Ramanathapuram Tourism, Tamil Nadu India

Ramanathapuram is one of the major tourist places of Tamil Nadu. The town is near two prime religious pilgrims of the state Rameshwaram and Devipatnam .The district is surrounded by Sivaganga District on the north, Pudukkottai District on the northeast, the Palk Strait on the east, by Gulf of Mannar on the south, by Thoothukudi District on the west, and by Virudhunagar District on the northwest. Ramanathapuram includes the Indian portion of Rama's Bridge or the Rama Sethu. Prior to independence, the district was called as Ramnad but it was renamed as Ramanathapuram in 1910. The main tourist attraction in Ramanathapuram is the Raja Palace, which is till date occupied by the Sethupaty Raja and his family. The family is no longer in power but has achieved phenomenal success in community service.

The Holy abode of the Hindu God, Shri Ram (addressed so with all respect & humility) is a virtual paradise for the devout.  No Hindu’s journey is complete without a pilgrimage to both Varanasi and Rameswaram for the culmination of his quest for salvation and is hallowed by the epic ‘Ramayana’.   Folklore mentions about God Ram’s presence in this land, after his 14-year exile.   

Local legend has it that Shri Ram was helped back into Rameswaram and into   India   by his brother  Lakshman and Hanuman along with his band of thousands of monkeys, after finally emerging victorious against the demon – Ravana.   They helped build a bridge with rocks from the sea and shores to cross the ‘Sethu canal’ and reach   India.   Lord Rama is also believed to have sanctified this place by worshipping and glorifying Lord Shiva and hence marks the confluence of Shaivism and Vaishnavism and is thus revered by both Shaivites and Vaishnavites alike and thus there is a strong belief that bathing in the 22 ‘Theerthams’ or natural springs is a step forward in enlightenment. Therefore, Rameswaram has rightly been declared as one of the National Pilgrim Centres in the count.

The Ramanathaswamy temple by itself is a delight for every tourist.  With its magnificent, imposing structure, long corridors, aesthetically carved pillars, the temple is adorned with a towering 38-metre ‘Gopuram’.  The temple itself was built by rulers since the 12th century with Sethupathy Maravar beginning the construction of the grand Ramanathaswamy temple that boasts of the ‘Third Corridor’, completed by his successor,  Maravar  the longest one in Asia with a 197-metre span from East to West and a 133-metre span from South to North, the third largest in the world! It is said that Swamy Vivekananda offered prayers at this temple in 1897. Another important fact is that two important Hindu schools of thought – the Kanchi of Kamakodi Peetam and Bannari Amman owe allegiance to the deity at the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram.  This has a tremendous impact on the religious sentiments of both the local people as well as devotees throughout the state of Tamil Nadu.

Tourism in Ramanathapuram district offer a great opportunity to visit some of the best temples and a number of other tourist attractions including the Kurusadai Island, Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge, Sea World Aquarium, etc. Some of the well-known temples in this district which attract a large number of pilgrims as well as general tourists due to their great architectural design are Veyulugantha Vinayagar Alayam, Patham Priya Koil, Satchi Hanuman Temple, etc. There is also a famous place of pilgrimage for the Christians known as Oriyur. Oriyur is one of the most-noted pilgrim centers for Christians all over the world as it is home to the martyrdom of St. John De Britto, a Portuguese Jesuit also known as `Arul Anandar`. There is a shrine with its Portuguese facade and it contains a captivating statue of Arul Anandar offering his neck in humble submission to the executioner.

One of the major tourist attractions in the district of Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu state is the Kurusadai Island. This Island is located to the west of the Pamban Bridge between the mainland and the island. It is a marine biosphere, and it is considered to be a paradise for the marine biologists and nature lovers. Marine wealth is abounding at this place which attracts a large number of researchers and scholars to this Island. The Kurusadai Island is almost four kilometers from Mandapam. Away from the Kurusadai Island, one could also see a lot of coral-reef, fish, dolphins, sea-cows, etc.

Another attraction in this district is Ramanathapuram, which is an ancient town and it is also the headquarters of the Ramanathapuram district. From this place the Sethupathis or the Chieftains ruled this territory. The Ramalingavilasam Palace with beautiful painting and the Tomb of Thayumana Swamigal are the places worth visiting. There is also a museum in this town. The Sea World Aquarium is located just opposite to the Rameswaram bus stand where one can get to enjoy the beauty of underwater creatures in their near natural habitat. It is the only one of its kind in the state, and probably in the country too, and it is filled with such varied marine life forms including exotic species like snake fish, octopus, sea lizard, parrot fish, cow fish, lion fish, sea squid, rabbit fish, butter fish, fire fish, crabs, lobsters, clown fish, sea lotus, beach tamet, prawns, starfish, sharks and sea horse. This place attracts a large number of general tourists as well as marine life lovers throughout the year.

The Annai Indira Gandhi Bridge is located in the district of Ramanathapuram. The bridge is 2.2 kilometers long and it connects the Rameswaram Island and the mainland. This is also the longest Indian bridge constructed over a bay. This bridge is also known as the Pamban Bridge. There is also a railway bridge connecting the island and it is known for its unique opening to pass the ships through the sea. Thus, the Ramanathapuram district forms a major tourist attraction due to the presence of some of the most beautiful temples, bridges, church, tomb and a number of other natural beauties.