Ramanathaswamy Temple

Ramanathaswamy Temple on Rameswaram Island in Tamil Nadu is one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites of Hinduism and one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The temple is famous for its extraordinary corridor architecture: the outer corridor, at 1,220 metres in length, is the longest temple corridor in the world. The inner corridors are lined with massive sculpted pillars that create a dramatic visual perspective stretching into the distance. According to the Ramayana, this is the site where Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to atone for the sin of killing Ravana, a Brahmin, and where Hanuman was sent to bring a Shivalinga from the Himalayas. The sacred wells inside the temple, of which there are 22, are believed to have distinct spiritual properties, and pilgrims traditionally bathe in each one as part of the pilgrimage ritual. The island location and the long causeway connecting Rameswaram to the mainland give the pilgrimage a distinctive character, and the temple town is deeply associated with former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who was born here.