OVERVIEW :

Adi Shankaracharya propagated the idea of Hinduism through Advaita Vedanta and the town of Rameshwaram stands as a testimony of his faith. One of the four pilgrimage places, Char Dham of India, it modestly invites followers of Lord Shiva from everywhere to pay visit at least once in their lifetime to the Jyotirlinga installed in the Ramanathaswamy Temple. Vaishnavites are also not left in their devotion to come to this place which is believed to be associated with Lord Rama, incarnation of Lord Vishnu as well. Located in Ramanathapuram district, the town is a part of Pamban Island also known as Rameshwaram Island being associated with the legendry temple built in marvelous Dravidian style of architecture. Situated at the very tip of the Indian peninsula, the island is connected with Indian mainland by Pamban Bridge on Pamban Channel in Gulf of Mannar. A visit to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is not considered complete in terms of pilgrimage if not coupled with a trip to Rameshwaram which is said to be the Varanasi of South. Welcome to the charm that devotees come to associated with an abode of God irrespective of the place it belong to. The town has been changed many hands; main amongst them were Cholas, Jaffna Kingdom, Allaudin Khilji (Malik Kafur), Pandya Dynasty, Vijayanagara Empire, followed by some other rulers who ruled the town for a very short while before British East India Company directly took over it and made it a part of Madras Presidency. The Rameshwaram Temple which is the main reason the town is known to every other person following Hinduism, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu is said to be built by Sethupathis of Sethukavalan - custodian of the legendary bridge built by Lord Rama when he crossed the sea to reach Lanka (now Sri Lanka) the place in the control of Demon King Ravana, also a Brahman.