Rameshwaram - Divine, Devoted and Dainty. The only place in India which is both: A Jyotirling (1 of the 12) and a Dham (1 of the 4). It is also the birthplace of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
On one of the February weekend, I decided to visit this mythological heritage, along with two of my friends. And here is what and when you can cover almost everything in and around Rameshwaram in 2 days.
We took a Friday evening bus from Bangalore, which dropped us at Rameshwaram at around 9:45 am on Saturday (It was delayed by 2 hours).
To reach Rameshwaram, you need to cross the Pamban Bridge and what else can be a better way to start your day than these beautiful views from the bus.
After having lunch and relaxing a bit, visit Pamban Bridge in the evening. Witness the gorgeous sunset and if on time (around 5 pm), you can see the train passing through one of the thrilling railway routes in the world. Autos generally charge INR 400-500 for round trip and waiting time from the town.
Next day, get up early in the morning and reach temple by 6 am and head towards the North Entrance of the Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple. Get into the queue for the holy bath from the water of 22 wells inside the temple complex. Being the main attraction of this temple, the wells are also recognized with their distinct properties. All of these wells have water of different taste, temperature, salinity and have curative properties as well. It is said that these wells were made by Lord Rama himself, when he fired arrows in the sand. After completing the bath, go to the main sanctum of the temple for darshan.
One of the main attractions near Rameshwaram is Dhanushkodi. Literally translating to the end of the bow, it is an abandoned town at the south-eastern tip of Pamban Island, closest to Sri Lanka. You can hire an auto from Rameshwaram, which will take you to Dhanushkodi, show couple of main spots and drop you back in the town in approx INR 700-800.
You can take a walk on the road, in between the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, visit the tip of Dhanushkodi, deserted structures, Ghost Town with old broken church and broken railway tracks and station, serene beaches and local fish shops. There is also a well, which has a big stone floating on the water with Shree Ram written on it. It is said that it was these type of stones used to build Ram Sethu from India to Sri Lanka. Dhanushkodi is heaven for photographers.
After watching the glorious sunset, head back towards the town to soak in the vibe of the temple and then have dinner, choosing out of numerous options from North-Indian, South-Indian or Chinese cuisine. We called it off for the day.
After visiting Dhanushkodi, do visit the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial. It has free entry and worth a visit. Cameras and big bags are not allowed inside and also there is no locker facility. So, plan accordingly.
Visit Sangumal Beach, which is right next to Agni Theertham. The temple remains close in the afternoon.
We reached our hotel KNP Nest, which is right next to Bharat Sevasrama Sangham. A decent hotel with nice hospitality. There are many lodges very close to the temples, too. After freshening up, we set out to explore the area near the temple, which is around 1.5 kms from the hotel.
After completing the darshan, you can have fresh and delicious breakfast from the stalls outside the temple.
After visiting the memorial, it was time to bid Rameshwaram a good bye and head back towards Bangalore. And there was this gorgeous sunset which will always remind us of this beautiful weekend trip.
You can read more on legend of the Rameswaram Temple and other snaps below: