Rameswaram

Next on the temple tour was Rameswaram, a small island off the southern tip of India. Part of the rock formations that form a trail of islands and reefs leading to Sri Lanka, a long bridge connects the island to the mainland. Rameswaram contains the Ramanathswamy temple, which is a one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage sites. The small town is entirely centered around this temple and the nearby beach area.

I took a room on the beach-side Hotel Tamil Nadu, which had the feeling of an out-of-season resort. I felt like the only person there other than a very large Indian family. There was a central dining hall that served decent Indian food, but it had this abandoned, David Lynchy feel to it. I walked in to the empty hall, silent save the loud whirring of ceiling fans overhead, and this bent over old Indian man moving in slow motion, straight out of Twin Peaks, greeted me and told me the restaurant didn't open until 7:30. "But it's 7:45" I protested. He didn't seem phased by this and waved for me to sit down "if I liked." He expressed similar disdain when I wanted to see a menu. The meal itself was fine, and no dancing midgets were in sight (though I swear there is a man who looks exactly like "Bob" here in Tiruvannamalai where I am now).




Ramanathswamy temple is quite large, and famous for its bathing tanks and extremely long columned hallways (one of which is the largest columned hallway in the world). Bathing is a major spiritual activity here. Pilgrims start with a dip in the ocean at a beachside ghat, and then in each of the more than 20 tanks inside the temple itself (there are a lot of dripping wet pilgrims wandering around). I was lucky to find a temple guide who allowed me to enter even the Hindu-only parts of the temple, so I felt like I really was able to experience it in its entirety. The temple is also famous for two lingams, icons containing both male and female symbols joined together, which I was able to see. These particular lingams are said to be from the Indian epic, The Ramayana. The story goes that Rama, the hero of the Ramayana and a worshipper of Shiva, was told by seers to install a Shivalingam at this site. He sent his trusted follower, Hanuman, to get the lingam from the Himalayas. Hanuman evidently took forever to come back, so Rama's wife Sita made a second lingham out of sand. Hanuman finally returned with his lingam, and to ensure that he did not feel bad, Rama insisted that Hanuman's be worshipped first.

Because of his importance to the area, there are also a number of Hanuman temples, which I was able to visit on my way out of town. Hanuman is one of my favorite Hindu gods, representing the overwhelming power of love and devotion.