Rameshwaram—following Lord Rama

Located in the southern most part of India, reaching Rameshwaram usually involves both air and road transport. The journey is a bit lengthy but once you enter this quaint town all the exertion shoos away. The beautiful ocean adds further to the beauty of the place. According to legend, this is the place from where the Hindu god Rama built a bridge across the sea to Lanka to rescue Sita from her abductor Ravana. Situated at the tip of the Indian peninsula in the Gulf of Mannar on Pamban Island, Rameswaram is considered to be one of the holiest places in India for Hindus and is also a part of the Char Dham pilgrimage. Incidentally, there are 64 theerthas or theerthams (holy water bodies) in and around Rameswaram. This little town is dotted with a lot of temples, which is really what drives this pilgrimage destination. When I landed here, it happened to be Ramanavmi (Lord Rama’s birthday) and the city was all geared up for the big day and I was counting my lucky stars for the coincidence that incidentally was entirely unplanned. Here are some of the places that must be on your to-do list while you are here: