HISTORY OF RAMESWARAM

 * RAMESWARAM IS ONE OF THE DWADASA JYOTHIRLINGAMS.

* AFTER MAKING FRIENDS WITH SRI SUGRIVA THROUGH THE MEDIATION OF SRI ANJENAYA SRI     RAMA     SENDS SRI HANUMAN IN SEARCH OF SRI SITA DEVI.   ACCORDINGLY SRI HANUMAN PROCEEDS TO SRI     LANKA, FINDS SRI SITA AND DELIVERS THE MESSAGE OF SRI RAMA AND BRINGS BACK HER HEAD    ORNAMENTS (CHUDAMANI) TO HIS MASTER SRI RAMA.

* HAVING LEARNT ABOUT THE WHERE ABOUTS OF SRI SITA, SRI RAMA DECIDES TO PROCEED TO SRI LANKA.     HE SITS AT DARBHASAYANAM IN MEDITATION PRAYING TO THE GOD OF OCEAN TO MAKE WAY ANNOYED    WITH THE DELAY.  HE TAKES THE BOW AND GETS READY TO DART THE ARROW AGAINST SAMUDRARAJA.     THE KING OF OCEAN SURRENDERS AND SHOWS THE WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGE.

* WHILE SRI RAMA IS BUSY SUPERVISING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE HE NOTICED A SQUIRREL        WETTING ITS BODY.  THEN ROLLING IN SAND AND TAKING THE STICKING SAND TO BE ADDED TO THE     BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

* WHILE SRI ANJENAYA AND HIS ASSOCIATES (VANARAS) ARE ENGAGED IN THE CONSTRUCTIONS OF THE     BRIDGE THE SQUIRREL CONTRIBUTES ITS SHARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION.  THOUGH A LITTLE, SRI RAMA     BLESSES THE SQUIRREL BY TOUCHING ON ITS BACK.  THERE BY FORMING THREE STREAKS.

* AFTER THE BRIDGE WAS CONSTRUCTED, SRI RAMA, SRI LAKSHMANA AND SRI ANJENEYA REACHED SRI          LANKA.  SEATED IN THE CHARIOT OF INDRA AND ARMOURED BY THE ADITHYA HRIDAYA MANTRA OF     AGHASTHYA, SRI RAMA KILLS AND SUCCEEDS RAVANA WITH HIS BRAHMASTRA.

* AT RAMESWARAM SRI RAMA WAS PRAISED BY RISHI AGASTHYA AND OTHER SAINTS WHO HAD COME         FROM DHANDAKARUNYAM.  HE ASKED SRI AGASTHIAR TO SUGGESTS HIM A WAY TO GET RID OF     BRAHMAHATYA DOSHAM WHICH HE HAS INCURRED BY KILLING RAVANA.  SRI AGASHTHIYA SUGGESTS     THAT HE COULD ESCAPE THE EVIL EFFECTS OF THE DOSHAM IF HE INSTALLS AND WORSHIPS A     SIVALINGAM ON THAT SPOT.

* HAVING VANQUISHED RAVANA, SRI RAMA CROWNS SRI VIBHISHANA AS THE KING OF SRI LANKA.  LATER     SRI RAMA REACHED GANTHAMATHANAM (RAMESWARAM) WITH SRI SITA, SRI LAKSHMANA AND SRI    ANJENAYA IN A SWANSHAPED VIMANAM.

* ACCORDING TO THE SUGGESTION MADE BY SRI AGASTHIYA, SRI RAMA DECIDED TO PERFORM SIVA    POOJA.  HE ORDERS SRI ANJENAYA TO GO TO KAILASAM AND BRING SIVA LINGAM.

* SRI RAMA AND SRI LAKSHMANA WATCHED SRI SITA PLAYFULLY MAKING A SIVALINGAM OUT OF SAND.

* ANJENAYA WHO HAD GONE TO KAILASAM TO BRING SIVALINGAM HAS NOT YET RETURNED EVEN AFTER     A LONG TIME.  AS IT WAS THE AUSPICIOUS TIME FOR POOJA SRI AGASTHIYA TELLS SRI RAMA TO         PERFORM POOJA TO THE SIVALINGAM MADE OUT OF SAND BY SRI SITA.

