly dominate the skyline of Rameshwaram. The shrine is well known for the largest temple corridor in India. The wonderful corridor is featured with 4000 pillars and extends to a length of 4000 feet. The carved rocky pillars erected on raised basement are with marvelous images representing the epic. A very interesting fact about this corridor is that the rocks used for making pillars were belong to the island and would have imported from somewhere across the sea.
The main spire at the eastern side of the temple stands with a height of 126 feet. Even though western spire is not as high as the eastern one, it is also an equally captivating steep construction. The temple comprises of numerous passages having small shrines, dedicated to other deities. The colossal image of Nandhi (Lord Shiva’s Bull) grabs the attention of visitors, due to its gigantic appearance. It measures 12 feet in length and 9 feet in height. High artistry can be seen encircling the temple. On every side over the doorways there are spectacular pyramidal spires.

Video on the Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram