Rameswaram is said to be the end of India. But, why not the beginning of India ?
It all depend upon how and from where you look at it.
Rameswaram, with a population of 35, 750, is known as the Varanasi of the South. It is an important pilgrimage Centre for both Shaivites and Vaishnavaites, as it was here that Rama ( an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Indian epic of the Ramayana) offered thanks to Lord Shiva. At the town’s core is the Ramanathaswami Temple, one of the most important temples in South India.
Rameswaram 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, which took 14 years to build, and was opened by Rajiv Gandhi late in 1988. The town lies on the eastern side of island, and used to be the port from which the ferry to Talaimannar ( Sri Lanka ) departed before passenger services were discontinued more than a decade ago.
Coming to Rameswaram is easy. Catch the Train Sethu Express or the Rameswaram Express from the Egmore Station of Chennai. The journey of 666 km takes 15 hours. Before you reach the destination, small boys approach you at the Mandapam Station with samples of Cowrie Shells and take orders to imprint your own designs on the Shells. Before you reach Rameswaram the Shells with your designs are delivered to you. Quite fast service.
I had visited Rameswaram in the winter of 1955, when I was a student at Gandhigram . I had also visited Dhanuskodi , 12 km from Rameswaram to see the famous Kothandraswamy Temple. Legend states that Vibisana, brother of Sita’s kidnapper Ravana, surrendered to Rama at this spot.
The landscape is unique in this part of India. The Adam’s Bridge is the name given to the chain of reefs, sandbanks and islets that almost connects Sri Lanka with India. According to the legend, this is the series of stepping stones used by Hanuman to follow Ravana, in his bid to rescue Sita.
The Gandhamardana Parvatham, on a hill 3 km north-west of town, is a shrinecontaining Rama’s footprints. Devotees generally visit here at sunrise and sunset. If you want to be at a beach, Dhanuskodi is the best
After visiting the Land’s end, you will still be thinking whether you are at the end or at the beginning.
That’s life!