The Land of Infinite Myths.

by Aiswarya Anand (India)

A leap into the unknown India

Rameswaram known as Varanasi of the South, is an island situated at the southeast end of Tamil Nadu only 40 kilometres away from Sri Lanka. It is a holy city where devotees bathe in the sea and holy wells known as Parihara Sthalam where all sins get absolved as per Hindu mythology. You can travel by air or train to the nearest airport or railway station in Madurai.From Madurai, the best way to reach Rameswaram is by train or by road. Rameswaram holds sight to some picturesque places like the Pamban island , Dhanushkodi and the Ramanathaswamy temple. The Pamban Bridge is the first sea link in India that also has a railway track across it. It connects Tamil Nadu to the island of Rameswaram.The Pamban Bridge built across the sea is a beautiful welcome for the ones who want to explore this land of infinite myths. This bridge stretches from the entire length of the sea to the island of Rameswaram. DHANUSHKODI Dhanushkodi is an abandoned town located at the southern tip of the mainland. This place was completely washed away by the cyclone of 1964. Thereby, this quaint village which was once a busy port to trades and pilgrims ; a bustling and thriving town now seem to revive between ruins. The full paved road of Dhanushkodi extends to the tip of the island towards Adam's Bridge.Known as the Last Land of India ,it is an 18 kilometre straight road upto the tip of the country. According to the Hindu epic The Ramayana, Lord Rama built a man-made bridge know as Ram Setu or Adam's Bridge across Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from abductor Ravana. The recent satellite pictures from NASA holds evidence to a bridge that lies under the sea from the town upto Palk Strait as a chain of limestone shoals that caused them to shape like a floating bridge.Only a small part of Ram Setu is visible after the destruction of the town.Dhanushkodi also witnesses the beautiful confluence of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.You can definitely spot the difference between the sea and the Indian Ocean by the nature of the waves.It is quite amusing that The Bay of Bengal which is relatively calm is referred to as the female sea while the Indian Ocean, rough with lashing waves is referred to as the male sea.Minibuses provided by the locals let you through the shallow waters of Dhanushkodi upto the Ram Setu and the confluence of the waters.The many-hued minibuses are super cheap and offer a very native experience and interaction with the local people. On the two sides of the beach road, villagers sell a variety of combs, jewellery and accessories made of sea shells.They also welcome you to a homely meal that revolves around an abundance of coconut, tapioca and spices like pepper and features a variety of seafood like prawns, crabs, squids and lobsters . Apart from the coastal charms and the eeriness of the ruins, Dhanushkodi is a spooky yet enchanting must-visit for curious travellers and for the ones with seafood cravings. RAMANATHASWAMY TEMPLE The most visited and holy temple in Rameswaram is the Ramanathaswamy Temple. It is believed that Lord Rama performed holy rituals after his return from Lanka ,defeating Ravana and bringing his wife back.The Ramanathaswamy Temple is situated facing the sea. Rich with Dravidian architecture, this temple has a unique and creative design .The temple consists of vast corridors six metres broad running round between a huge colonnade on a platform to a length of 1220 metres. This temple also consists of 22 holy theerthams( holy waters) which the pilgrims collect or bathe as they believe it would wash away all the sins.The temple is considered to be India's most venerated and visited Lord Shiva shrines. Devotees hail this place as the abode of the 12 shiva lingas(idols).The land of Rameswaram is a synopsis of India's culture and traditions. One gets to know about India in it's raw self filled with mythologies and stories dated as back as the Ramayana itself.