Rameswaram, located in Sourth in Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is one of the significant Dham in all four Char Dham. Rameswara means "Lord of Rama" in Sanskrit, a moniker of Shiva, the presiding god of the Ramanathaswamy Temple. This temple dedicated to Lord Shiva occupies a major area of Rameswaram. It is believed to have been consecrated by Shri Rama Chandra. As per Hindu epic Ramayana, Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, prayed to Shiva here to forgive any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon-king Ravana in Sri Lanka.
Rama wanted a huge shiva lingam to worship Lord Shiva at this place. Hanuman was dispatched to Varanasi to bring the image of the lingam from the Kashi temple there. However he was delayed and the auspicious moment was about to pass. Therefore Sita built a lingam of sand and the prayers were conducted. This lingam is referred to as Ramalingam. When Hanuman returned with the lingam from Varanasi he was peeved to find that the prayers were completed. To placate him Sita also installed the Kashilingam and decreed that this lingam should be worshipped before the Ramalinga. Ramanathaswamy (Lord Shiva) is the primary deity of the Rameshwaram Temple. The inner sanctum has 2 lingams – the one brought by Hanuman from Himalayas (Kashilingam/Vishwalingam) and the one built by Sita (Ramalingam).
As per to Hindu mythology, this is the place from where the Hindu god Rama built a bridge, across the sea to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from her abductor Ravana. The temple along with the town is considered a divine pilgrimage site for both Shaivites and Vaishnavites. The Rameshwaram Temple is not only a part of Char Dham Yatra but it is also one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples.
