Rameswaram visited on August 2^nd 2011

We three – Amma, ranjani and I, Reached on 2^nd morning at 5AM by Sethu express from Trichi. Stayed at Saravana  Hotel.

2.  Sri Raghavan Sastry had made arrangement. 

·       3.  Started for Danushkodi by jeep. This 20 kms from Rameswaram. After 11 km of good tar road we just drive through sandy beach for about 9 kms. There is no road at all. Just a beaten drive path used by motor vehicles. Only four wheel drive is possible because of sandy ground. Only a person used to the place can drive to reach the desired spot. There is no direction what-so- ever. Some old dialapelated buildings and water tanks are seen. The locals told us that the entire commune was washed away in 1964 by heavy cyclone that struck 26 times in a short span of a week. As sea rises in cyclone season every year no one has come back here.  Yet the confluence of Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal (that is Danushkodi) is best place to do samudra snanam . Its is also called Sangamam of  two oceans are called Mahodathi and Rathnakaram. So we went there by jeep after a rough ride of about one half an hour.

      4.  The sea shore looks like huge bow (danus).  Hence it is called Danushkodi). The bridge built by bagwan Sri Ramchandra Prabhu, can be seen if one goes down a few meters into the sea, they say. The bridge commence at Tirupullani. We could see none as it is supposed to be under a heap of sand.

·         We did elaborate sankalpam and did samudra snanam.  We had to make 36 dips in the sea to ward of 36 types of sins (papams).arising out of ,pitru, rishi and deva,sapam, pavam,.nindanai

·         We made Sivalingam out of sand in the shore and did Siva pooja. After pooja the sand is collected and preserved and offered pooja and neivedyam everyday till the sand is dissolved in Prayag (Allhabad sangam of three rivers-Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati).

·         5. We then went to Sringeri Sankara Mutt kept the Sivalingam there and went to Ramnatha swami temple and had bath from water drawn 22 wells. A person accompanied to lift water and shower on us. The temple authorities have made good arrangement for the devotees to have this well water shower. Each person is charged Rs13/- for using water from all the 22 well and Rs12/- for the person who accompany to lift water. Thus one pays Rs.25/- in all.

·         6. Then e returned to the Sringeri mutt and performed Hiranya shardam with 5 bokthas. We served food and offered dakshina of Rs.300/- each.

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7     7. In the evening at 5:30 Pm we had darshan of the Ramanatha swami. We performed Milk abhishekam to Swami and archana.to swami and Ambal, “Parwadavardhani”. She is Maharani here. She looks wonderful with extraordinarily beautiful eyes. We had dinner and rested for the day.

·         8. On August 3^rd, morning at 7 AM we set of by car to “Devipatinam”, via Ramanthapuram about 65 kms from Rameshwaram. In the sea shore, inside the sea water there are Navagrihams. This is known as Navabhashanam. Any Griha dosha nivriti is done here. Having a dip in the sea is recommended. Even Paramacharyal had samudra snanam here.

·        9.  The next stop was “Thiru utara kosa mangai”, a sivasthalam.of importance. It is said that Siva first appeared here as sawyambhu.   Manikavachagar has mentioned this sthalam in 38 places and has two full chapter on this lord. Ambal is Mangaleswari. There is a Ilandai maram said to be more than 3000 years old. There is Sahasra lingam near the ilandai maram.  There is Maragada Natarajar of about 4 feet (made of single piece of  maragadam).  Lord is covered with sandal paste and hence the maragadam could not be seen.

·        10.  The third stop was at Tirupullani about 20 kms from Rameswaram. Lord Jagannath swami here was worshipped by Emperor Dasaratha (father of Sri Ram) who also performed putrakameshti yagam here and payasam was given to his three  queens (mothers of Sriman Rama, Lakshmana, Bhratha, and Chatrugna). 

      

      11. Later while his invasion of Lanka Here Rama, did penance for three days in darba sayana requesting Samudra rajan to give way to enable him to walk across to Srilanka. One can see the place where Rama did draba sayna.  Idol is installed here in sayana posture. Payasam is given as prasad. Mahalakshmi is here too. Outside Sakshi Hanuman is here. Hanuman was witness to tell everyone that it was Vibhishana with four of his friends, and not Ravana as most of the Vanaras including King Sugriva thought,  when they came to do saranagadi to Sri Rama.