* SITTING BY THE SIDE OF SIVALINGAM WHICH WAS MADE BY SRI SITA OUT OF SAND, SRI RAMA PERFORMS     POOJA ACCORDING TO AGAMA TRADITION IN ORDER TO GET RID OF BRAHMAHATHYA DOSHAM.  LORD     SIVA WITH HIS CONSORT UMADEVI APPEARED IN THE SKY AND PROCLAIMED THAT THOSE WHO TAKE     BATH IN DANUSKODI AND PRAY THE SIVALINGAM WOULD BE PURIFIED FROM ALL SINS AND THEY WILL     GET PREGNENCY (SHANTHANA PAKKIYAM) SINCE SRI RAMA HAS PERFORMED POOJA.  THE SIVALINGAM     IS CALLED “RAMALINGAM” THE DEITY THERE IS SRI RAMANATHA SWAMY AND THIS PLACE IS CALLED   “ RAMESWARAM”.

* UNABLE TO MEET LORD SIVA AT KAILASAM, SRI ANJENAYA DOES PENANCE THERE AND THEN OBTAINS        TWO SIVALINGAMS FROM LORD SIVA.  AFTER EXPLAINING THE PURPOSE OF HIS MISSION.

* SRI ANJENAYA FLIES TO RAMESWARAM WHICH WAS POPULARLY KNOWN AS KANTHAMATHANAM     CARRYING THE TWO SIVALINGAMS OBTAINED FROM LORD SIVA.

* AFTER REACHING RAMESWARAM SRI ANJENAYA FINDS OUT THAT SRI RAMA HAD ALREADY PERFORMED     HIS POOJA TO THAT SAND SIVALINGAM, AND HE FEELS VERY MUCH ABOUT HIS DELAY.  HE WAS     DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE HIS SIVALINGAM WAS NOT WORSHIPPED BY SRI RAMA.  SRI RAMA TRIES HIS     BEST TO CONSOLE HIM AND ASKS SRI ANJENAYA TO TRY HIS BEST TO REMOVE THE SIVALINGAM WHICH     WAS MADE OF SAND AND INSTALL THE SIVALINGAM BROUGHT BY HIM, IF HE CAN.

*  UNABLE TO REMOVE THE SAND LINGAM BY HIS HANDS SRI ANJENAYA TRIES TO PULL IT OUT WITH HIS      MIGHTY TAIL.  FAILING IN ALL HIS ATTEMPTS, HE FEELS THE DIVINITY OF SIVALINGAM MADE OF SAND      BY SRI SITA.

*  SINCE IT IS A SACRED ISLAND , OCCUPATIONS LIKE AGRICULTURE, POTTERY AND OIL MILLS ARE NOT     ALLOWED.

*  SRI RAMA ASKS SRI ANJENAYA TO PLACE THE VISWANATHA LINGAM ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF      RAMALINGAM.  HE ALSO ORDAINS THAT THE PEOPLE SHOULD WORSHIP RAMALINGAM ONLY AFTER      WORSHIPING LINGAM BROUGHT AND INSTALLED BY SRI ANJENAYA FROM KAILAS.  THE OTHER LINGAM      IS PLACED FOR WORSHIP NEAR THE SRI ANJENAYA DEITY AT THE ENTRANCE.  EVEN TODAY THE SAME      PROCEDURE IS FOLLOWED.

 THEERTHAMS(WELLS)  IN RAMESWARAM TEMPLE.

1.       MAHALAKSHMI THEERTHAM
2.       SAVITHRI THEERTHAM
3.       GAYATHRI THEERTHAM
4.       SARASWATHI THEERTHAM
5.       SETHU MADHAVA THEERTHAM
6.       GANDHA MADHANA THEERTHAM
7.       GEVAKSHA THEERTHAM
8.       GAVYA THEERTHAM
9.       NALA THEERTHAM
10.   SANKU THEERTHAM
11.   CHAKRA THEERTHAM
12.   BRAHMATH  DVIMOCHANA THEERTHAM
13.   SOORIYA THEERTHAM
14.   CHANDRA THEERTHAM
15.   GANGA THEERTHAM
16.   YAMUNA THEERTHAM
17.   GAYA THEERTHAM
18.   SIVA THEERTHAM
19.   SATHAYAMRUTHA THEERTHAM
20.   SARVA THEERTHAM
21.   KOTI THEERTHAM