Template:Short description Template:About Template:Good article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Indian English Template:Main other{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox settlement with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y | alt | anthem | anthem_link | area_blank1_acre | area_blank1_dunam | area_blank1_ha | area_blank1_km2 | area_blank1_sq_mi | area_blank1_title | area_blank2_acre | area_blank2_dunam | area_blank2_ha | area_blank2_km2 | area_blank2_sq_mi | area_blank2_title | area_code | area_code_type | area_codes | area_footnotes | area_land_acre | area_land_dunam | area_land_ha | area_land_km2 | area_land_sq_mi | area_metro_acre | area_metro_dunam | area_metro_footnotes | area_metro_ha | area_metro_km2 | area_metro_sq_mi | area_note | area_rank | area_rural_acre | area_rural_dunam | area_rural_footnotes | area_rural_ha | area_rural_km2 | area_rural_sq_mi | area_total_acre | area_total_dunam | area_total_ha | area_total_km2 | area_total_sq_mi | area_urban_acre | area_urban_dunam | area_urban_footnotes | area_urban_ha | area_urban_km2 | area_urban_sq_mi | area_water_acre | area_water_dunam | area_water_ha | area_water_km2 | area_water_percent | area_water_sq_mi | blank_emblem_alt | blank_emblem_link | blank_emblem_size | blank_emblem_type | blank_info | blank_info_sec1 | blank_info_sec2 | blank_name | blank_name_sec1 | blank_name_sec2 | blank1_info | blank1_info_sec1 | blank1_info_sec2 | blank1_name | blank1_name_sec1 | blank1_name_sec2 | blank2_info | blank2_info_sec1 | blank2_info_sec2 | blank2_name | blank2_name_sec1 | blank2_name_sec2 | blank3_info | blank3_info_sec1 | blank3_info_sec2 | blank3_name | blank3_name_sec1 | blank3_name_sec2 | blank4_info | blank4_info_sec1 | blank4_info_sec2 | blank4_name | blank4_name_sec1 | blank4_name_sec2 | blank5_info | blank5_info_sec1 | blank5_info_sec2 | blank5_name | blank5_name_sec1 | blank5_name_sec2 | blank6_info | blank6_info_sec1 | blank6_info_sec2 | blank6_name | blank6_name_sec1 | blank6_name_sec2 | blank7_info | blank7_info_sec1 | blank7_info_sec2 | blank7_name | blank7_name_sec1 | blank7_name_sec2 | caption | code1_info | code1_name | code2_info | code2_name | coor_pinpoint | coor_type | coordinates | coordinates_footnotes | demographics_type1 | demographics_type2 | demographics1_footnotes | demographics1_info1 | demographics1_info10 | demographics1_info2 | demographics1_info3 | demographics1_info4 | demographics1_info5 | demographics1_info6 | demographics1_info7 | demographics1_info8 | demographics1_info9 | demographics1_title1 | demographics1_title10 | demographics1_title2 | demographics1_title3 | demographics1_title4 | demographics1_title5 | demographics1_title6 | demographics1_title7 | demographics1_title8 | demographics1_title9 | demographics2_footnotes | demographics2_info1 | demographics2_info10 | demographics2_info2 | demographics2_info3 | demographics2_info4 | demographics2_info5 | demographics2_info6 | demographics2_info7 | demographics2_info8 | demographics2_info9 | demographics2_title1 | demographics2_title10 | demographics2_title2 | demographics2_title3 | demographics2_title4 | demographics2_title5 | demographics2_title6 | demographics2_title7 | demographics2_title8 | demographics2_title9 | dimensions_footnotes | dunam_link | elevation_footnotes | elevation_ft | elevation_link | elevation_m | elevation_max_footnotes | elevation_max_ft | elevation_max_m | elevation_max_point | elevation_max_rank | elevation_min_footnotes | elevation_min_ft | elevation_min_m | elevation_min_point | elevation_min_rank | elevation_point | embed | established_date | established_date1 | established_date2 | established_date3 | established_date4 | established_date5 | established_date6 | established_date7 | established_title | established_title1 | established_title2 | established_title3 | established_title4 | established_title5 | established_title6 | established_title7 | etymology | extinct_date | extinct_title | flag_alt | flag_border | flag_link | flag_size | footnotes | founder | geocode | governing_body | government_footnotes | government_type | government_blank1_title | government_blank1 | government_blank2_title | government_blank2 | government_blank2_title | government_blank3 | government_blank3_title | government_blank3 | government_blank4_title | government_blank4 | government_blank5_title | government_blank5 | government_blank6_title | government_blank6 | grid_name | grid_position | image_alt | image_blank_emblem | image_caption | image_flag | image_map | image_map1 | image_seal | image_shield | image_size | image_skyline | imagesize | iso_code | leader_name | leader_name1 | leader_name2 | leader_name3 | leader_name4 | leader_party | leader_title | leader_title1 | leader_title2 | leader_title3 | leader_title4 | length_km | length_mi | map_alt | map_alt1 | map_caption | map_caption1 | mapsize | mapsize1 | module | motto | motto_link | mottoes | name | named_for | native_name | native_name_lang | nickname | nickname_link | nicknames | official_name | other_name | p1 | p10 | p11 | p12 | p13 | p14 | p15 | p16 | p17 | p18 | p19 | p2 | p20 | p21 | p22 | p23 | p24 | p25 | p26 | p27 | p28 | p29 | p3 | p30 | p31 | p32 | p33 | p34 | p35 | p36 | p37 | p38 | p39 | p4 | p40 | p41 | p42 | p43 | p44 | p45 | p46 | p47 | p48 | p49 | p5 | p50 | p6 | p7 | p8 | p9 | parts | parts_style | parts_type | pop_est_as_of | pop_est_footnotes | population | population_as_of | population_blank1 | population_blank1_footnotes | population_blank1_title | population_blank2 | population_blank2_footnotes | population_blank2_title | population_demonym | population_demonyms | population_density_blank1_km2 | population_density_blank1_sq_mi | population_density_blank2_km2 | population_density_blank2_sq_mi | population_density_km2 | population_density_metro_km2 | population_density_metro_sq_mi | population_density_rank | population_density_rural_km2 | population_density_rural_sq_mi | population_density_sq_mi | population_density_urban_km2 | population_density_urban_sq_mi | population_est | population_footnotes | population_metro | population_metro_footnotes | population_note | population_rank | population_rural | population_rural_footnotes | population_total | population_urban | population_urban_footnotes | postal_code | postal_code_type | postal2_code | postal2_code_type | pushpin_image | pushpin_label | pushpin_label_position | pushpin_map | pushpin_map_alt | pushpin_map_caption | pushpin_map_caption_notsmall | pushpin_map_narrow | pushpin_mapsize | pushpin_outside | pushpin_overlay | pushpin_relief | registration_plate | registration_plate_type | seal_alt | seal_link | seal_size | seal_type | seat | seat_type | seat1 | seat1_type | seat2 | seat2_type | settlement_type | shield_alt | shield_link | shield_size | short_description | subdivision_name | subdivision_name1 | subdivision_name2 | subdivision_name3 | subdivision_name4 | subdivision_name5 | subdivision_name6 | subdivision_type | subdivision_type1 | subdivision_type2 | subdivision_type3 | subdivision_type4 | subdivision_type5 | subdivision_type6 | timezone | timezone_DST | timezone_link | timezone1 | timezone1_DST | timezone1_location | timezone2 | timezone2_DST | timezone2_location | timezone3 | timezone3_DST | timezone3_location | timezone4 | timezone4_DST | timezone4_location | timezone5 | timezone5_DST | timezone5_location | total_type | translit_lang1 | translit_lang1_info | translit_lang1_info1 | translit_lang1_info2 | translit_lang1_info3 | translit_lang1_info4 | translit_lang1_info5 | translit_lang1_info6 | translit_lang1_type | translit_lang1_type1 | translit_lang1_type2 | translit_lang1_type3 | translit_lang1_type4 | translit_lang1_type5 | translit_lang1_type6 | translit_lang2 | translit_lang2_info | translit_lang2_info1 | translit_lang2_info2 | translit_lang2_info3 | translit_lang2_info4 | translit_lang2_info5 | translit_lang2_info6 | translit_lang2_type | translit_lang2_type1 | translit_lang2_type2 | translit_lang2_type3 | translit_lang2_type4 | translit_lang2_type5 | translit_lang2_type6 | type | unit_pref | utc_offset | utc_offset_DST | utc_offset1 | utc_offset1_DST | utc_offset2 | utc_offset2_DST | utc_offset3 | utc_offset3_DST | utc_offset4 | utc_offset4_DST | utc_offset5 | utc_offset5_DST | website | width_km | width_mi | mapframe | mapframe-area_km2 | mapframe-area_mi2 | mapframe-caption | mapframe-coord | mapframe-coordinates | mapframe-custom | mapframe-frame-coord | mapframe-frame-coordinates | mapframe-frame-height | mapframe-frame-width | mapframe-geomask | mapframe-geomask-fill | mapframe-geomask-fill-opacity | mapframe-geomask-stroke-color | mapframe-geomask-stroke-colour | mapframe-geomask-stroke-width | mapframe-height | mapframe-id | mapframe-length_km | mapframe-length_mi | mapframe-marker | mapframe-marker-color | mapframe-marker-colour | mapframe-point | mapframe-shape | mapframe-shape-fill | mapframe-shape-fill-opacity | mapframe-stroke-color | mapframe-stroke-colour | mapframe-stroke-width | mapframe-switcher | mapframe-width | mapframe-wikidata | mapframe-zoom }}{{#invoke:Check for clobbered parameters|check | template = Infobox settlement | cat = Template:Main other | population; population_total | image_size; imagesize | image_alt; alt | image_caption; caption }}{{#if:

|

}}Template:Main other

Rameswaram ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; 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 Template:Convert from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. It is in the Gulf of Mannar, at the tip of the Indian peninsula.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India by the New 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 for Hindus and is part of the Char Dham pilgrimage.Template:Citation needed

According to the Ramayana, Rama is described to have built a bridge from the vicinity of 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.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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

Rameswaram is administered by a municipality established in 1994. The town covers an area of Template:Convert and had a population of 44,856 as of 2011. Tourism and fishery employ the majority of workforce in Rameswaram.Template:Citation needed

LegendEdit

Template:Location map+

Rameswaram means "Lord of Rama" (Rāma-īśvaram) in Sanskrit, an epithet of Shiva, the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple.Template:Sfn 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.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn To worship Shiva, Rama wanted to have a lingam and directed his trusted lieutenant Hanuman to bring it from Himalayas.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn Sethu Karai is a place Template:Convert 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.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn According to another version, as quoted in Adhyatma Ramayana, Rama installed the lingam before the construction of the bridge to Lanka.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

HistoryEdit

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,Template:Sfn Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar.Template:Sfn The Chola king Rajendra Chola I (1012–1040 CE) had a control of the town for a short period.Template:Sfn The Jaffna kingdom (1215–1624 CE) had close connections with the island and claimed the title Setukavalan meaning custodians of the Rameswaram.Template:Sfn Hinduism was their state religion and they made generous contribution to the temple.Template:Sfn Setu was used in their coins as well as in inscriptions as marker of the dynasty.Template:Sfn

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.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn He erected a mosque by name Alia al-Din Khaldji in honour of victory of Islam.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The records left by the court historians of the Delhi Sultanate state that Malik Kafur raided Madurai, Chidambaram, Srirangam, Vriddhachalam, Rameswaram and other sacred temple towns, destroyed the temples which were sources of gold and jewels. He brought back enormous loot from Dwarasamudra and the Pandya kingdom to Delhi in 1311.<ref name="Ernst2004p109">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Eraly2015chid">Template:Cite book</ref>

During the early 15th century, the present-day Ramanathapuram, Kamuthi and Rameswaram were included in the Pandya dynasty.Template:Sfn In 1520 CE, the town came under the rule of Vijayanagara Empire.Template:Sfn The Sethupathis, the breakaway from Madurai Nayaks, ruled Ramanathapuram and contributed to the Ramanathaswamy temple.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The most notable of them are the contributions of Muthu Kumara Ragunatha and Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathi, who transformed the temple to an architectural ensemble.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

GeographyEdit

File:Final Dhanush 002.jpg
An aerial view of Dhanushkodi, at the tip of Rameswaram

