Rameswaram Travel Guide: Ramanathaswamy Temple, Dhanushkodi and Planning

Rameswaram, also spelt Rameshwaram, is one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites, according to Tamil Nadu Tourism. Its sights fall into three groups: the temple and its sea shore in the town, the memorial just outside it, and Dhanushkodi at the southern tip of the island.

Ramanathaswamy Temple

The temple's own website retells the Puranic account of Rama, with Sita and Lakshmana, worshipping a Sivalinga that Sita made of sand, and the district administration counts it among the twelve Jyotirlinga temples and gives its gopuram as 38 metres. Tamil Nadu Tourism praises its elaborate corridors and sculpted pillars, and the district administration calls the third corridor the longest in Asia, with a 197-metre span from east to west. The temple opens at 4:00 am, darshan runs from 5:00 am to 1:00 pm and again from 3:15 to 8:00 pm, and the temple is closed by 9:00 pm.

The 22 holy theerthams

The temple's website says there are 22 holy theerthams, or sacred water points, inside the temple premises, and that pilgrims may bathe in them from 5:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 3:00 to 7:00 pm. The temple sets the rules for bathing, so follow the instructions on the day. Wear clothes that can get wet, and leave your phone and valuables outside.

Agni Theertham

Tamil Nadu Tourism calls Agni Theertham the primary seashore associated with the temple and puts it on the eastern seashore opposite the temple. It says a dip there is believed to wash away all sins. The temple's facilities page lists toilets near the beach. Sea conditions change with the weather, so ask locally before you bathe.

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam's memorial

Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India, was laid to rest at Pei Karumbu in Rameswaram on 30 July 2015. The memorial at the burial site shows selected photographs, paintings and miniature models of missiles, and the district administration puts it less than 1 km from Rameswaram. The Press Information Bureau calls Rameswaram the land of Bharat Ratna Dr Kalam.

Dhanushkodi

Dhanushkodi is the southernmost tip of the island, 18 km from Rameswaram by road. The district administration says a cyclone completely washed the town away in 1964, though the Kothandaramaswamy Temple remains, and that it has a fine beach; a popular belief places Vibishana's surrender to Rama here. The Press Information Bureau adds that, according to the Ramayana, the Ram Setu was begun from Dhanushkodi. The area is exposed to storms, so ask locally about road and sea conditions before you go.

The Pamban bridges

The island is joined to the mainland by the Pamban road bridge and the Pamban rail bridge. The Press Information Bureau describes the new rail bridge as India's first vertical-lift sea bridge, with a lift span of 72.5 metres that rises 17 metres to let ships through. It was inaugurated on 6 April 2025 with the Rameswaram–Tambaram (Chennai) train, stands about 27 metres north of the old bridge that British engineers built in 1914, and stops trains with an automatic red signal when the wind passes 58 km/h.

Other places on the island

Tamil Nadu Tourism's Rameswaram page also names Villoondi Theertham, described as one of the 64 theerthas of Rameswaram, and lists Sangumal, Olaikuda, Kunthukal and Ariyaman as nearby destinations. We have not checked the visiting arrangements for these, so ask locally on the day rather than relying on a fixed plan.

• By air: the nearest airport is Madurai, about 175 km away by the district administration's figure (Tamil Nadu Tourism says about 180 km). Thoothukudi airport is about 195 km away.
• By train: the railway station is about 1.3 km from the temple, and Tamil Nadu Tourism says it is connected to Chennai, Coimbatore, Pondicherry and Bengaluru. Our guide to trains and IRCTC for foreigners explains how to book.
• By road: the road runs over the Pamban bridge, and Tamil Nadu Tourism lists regular buses to the bus stand from Chennai, Madurai, Puducherry, Tiruchirappalli and Coimbatore. The drive from Madurai takes about three hours on our South India Temple Trail; our article on the Madurai to Rameswaram distance covers the options. Our Madurai travel guide covers the city you are likely to start from.
• Onward: Kanyakumari is the next stop on both of our itineraries; see our Kanyakumari travel guide.

• Timings: the temple opens at 4:00 am; the Spatika linga darshan is from 5:00 to 6:00 am; darshan continues to 1:00 pm, when the temple closes; it reopens at 3:00 pm for darshan from 3:15 to 8:00 pm and is closed by 9:00 pm.
• Special entry: the temple's fee list names special-entrance darshan for the Swamy and Ambal shrines and a "Swamy Sannathi Quick Dharsan" option; ask at the temple for the current arrangement.
• Phones and photography: the HR&CE Department runs the temple and sets these rules, and it has changed them more than once recently. Where a rule is posted at the entrance, that notice overrides anything you read online.
• Dress and footwear: on our trips we tell travellers that covered shoulders and knees and bare feet inside are the general rule; the temple's own rules apply at the gate.
• Weather: from October to December, check IMD's warnings before you travel; storms and cyclone alerts can disrupt the island.