In this guide I have tried to cover all the places worth a visit in Rameswaram.To fully explore , I have divided the places in 2 days ,morning and evening ,so that they can be covered comfortably.
The best time to travel Rameswaram is from November to January when the weather is pleasant. Still ,being a coastal area, its very humid , so please pack accordingly.
I have mentioned tips about transport and stay , also some good places to eat,at last.

Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India

Rameswaram 2 Days Itinerary

Located
just outside the temple, devotees take a dip at this sacred bath here before
entering the temple.

Smalltravellingbag’s Tip = Carry sufficient clothes or wear
comfortable clothes, so as to take bath in 22kund snanam either in the same
clothes or another pair. After snanam, you need to change the clothes again
before entering the main temple.

The legend behind the temple associated with Lord Rama from the Indian Epic Ramayana. It is believed that Lord Rama, after defeating Daemon king, Ravana, wanted to worship Lord Shiva as port of atonement.He asks Hanuman to bring him a Linga from Kashi. When Hanuman delayed his return, Goddess Sita made a Shivalinga using sand so that Rama could offer his prayers. It is believed that the self-same Shiva Linga, known as Ramalingam, is now worshipped at the Ramanathaswamy temple. The lingam brought by Hanuman from Kailash is called Vishwalingam. 

There are 22 Theerthams (holy water bodies) inside the temple where devotees bathe to atone for their sins.

There are
4 gates , East, west, north and south, out of which 22 kund snanam is done at
the East gate. 

In case you wish to skip it, enter via North gate for straight
darshan.There are
people who will tell you about Shighra (quick) darshan, but you can do it yourself by
taking Shighra darshan ticket of Rs.100 or Rs.200 per person. For Rudra Abhishek, you
can get the receipt from the counter itself or you can hire an agent who will
do the task of taking receipt and heading you to the main deity.

It is said that Lord had revealed his five faces here, hence the idol of Hanuman is depicted with five faces which are of Lord Hanuman in the middle along with faces of Lord Narasimha, Lord Adivaraha, Lord Garuda and Lord Hayagriva on the sides. The statue has been covered with senthooram by saints.

Another major attraction of this temple are the ‘floating stones’ that have been kept at the temple for the devotees to see. These floating stones were used for building the floating bridge named Sethu Bandhanam, from Rameshwaram to Lanka so that Lord Rama, Lord Lakshman along with others could go to Lanka to rescue Goddess Sita and put an end to the brutalities of demon Ravana.

This is located 3 KMS at the northern part of Ramanathaswamy temple. It is also believed that Rama stood on this point to search the whereabouts of Sita, while she was captured by Ravana.

Smalltravellingbag's tip - Carry
umbrella, lots of sunscreen and goggles and try to visit after 4pm to decrease
the intensity of sun.

Villoondi Theertham is situated about 6 km from the Rameswaram main bus stand. Besides its arresting views and silent tides, the place is also known for its pure water spring inside the sea. A few metres from the shore, this pure water well beside the sea is a marvel. 

Devotees connect its existence to a mythological legend from the epic Ramayana. After rescuing Goddess Sita and bringing her back to Rameswaram from Sri Lanka, Lord Rama performed rituals by installing a Shiva linga on the spot. When Sita said she was thirsty, Rama shot an arrow into the sea, and from there emerged  a spring bringing forth pure water. The Shiva lingam is named Thryambakeshvarar, and there is a Shiva shrine near Villoondi Theertham. 

Smalltravellingbag's tip - Try to go
after 5pm to prevent from sunstroke.

Smalltravellingbag's tip - Its better to stay near near the temple as much as possible so that you can walk upto the temple. The auto fares are reasonably high and they hardly bargain . 

The word Dhanushkodi means ‘Tip of the bow’. ‘Arichal Munai’ is the point at which the Indian Ocean meets the Bay of Bengal and the spot can be viewed from Dhanushkodi. It is believed that Lord Rama, from the Indian epic of Ramayana, pointed to the end of his bow and asked his troops to build a bridge across the ocean to reach the demon king Ravana’s Lanka. Ravana had abducted Rama’s wife Sita and Rama had to reach Lanka to rescue her. Thus this place occupies a significant and important position in Indian mythology and history.

Visit
this ghost town, which was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone. See the ruins and
enjoy the serene beach. It’s the closest point to Sri Lanka.

Smalltravellingbag's tip - Dhanushkodi
is only accessible till 5pm after which police guards it and no vehicle is
allowed due to the fear of high tide. 

This temple is dedicated to Lord Rama and is just 2.6kms away from Dhanushkodi. 

Kothandaramar Temple Rameshwaram place is considered to be where Vibhishanan (Younger brother of Demon King, Ravana ) surrendered and apologized to Rama. Also Rama crowned Vibhishanan to rule Sri Lanka.

I suggest you go early morning, like 6am to avoid sunstroke. You can opt for Government bus but the timings may vary. Autos charges Rs.200 per person on sharing basis and for private , they may charge upto Rs.2000. hence its best to hire a scooty a day prior, for covering all the points, which you will get in Rs.500. If travelling with family, its better to opt for auto only. 

While visiting Ram Setu deactivate your International Roaming. You won’t get Indian company network but will get Sri Lankan mobile network. Any incoming / outgoing call can be costly.  

This is absolutely free for everyone and is easily accessible via auto or scooty. A MUST VISIT PLACE!

*Transportation:* Auto
fares are considerably high in Rameswaram, hence hiring a taxi or renting a
scooter/bike is advisable for easy and convenient travel around Rameshwaram.- *Dress Code:* While
visiting temples, ensure to dress modestly, preferably in traditional attire.

 *Hydration:* Carry water
and stay hydrated ,carry  sunglass,
umbrella or a hat and keep applying sunscreen as Rameswaram is too hot and
humid.

  *Scams:* There are many people near
Ramanathaswamy temple that will claim to let you do Shighra darshan ,but trust
me, unless it’s a weekend or some festival, or Monday, you can get darshan
yourself by getting Shighra darshan parchi (reciept) inside temple. Or at the
most, you can decide on hiring an agent after taking 22kund snanam and going
inside the temple.Just in
the corridor, you will get agents , that will charge extra Rs.200 and get all
the parchi for you and take you to the line.

*Locker:* -For locker ,you need to step out of
temple, so its best not to carry bag, only polythene to keep extra pair of
clothes and in return, to keep wet clothes. Mobile is really of no use there.

First, take three dips in the holy water in Agni Theertham

Quick Darshan Ticket - 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Rs.250

Take a bath in 22 kunds - You need to take an online receipt of Rs.25 from the East gate for bathing in 22kunds.

Then move towards the mandir for Darshan.

You won’t be allowed to enter the main temple in a wet dress. So it would be better if you carried an additional dress to change after “Theertha Snana”. There will be separate places for dress changes for women, but men need to change in the common area. Make sure to carry extra bag for wet clothes .

Rameshwaram Temple Darshan Entry Fee Details:

Spatika Linga Darshan - 5:10 a.m. - Rs.50

22 Wells Bath - 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Rs.25

Abhishekam - 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.	Rs.1500

Spatika is a Sanskrit word that means ‘gemstone‘. Shivlinga is made of gemstones. You can get darshan of Spatika Lingam only during the early morning from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. You have to get in line as early as 4 a.m.

Rameswaram 2 Days Itinerary

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