|
 Rameshwaram
known as the Varanasi of the south, Rameshwaram is a
major pilgrimage centre for both Shaivites and Vaishnavaites
as it was here that Rama ( an incarnation of Vishnu in the
Indian epic the Ramayana ) offered thanks to Siva. At the
town's core is the Ramanathaswamy Temple, one of the most
important temples in southern India.
Rameshwaram is on an island in the Gulf of Mannar, connected
to the mainland at Mandapam by rail and by one of India's
engineering wonders, the Indira Gandhi Bridge. The bridge
took 14 years to build and was opened by Rajiv Gandhi late
in 1988.
The town lies on the island's eastern side and used to be
the port from which the ferry to Talaimannar ( Sri Lanka )
departed before passenger services were suspended more than
a decade ago. as a result, there are now very few foreign
visitors. |
