Why visit Rameswaram
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 3 places to eat, 10 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Rameswaram Lighthouse and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Memorial.
Weather in Rameswaram
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Rameswaram
Rameswaram (IPA: [ɾaːmeːsʋaɾam]; also transliterated as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a town in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the Pamban Island, separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka, across the Gulf of Mannar. Rameswaram has been administered by a municipal body since 1994. It covers 53 km² and hosts a population of 44,856 as per the 2011 Census of India.
From the Wikipedia article Rameswaram (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Rameswaram on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes3
Hotel Saravana Bhavan
Restaurant · Curry, Indian, Breakfast
6 Middle Car Street
Mo-Su 05:00-22:00
The Curry Rameswaram Restaurant
Restaurant · Chinese, Indian · 0.8 km
Rameshwaram Railway Feeder Road
History
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 (Shaivites) namely Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar. The Chola king Rajendra Chola I (1012–1040 CE) had a control of the town for a short period. The Jaffna kingdom (1215–1624 CE) had close connections with the island and claimed the title Setukavalan meaning custodians of the Rameswaram. Hinduism was their state religion and they made generous contribution to the temple. Setu was used in their coins as well as in inscriptions as marker of the dynasty.
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. He erected a mosque by name Alia al-Din Khaldji in honour of victory of Islam. 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.
From the History section of Rameswaram on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay10
Churches and places of worship14
Sri Panchmukhi Hanuman Temple and Floating Stones
Place of worship · 0.7 km
Middle Car Street
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare11
Map of Rameswaram
48 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
- Pāmban 11 km west, about 11 min by car
- Mandapam 21 km west, about 21 min by car
- Panaikulam 41 km west, about 41 min by car
- Periyapattinam 45 km west, about 45 min by car
- Vālāntaravai 47 km west, about 47 min by car
- Devipattinam 50 km northwest, about 50 min by car
- Tiruppālaikudi 52 km northwest, about 52 min by car
- Ramanathapuram 54 km west, about 54 min by car
- Kilakarai 58 km west, about 58 min by car
- Tondi 60 km northwest, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Rameshawaram temple view from the sea, AbhinaySriram, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ramnath Swamy Temple, Rameswaram. India, SUDEEP PRAMANIK, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu 623526, India - panoramio, VISHNU KULANADA @VK …, CC BY 3.0
- Thousand pillar hall rameswaram.tamilnadu - panoramio, rajaraman sundaram, CC BY 3.0
- Rameswaram Railway Station 2, Suryaprakash.REIT19, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cow at Ghats of Rameswaram, Kondephy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Boat Mail Express in Rameswaram ( Rameswaram - Chennai Egmore ), Suryaprakash.REIT19, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Front view of APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial, Maskaravivek, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ramanathaswamy temple7, Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Beauty of Sea, Manisha09, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shree Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga Shivam Temple, Kondephy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ramanathaswamy Temple (4850882045), Ryan from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Rameshwaram temple 1, Sainath Reddy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3rd Corridor, Ramnath Swamy Temple, Rameswarm, SUDEEP PRAMANIK, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ରାମନାଥସ୍ୱାମୀ ମନ୍ଦିର, Soumendra Kumar Sahoo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DR APJ. APDUL KALAM, "Yuva,design", CC0
- IMG Rameshwaram, Shotsbyabhii, CC BY 4.0
- Lakshman Tank, Rameshwaram photos by RAHUL KHARADE - panoramio, rahul kharade, CC BY 3.0
- Group Prayer at Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu, India (1999), Ryan from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Grand corridor,rameshwaram temple,tamilnadu - panoramio, rajaraman sundaram, CC BY 3.0
- Ram kund photo by RAHUL KHARADE (bhandup) - panoramio, rahul kharade, CC BY 3.0
- Hindu temple figures (4731312717), Ryan from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Ramanathaswamy Temple night view, Shajinss, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ancient Sethupathi King, N.K.BALA, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ramanathaswamy Temple Shore 04, M.Mutta, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sneck statue at rameshwaram photo by RAHUL KHARADE - panoramio, rahul kharade, CC BY 3.0
- Thousand pillar corridor,Rameshwaram temple,tamilnadu - panoramio, rajaraman sundaram, CC BY 3.0
- TV Tower Rameswaran, TV Tower Rameswaram, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rameshwaram Temple. tamil nadu - panoramio, Suresh Babunair, CC BY 3.0
- Panchamukhi Hanuman Temple Rameshwaram, Maskaravivek, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ram Mandir Rameshwaram, Maskaravivek, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Panchamuga anjaneyar, Rsmn, CC BY 4.0
- Arulmuguramapata temple view3, Shajinss, CC BY-SA 4.0
- କନ୍ୟାକୁମାରୀ ରେଳ ଷ୍ଟେସନ, Soumendra Kumar Sahoo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Daily waves, Lokiofindia5, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rameshwaram - dhanushkodi Road - panoramio, Suresh Babunair, CC BY 3.0
- Morning sky from Agni Theertham, Rameshwaram, PrishitaBose, CC0
- Rameshwaram beach, DEEPAN RAJA .M, CC BY-SA 4.0
- View @ Rameshwaram, Syamantaksen92, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tamil Nadu South Coast banner, AbhinaySriram, CC BY-SA 4.0
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