Rameswaram has an average elevation of Template:Convert. The island is spread across an area of Template:Convert 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.Template:Sfn 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 Template:Convert and the view looks like a very big river.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Citation needed

Rameswaram has dry tropical climate with low humidity,Template:Sfn with average monthly rainfall of Template:Convert,Template:Sfn mostly from North-East monsoon from October to January. The highest ever temperature recorded at Pamban station was Template:Convert and the lowest was Template:Convert.Template:Sfn

File:Adams bridge map.png
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.Template:Sfn The bridge is Template:Convert 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.Template:Sfn The bridge was first mentioned in the ancient Indian Sanskrit epic Ramayana of Valmiki.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn The Ramayana attributes the building of this bridge to Rama in verse 2–22–76, naming it as Setubandhanam.Template:Sfn 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).Template:Sfn Many other maps in Schwartzberg's historical atlasTemplate:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

DemographicsEdit

Template:Bar box Template:Historical populations

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.Template:Sfn 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%.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

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.Template:Sfn

Municipal Administration and politicsEdit

Municipality Officials
Commissioner citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Chairman citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Vice Chairman citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Appointment Committee Leader citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Elected Members
Member of Legislative Assembly Katharbatcha MuthuramalingamTemplate:Sfn
Member of Parliament Kani K. NavasTemplate:Sfn

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.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn The major sources of budgeted income for Rameswaram municipality comes from the Devolution Fund of Template:INRConvert and property tax of Template:INRConvert.Template:Sfn The major expense heads are for salaries of Template:INRConvert, operating expenses of Template:INRConvert, and repair & maintenance expenditure of Template:INRConvert.Template:Sfn The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning and the Computer Wing.Template:Sfn All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the supreme executive head.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

Rameswaram comes under the Ramanathapuram assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years.Template:Sfn Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam from the DMK is serving as the MLA since 2021.Template:Sfn

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).Template:Sfn 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 (AIADMK) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is A. Anwhar Raajhaa from the AIADMK party.Template:Sfn

EconomyEdit

Being a pilgrimage town, the majority of the population is involved in tourism related industry consisting of trade and services.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn Rameswaram is an industrially backward town – there has been no demarcation for industrial land due to the pilgrim sanctity and ecological fragile geography.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn Banks such as State Bank of India, Indian Bank, Union Bank of India and RDCC Bank have their branches in Rameswaram.Template:Sfn

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Transport and communicationEdit

Pamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait that connects Rameswaram to mainland India. The railway bridge is Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Historically, the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers.Template:Sfn 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 Template:Convert up and another branch line of Template:Convert 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.Template:Sfn

File:Pamban lighthouse, Rameswaram.jpg
Pamban lighthouse, Rameswaram

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

The Rameswaram municipality covers a total road length of Template:Convert and Template:Convert of national highway covering about 80 percent of the town.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

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.Template:Sfn Limited foreign trade is conducted with Jaffna, Kaits, Talaimannar and Colombo.Template:Sfn

The Rameswaram TV Tower is the tallest tower in India.Template:Sfn The tower is a Template:Convert tall circular concrete tower with a square steel mast of Template:Convert height, diameter of Template:Convert at the bottom tapering to Template:Convert at top.Template:Sfn The tower has been designed for a wind velocity of Template:Convert.Template:Sfn There are two lighthouses in Rameswaram – the Pamban lighthouse and the Rameswaram lighthouse.Template:Sfn

Education and utility servicesEdit

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.Template:SfnTemplate:Verify source There are seven other schools: 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.Template:SfnTemplate:Verify source Alagappa University Evening College is the only college present in the townTemplate:Sfn and all the nearest colleges are located in Ramanathapuram and Paramakudi.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Electricity supply to the town is regulated and distributed by the Ramanathapuram circle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn About 6 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from the town every day in the four zones covering the whole of the town.Template:Sfn Rameswaram does not have a sewerage system for disposal of sullage and the disposal system consists of septic tanks and public conveniences.Template:Sfn Roadside drains carry untreated sewage out of the town to let out raw into the sea or accumulates in low-lying area.Template:Sfn

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 serviceTemplate:Sfn along with other major internet service provider including Reliance.Template:Sfn

