Facts about Rameswaram

Historical Facts about Rameswaram

In the ancient times (before the arrival of lord Rama) Rameswaram Island is named as “Gandhamadhanam”, and it is also said that even before the arrival of Rama, there is an shiva temple existed in the Rameswaram.
Historical evidences states that Various types of conches (mainly the Right hand conch ) and pearls (white, black ,brown) are exported to different countries like China, Arabia, Sumeria, Egypt, Rome etc ., during the period of pandya and chola kingdom. Rameswaram acts as a important Harbour in that time.
The granite stones were obtained from various mountains and transported to Rameswaram by means of ships
Udaiyaan sethupathi with the help of Srilankan (Tamil) king Pararajasekara aryasakravarthy in 1414 CE started the renovation process and the reconstruction of the ramanathaswamy temple by obtaining granite stones from
srilankan mountain thirikonamalai
In 1904 the granite stones were obtained from Ambasamudram ( It is in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu state), and transported to thuthukudi (tuticorin) by means of bullock carts and from there they are they are transported to Rameswaram through sailing ships (பாய்மரக்கப்பல்) named as RAMANATHAR-PARVATHAVARTHINI
During the year 1935 British Government Releases a stamp with the picture of rameswaram temple.

1902	Train service started from Madurai – Mandapam
1906	Railway Tracks laid between Pamban and Rameswaram
1908	Train service started between Pamban and Rameswaram
1911	The cantilever Rail bridge across the sea was commenced
1914	The pamban Rail bridge has been completed and train service started
1988	The Road bridge across the Rameswaram and mandapam was opened

Length – 2.06 KM
Number Of piers – 143
It is the first sea bridge in India
It is the Longest sea bridge in india till 2010, now it beholds the place of second
The Pamban Rail bridge is called as queen of Indian bridges
The first Train Ran on the bridge on February24, 1914.
In 2014 Hundredth year celebration of the pamban bridge was done

the bridge is named as Annai Indira sea Gandhi bridge
The bridge was opened on October 2 , 1988 by the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Length of the bridge is 06 KM.
Number of pillars used to hold the bridge on the sea – 77 pillars.

The temple covers up the area of 15 acres
The outer Walls around Rameswaram Temple lengths East- West 865 feet and South- North 657 feet
The great nandhi statue is 17 feet height and 12 feet width and is made up of bricks, lime stones and sea shells.
The west gopuram (gate tower) is 78 feet height and comprises of 5 tiers
The East Gopuram (gate tower) is 126 feet height and had 9 tiers
The Gandhamadhana eswara lingam inside the Ramanathaswamy temple is said to be existed even before Ramanathaswamy (main deity) and Rama’s arrival.
The Temple Gopurams are covered by Alkaline resistant paint for preventing them from saline and humid air.
The Pillars inside the Temples are painted with Snow-cem cement for preventing them from corrosion

The Third corridor in the Rameswaram Temple is considered as the world’s largest temple corridor
Vijaya regunatha sethupathi laid the foundation stone for the outermost third corridor of the Ramanathaswamy temple In the year 1722, the work later carried out by Chella muthu vijaya regunatha sethupathi and completed by 1772 in the rule of Muthu ramalinga vijaya regunatha sethupathi