There are lots of temples here in our country India, especially Hindu temples, and Sri Ramanathasamy Temple is one among them located on the island of Rameswaram in the state of Tamil Nadu. Let me start off with a lore. According to the great Indian epic Ramayana , Rama is believed to have worshiped Lord Shiva here as he sinned by killing a brahmana during the fight against Ravana. Rama then wanted to have the largest lingam to worship Shiva and directed Lord Hanuma to get the lingam from Himalayas. But it is said that, as it took long time to bring the lingam, Sita built a small lingam out of the sand from the shore, which is believed to be the lingam in the sanctum.

The deity here is Lord Shiva in the name Ramanathaswamy. There are two lingams, as i have said earlier one built by Sita and the other lingam brought by Lord Hanuma.

Architecture of the Temple:

The temple is surrounded by high compounded walls on all four sides measuring about 865 feet from west to east and 657 feet from north to south. The corridors are long in its interior and are built by ceilings, beams and sandstone pillars. The outer set of corridors is reputed to be the longest in the world being about 6.9 m height, 400 feet in each in the east and west and about 640 feet in north and south and inner corridors are about 224 feet in east and west and about 352 feet each in north and south.

The temple in its current shape is believed to have been built during the 17th century, while Fergusson believes the small vimaanam in the west corridor belonging to the 11th or 12th centuries.

There are 22 theerthams in this temple, which represents the 22 arrows in Rama’s quiver, and one among them is the Agni Theertham.

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(Anand Muthukrishnan)