TourismEdit

Template:Location map+

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 TempleEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

File:Rameswaram Temple Inside.jpg
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".Template:Sfn 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 Template:Convert with a height of Template:Convert.Template:Sfn Each pillar is sculpted in Nayak style as in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple.Template:Sfn The contribution of the kings of the Sethupathy dynasty (17th century) to the temple was considerable.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn 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.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The eastern tower and shrine of Nataraja were built by Dalavai Sethupathy in 1649 CE.Template:Sfn The second enclosure is ascribed to Chinna Udayar Sethupathy and his son Ragunatha Thirumalai (1500–1540 CE).Template:Sfn The third enclosure was constructed by Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathy (1725–1771 CE) – his statue is located in the entrance of the corridor.Template:Sfn

Temple tanksEdit

File:Rames4.jpg
Kothandaramar Temple, Rameswaram

There are sixty-four Tīrthas or Tirthams (holy water bodies) in and around Rameswaram.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn Villoondi Tirtham literally translates to 'buried bow', is located around Template:Convert from the main temple on the way to Pamban.Template:Sfn It is believed to be the place where Rama quenched the thirst of Sita by dipping the bow into the sea water.Template:Sfn Other major holy bodies are Hanuman Tirtham, Sugriva Tirtham, and Lakshmana Tirtham.Template:Sfn

Gandhamathana ParvathamEdit

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

DhanushkodiEdit

Dhanushkodi is the southernmost tip of the island and houses the Kothandaramaswamy Temple dedicated to Rama.Template:Sfn Though Dhanushkodi was washed away during the 1964 cyclone, the temple alone remained intact. It is Template:Convert 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.Template:Sfn

Hindu pilgrimageEdit

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.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of Hinduism established by Sankaracharya, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime.Template:Sfn Traditionally, the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circuambulation in Hindu temples.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

Interaction with Sri LankaEdit

Rameswaram is frequently in the 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.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

Sri Lankan Tamil refugeesEdit

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.Template:Sfn There are a total of 65,940 registered destitute Sri Lankan refugees dwelling in 129 refugee camps situated in different parts of Tamil Nadu, Template:As of, and a majority of them enter via Rameswaram.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn Template:As of, an estimated 200,000 refugees have been reported in Mandapam Camp.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

Rameswaram fisheryEdit

File:Fishing Boats at Rameshwaram.jpeg
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.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn An estimated 381 fishermen have been killed in the sea due to shoot outs from 1983 to 2009.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn The Tamil Nadu state government has increased the compensation of casualty from the original Template:INR 100,000 to 500,000 (US$1,800 to $9,000).Template:Sfn There has not been a single prosecution in any of the 381 killings committed so far from the Indian judiciary.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn Though the Indian judiciary has provisions to prosecute foreigners, there is little progress due to the diplomatic overheads involved.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

There is a yearly 45-day ban on fishery with motorboats in the region.Template:Sfn The fishing ban for the year 2012 was effective during the months of April–May.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

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.Template:Sfn

KachchatheevuEdit

File:AdamsBridge02-NASA.jpg
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 Template:Convert north of Rameswaram, belonging to Sri Lanka.Template:Sfn The accord of 1974 allows fishermen of both the countries for resting and soaking the nets in the island.Template:Sfn Repeated allegations on attacks by the Lankan navy, which on many occasions killed Indian fishermen, prevented them from making it to the island.Template:Sfn The annual two-day Saint Anthony fest at the island draws huge number of people from the fishermen community of both the countries.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn The number of pilgrims for the 2012 function crossed 4,000, the largest attendance in the past two decades.Template:Sfn The feast also provides an opportunity for the Indian fishermen to meet their Sri Lankan counterparts and exchange views on their mutual problems.Template:Sfn 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.Template:Sfn

Sethusamudram Canal ProjectEdit

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 earlierTemplate:Sfn without damaging the structure considered sacred by Hindus. With Template:Convert 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.Template:Sfn

Notable peopleEdit

See alsoEdit

FootnotesEdit

Template:Reflist

ReferencesEdit

Template:Refbegin

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

|CitationClass=web }}

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}

  • {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link

Template:Refend

External linksEdit

Template:Sister project

Template:Navboxes Template:Authority control