Rameswaram is mostly famous as one of the Hindu Pilgrimage sites which is part of the Char Dham Yatra. Although this city is known for the connect to Ramayana but over the years, this place has also attracted tourists who want to see the first railway bridge on the sea-   bridge and Dhanushkodi-the last land of India.

1. Pamban Bridge: In case you plan to travel by train to Rameswaram then you can easily view the Pamban bridge as the train crosses over it. It is the only railway sea bridge which connects the Rameswaram island to the mainland. It covers around 2 km and has a unique opening to let ships through as it is built at a low height. Even if you miss it while you travel by train, you can also take a cab to this place and enjoy the sea view on both the sides.

2. Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple: Although the place Rameswaram is closely associated with stories of Lord Rama and Ramayana, as Rama had said to have built the Ram Setu from here to Lanka, Ramanathaswamy Temple is mainly dedicated to Shiva. This temple has significant for pilgrims who visit the holy temple as part of the Char Dham yatra as well as this is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas temples across India.

The temple is known to have one of the largest outdoor walking corridors in the world, around 200 metres, which makes it one of the many features of the temples that attract tourists here.

There are around 22 theerthams (natural holy water bodies/springs) around the temple where the devout pilgrims take bath one by one. After the holy dip, you can go inside the main sanctum of the temple to offer prayers where the Jyotirlinga is established. No worries as there are enough places around the temple to change your clothes for both men and women after they complete their holy dip. In case you want to avoid the crowd then early morning is the best time to visit the temple.

Apart from the religious significance, the temple is popular among the tourists for its architecture and historical relevance as it was built around 12^th century. Although there were many changes done over the years but you can see the architectural beauty of the majestic temple walls surrounded with more than 1000 pillars. Even the paved path of the temple looks like a carved chess board. So, this temple should be the first stop on your Rameswaram visit.

3. Dhanushkodi: Dhanushkodi is a town located at the tip of the Pamban island so it is surrounded by a vast stretch of beaches. It is hardly half an hour drive from the main city of Rameswaram and in fact it is the nearest Indian town to Sri Lanka border with Sri Lanka being hardly 15kms away from this place. Dhanushkodi is now famously called as the Ghost town as it has been abandoned years ago after the cyclone hit this place. You would only find a few vendors selling snacks around the beach area but they would leave the town by evening and even the tourists are not allowed to visit after sundown.

The ruins of church, temple, abandoned train stations and left over remains of the town will give you glimpse of the time before the cyclone washed it all away. This has made the town one of the popular tourist attractions in Rameswaram. There aren’t many public transport options in this abandoned town so you need to book a cab or an auto for the to and from trip from the city to Dhanushkodi before evening.

4. Sri Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir & Floating Stones/Ram Setu rocks:

The temple adorns the five faced Hanuman idol but most of the tourist flock to this temple for the Ram Setu stones kept at the temple. There are floating rocks on display which is said to have been used for building the Ram Setu. Ram Setu or the Adam’s bridge was built of floating rocks and has a considerable mention in the Hindu mythology as it is supposed to connect India and Sri Lanka. Although you can’t see the bridge directly, these floating rocks have been put on display in most of temples in Rameswaram. You can see sample heavy rocks in water at the temple which keep floating despite their heavy weight and thus due to their intriguing behaviour they have become a common tourist attraction.

5. House of Kalam: Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s childhood house in Rameswaram has been converted into museum which display his accomplishments over the years with photographs, sample models and historical mementos. The museum is at first floor and the second floor has been converted to a commercial shop which sells souvenirs for tourists. The house is located in an area with very narrow streets so usually it is not accessible to cars and most of the tourists get off at the nearest parking place and walk towards the House of Kalam. The museum as well as the entire building needs a little more maintenance but it is a visit worth the effort

6. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam National Memorial:  Kalam memorial/museum has been built by the government at his burial site where his mortal remains have been put to rest. Unlike the House of Kalam, this memorial site is much better maintained and highly scrutinized so you are not allowed to take your cameras inside. In fact, you will be asked to leave your shoes outside as well along with most of the non-essential belonging as part of their security measures. This memorial has replicas and mementos on display to highlight Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s achievements over the years and his contribution to India’s development. The entire place is under heavy security screening so you are not allowed to carry any bags or phones to this memorial.

7. Kothandaramaswamy Temple: This temple is dedicated to Lord Rama but it is more popular as the only temple in India where Vibhishana is prayed as a deity. As per Ramayana, this is the place where Vibhishana had come as refugee and had asked for protection from Lord Rama. The temple is on the tip of the island and overlooks the Bay of Bengal so this place has become popular with tourists.

8. Boating Service:  There are a few options of boating at the Rameswaram beach so we had tried Siva Boating which is 5 minutes’ walk from Rameswaram temple. It gives you a ride of 30 mins where you can enjoy the view of main temple against the sea. It’s a slow and safe ride with lifejackets provided as well but the place has a long queue of tourists as it is quite near the main temple.        

9. Jada Tirtham: Rameswaram is a temple city and each and every temple has a historical background but in case you have time to visit only a few then you can add Jada Tirtham. Tirtham means a holy tank so this temple has a main pond in the middle and the temples for various deities are built surround this pond. It is believed that Lord Rama had taken a dip in this Tirtham after victory over Ravana. The place is not a very popular tourist destination like the main Rameswaram temple so you can avoid the crowd and do the darshan easily at this temple.

10. Villoondi Theertham: This location is famous for a unique well which is situated in the midst of the sea water at the beach but the water in the well is sweet unlike the salt water of the sea surrounding it.It is mentioned in Ramayana that when Sita ji was feeling thirsty then Lord Rama had shot an arrow in the sea and a fresh water stream had started which has now become the fresh water well at Villoondi Theertham . Villondi means buried bow so the place has been named after this legend and the temple nearby narrates this entire story.

Apart from these places, there are a few more Tirthams and temples across Rameswaram so you can plan to book a taxi for the city and cover most of them in a day. In case you manage to get a hotel near Rameswaram temple then you can avoid the crowd by visiting the temple in early morning hours. Rameswaram is one of the perfect getaway places for weekend and you can enjoy the culture and natural beauty of this island and temple city.