·        12. In Rameswaram there is small hillock where Sri Rama stood and looked across at Sri lanka to plan strategy. From here one can have a look at the complete island of Rameswaram.

The trip ended here.

Rameswarm Temple:

1. This is a huge temple built by Sethupati rajas. In the beginning it was not a temple like we see now.

After Ravana was slain Sri Rama got Brahmahati dosham (that is slaining of a jiva (brahaman); whatever may be the reason, results is dosha). Sri Rama wanted to perform Siva pooja to get Brahmahati dosham nivarthi.  Sri Anjaneya proceeds as per Sri Rama’s instruction, to get Siva lingam from Kailash for doing pooja. Lord Shiva gives him two  lingams. But before Anjaneya reaches, with lingams, Rameswaram sea shore, Sita devi makes a lingam out of sand and Sri Rama performs  and completes pooja before Anjaneya reaches with two lingams. Anjaneya was disappointed and expresses it Sri Rama and Ma Sita.  Sri Rama ask him to remove the sand lingam to install the one he has brought. Despite using all his might Anjaneya could not dislodge the sand lingam. Sri Rama asks Anjaneya to install, one he had received at Kailash, near the sand lingam and the second one at a few paces away and bless him that these two lingams will be worshiped by all.

2. There was no roof, no room for the lingams. Later the temple came up in phases and has reached the stage we see now. Sethupathi kings built this beautiful temple. The sea shore that was where the lingams were installed has receded about 2 kms inside so we have more land near the temple.

3. Rameswarar in lingam form is now hardened as stone. Ambal Parvadavardhani is extremely beautiful.  She is the Maharani of Rameswaram and everything is done as per her order. Both are facing East. The lingams brought by Anjeneya are there. One is still worshipped by Anjaneya and we can see both these.

4. There is Brahma.facing north. It is dark and no lights are allowed. If one touch his feet he gets Brahma’s blessings. We could only touch and not see.

5. Anjeneya is facing south and keeps worshipping shiva lingam brought from Kailash who is facing east.

All 22 theerthams are inside the temple. Water tastes and differs in property and temperature  in each of the 22 theerthams. 

6. Kanchi Shankar mutt is about 1 km from the main entrance of the temple in the sea shore, known as Agni theertham.  If one can not go to Danushkodi, he can do samudra snanam here. Sri Pon Muthuramalinga thevar was one of the initial patrons for constructing this building complex. Sringeri mutt is next door to the temple.

7. Nalvar (appar, Sundara, Manikavachagar and Sambandar), have sung so many songs praising HIM.

The temple is very important sthalam but all round, as we find everywhere in India, the whole place is full of dirt and garbage. Why Indians are that way is a mystery. 

Devipatinam- famous for Navabhashanam.

There are Navagrihas installed in the sea water. When we visited there was low tide and sea was far off. But sea comes in and the Navagrihas submerge in the water. Sea bath is recommended for certain doshams. One can have sea bath in only one place; either at Agnitheertham or Dhanuskodi or here. but not in all three in one visit. If no Navagriha pooja is done one can offer Navadanyam; sold for Rs.5 a packet containing all 9 danyam. One should not turn to look back while returning. 

Tiru Uttarakosamangai:

The Sivalingam is swayambhu. It existed even before Ravana. Emperor Dasaratha worshipped here. Swami  is known as Mangalanathar and HIS consort is Mangaleswari. This place is more famous for Maragada Natarajar. Ilandai maram and Sahasra lingam are other important worship place.

Manikavachagar has written on two poems, expressing his divine experience. one is titled as "Neethal Vinnapam" (prapanja vairagyam) consisting of 50 verses. Another one is "Tiru Ponoonjal" havin nine verses.

TiruPullani

Famous temple of Aadi Jagannathar, Darbha sayana ramar, Mahalakshmi, Kothanda ramar.

Even Emperor Dasaratha got relief of his doshams and begot Vishnu himself  as the great four sons. We  all get blessings from the Lord. Many dosha nivarthi is performed here.  There are many people who do japam  for a mandalam, tila homam etc for those persons who need dosha nivarthi.

Very beautiful temple indeed.