Located in the state of Tamil Nadu on the southeastern end of Indian peninsula, Rameshwaram is a prime pilgrimage destination for the Hindus . It was the place where Rama, the hero of the epic Ramayana, worshipped Lord Shiva on his way back from Lanka(Sri Lanka) to Ayodhya. The island is home for one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India enshrined in the temple of Ramanathaswami. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is held in high esteem by the Hindu community. A pilgrimage tour to south India without a visit to this temple is considered to be incomplete.

History & Legends
Standing on the eastern shore of the island, the temple is associated with various legends from the epic Ramayana. It is said that the Shiva-linga in the Ramananthaswami temple was installed by Sri Ram on his return from Sri Lanka, after killing Ravana. Rama wanted to worship Lord Shiva to absolve himself of the sin of killing Ravana, who was a Brahmin. Rama sent Hanumana to Mount Kailash to get the linga. Since Hanumana was late when the auspicious time for the installation neared, Sita made a Shiva-linga out of sand and this was then placed by Rama. This linga came to be known as Ramnatha-linga. Later the linga brought by Hanumana was installed alongside the Ramnatha-linga and this is known as the Viswa-linga. Several parts of the temple were built in the 12th century and many structures have been added over the years.

Architecture
Covering an area of 15 acres, the temple has a 53 m(160ft) high gopuram(gateway) in the eastern side. At the main eastern entrance there is a large statue of Hanumana. The 1,220m long corridor, which goes around the temple has about 4,000 large carved pillars. The corridor is 19 metre high and 17 to 21 feet wide. There are 1,212 pillars in the north and south corridors. Proceeding from the eastern gateway, there is a 5m long and 3m high stone bull carrier of Lord Shiva named Nandi. To the northern and southern side there are two unfinished gopurams.
The Ramnatha-linga made by Sita is in the principal sanctum and the Viswa-linga, brought by Hanumana is on the right of Ramnatha-linga to the north. There is also a shrine behind the Sri Ramanatha shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu called the Setu Madhava.

Shrines Outside the Temple Complex
There are many shrines outside the temple complex and all have pilgrimage importance.

» Teerthams or Bathing Tanks - There are 22 bathing tanks in which pilgrims take traditional dips before seeing the deities.
These bathing tanks are dedicated to different gods and goddess. Some major ones are the Mahalakshmi teertham, the Savitri, the Gayatri, the Agni, the Kavatcha and Sankha.

Gandhamadhana Parvatham - Located at a distance of 2.5 km west of the temple this small hillock is also a major pilgrimage shrine. It is said that Hanumana had brought this small hillock from the Himalayas. This contains a small temple named Ramjhorakha and also preserves the footprints of Lord Rama.

Kothandaramasvami Temple - It is located about 8km from Rameshwaram and the temple enshrines the images of Lord Rama, Laxman, Sita and Vibhishana. It is believed that Vibhishana, Ravana's brother, had surrendered to Lord Rama at this place.

Festivals & Celebrations
The important festivals are mainly celebrated in the months of March and April. Lord Rama and Shiva are worshipped during the festival of Maha Shiva Ratri celebrated during the monthS of February/March and during the ten-day festival of Brahmotsavam held in the months of March and April. Another important festival Tirukalyanam, held in the month of July/August, celebrates the marriage of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati.