Misplaced Pages

#653346

85-555: Pamban Bridge ( Tamil: [paːmbɐn] , romanised: pāmban ) is a railway bridge that connects the town of Rameswaram on Pamban Island with Mandapam in mainland India. Opened on 24 February 1914, it was India's first sea bridge, and was the longest sea bridge in India until the opening of the Bandra–Worli Sea Link in 2010. The rail bridge is, for the most part, a conventional bridge resting on concrete piers but has

170-399: A darshana (auspicious sight) of the temple's image of the deity Shiva, which is regarded to have been installed by Rama according to the regional legend . The Ramanathaswamy Temple is the most notable historic landmark of the town. Located in the centre of town, It is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva . The temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines, where Shiva

255-413: A tropical wave soon interacted with the low and allowed the system to consolidate into a depression two days later. A large area of showers and thunderstorms covered much of the southern Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. On December 18, a ship with the callsign JMAG reported 45 km/h (30 mph) winds and a barometric pressure of 1005.5 mbar (hPa; 29.69  inHg ). Based on this report,

340-769: A Deputy Chairperson. Rameswaram comes under the Ramanathapuram assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years. Katharbatcha Muthuramalingam from the DMK is serving as the MLA since 2021. Rameswaram is a part of the Ramanathapuram (Lok Sabha constituency) – it has been realigned in 2008 to have the following assembly constituencies – Paramakudi (SC) , Ramanathapuram, Mudukulathur , Aranthangi , Tiruchuli (newly created). The constituency

425-426: A challenging job. The location is also a cyclone-prone, high-wind-velocity zone. The railway bridge is located 12.5 m (41 ft) above sea level and is 6,776 ft (2,065 m) long. The bridge consists of 143 piers and has a double-leaf bascule section with a Scherzer rolling type lift span that can be raised to let ships pass. Each half of the lifting span weighs 415 tonnes (457 tons). The two leaves of

510-454: A double-leaf bascule section midway, which can be raised to let ships and barges pass through. The Pamban bridge was the only surface transport link that connected Rameswaram to the mainland India till 1988 when a road bridge was constructed parallel to the railway bridge. In 2020, construction of a new bridge closer to the existing one began which was planned to eventually replace the existing bridge. In December 2022, rail transportation on

595-671: A height of 25 ft (7.6 m). Each pillar is sculpted in Nayak style as in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple . The contribution of the kings of the Sethupathy dynasty (17th century) to the temple was considerable. Large amount of money was spent during the tenure of Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai towards the restoration of the pagodas which were falling into ruins – the Chockattan Mantapam or

680-527: A majority of them enter via Rameswaram. There are an additional 20,667 non-camp refugees who entered via Rameswaram, registered in Mandapam transit camp and opted to reside outside the camps in various parts of Tamil Nadu. On 11 March 1990, a record number of 2,337 refugees in 38 boats arrived from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Rameswaram – this was the largest number of refugees arriving in a single day since

765-765: A manner typically followed for circuambulation in Hindu temples. The temple is one of the famous pilgrimage sites historically – the Maratha kings who ruled Thanjavur established chatrams or rest houses all through Mayiladuthurai and Rameswaram between 1745 and 1837 CE and donated them to the temple. Rameswaram is frequently in the headlines over fishermen issues like attack, arrest and alleged harassment by Sri Lankan navy for alleged cross border activities, Sethusamudram canal project, Kachchatheevu, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and also on intercountry smuggling between India and Sri Lanka. As an initial step to curb enhanced smuggling,

850-414: A maximum height of 3 cm (0.10 ft) and the view looks like a very big river. Rameswaram has dry tropical climate with low humidity, with average monthly rainfall of 75.73 mm (2.981 in), mostly from North-East monsoon from October to January. The highest ever temperature recorded at Pamban station was 37 °C (99 °F) and the lowest was 17 °C (63 °F). Ramsetu Bridge

935-557: A new railway bridge will be constructed near the old Pamban Bridge at a cost of ₹ 250 crore (US$ 30 million). In December 2022, rail transportation on the bridge was suspended permanently as the bascule section had weakened significantly due to corrosion and in February 2023, the Indian Railways announced that the train traffic to Rameshwaram would be restored once the new bridge is completed. On November 2024, Inspection on

SECTION 10

#1732772483654

1020-682: A panchayat union dispensary, a higher elementary school and port offices. A port had been functioning since 1 March 1914. At least 800 people were killed in Dhanushkodi alone. Four radio operators remained in Dhanuskodi and risked their lives to continue broadcasting during the storm. Two railway employees patrolling the Pamban Bridge survived by clinging to the bridge frame for 12 hours. The Indian Government later honored and rewarded them for their dedication. The scale of

1105-409: A population of 44,856 with a sex-ratio of 969 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 5,022 were under the age of six, constituting 2,544 males and 2,478 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 6.8% and .03% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 73.36%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The town had

1190-501: A remnant low later that day and dissipated over open waters on December 26. At least 1,800 people lost their lives as a result of the cyclone. On December 22, the powerful cyclone struck northern areas of Ceylon and caused catastrophic damage. According to survivors, a storm surge of 4.5 m (15 ft) swept across the area. Initial reports stated that 250 people lost their lives with thousands missing. About 5000 houses and 700 fishing boats were destroyed in

1275-578: A result. A study of these pools in 1965 showed a, "clear succession of organisms", with species of Penaeidae ( Prawn ), one species of amphipoda , one species of crab, and Acetes inhabiting the pools. Researchers also found a few Sepioteuthis and tintinnid . Lastly, 46 species of coastal fish were documented. Offshore, catastrophic damage occurred to coral reefs , with Echinopora lamellosa , Montipora foliosa , and alcyonarians being killed in large numbers. At Manacadu Point, near Mandapam, an elevated coral colony of Faviids and Porites

1360-482: A shipping canal through the shallow sea sometimes called Setu Samudram , and through the chain of islands variously known as Ram Setu or the Rama's Bridge. A few organisations are opposing the dredging of Rama Setu on religious, environmental and economical grounds. Many of these parties and organisations support implementation of this project using one of the five alternative alignments considered earlier without damaging

1445-614: A square steel mast of 45 m (148 ft) height, diameter of 24 m (79 ft) at the bottom tapering to 6.5 m (21 ft) at top. The tower has been designed for a wind velocity of 160 km/h (99 mph). There are two lighthouses in Rameswaram – the Pamban lighthouse and the Rameswaram lighthouse . Ramanathapuram district has one of the lowest literacy rates in the state of Tamil Nadu and Rameswaram, following

1530-448: A total capacity of 1430,000 litres. About 6 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from the town every day in the four zones covering the whole of the town. Rameswaram does not have a sewerage system for disposal of sullage and the disposal system consists of septic tanks and public conveniences. Roadside drains carry untreated sewage out of the town to let out raw into the sea or accumulates in low-lying area. Rameswaram comes under

1615-424: A total of 10579 households. There were a total of 16,645 workers, comprising 69 cultivators, 20 main agricultural labourers, 148 in house hold industries, 15,130 other workers, 1,278 marginal workers, 11 marginal cultivators, 26 marginal agricultural labourers, 44 marginal workers in household industries and 1,197 other marginal workers. The total number of households below poverty lane ( BPL ) in 2003 were 976, which

1700-934: A township during 1958 and was declared a municipality in 2004. Rameswaram is a 3rd grade municipality having 21 wards, out of which 6 are general wards for women and one is reserved for Scheduled Caste women. The major sources of budgeted income for Rameswaram municipality comes from the Devolution Fund of ₹ 17 million (equivalent to ₹ 38 million or US$ 460,000 in 2023) and property tax of ₹ 2.4 million (equivalent to ₹ 5.4 million or US$ 65,000 in 2023). The major expense heads are for salaries of ₹ 6 million (equivalent to ₹ 13 million or US$ 160,000 in 2023), operating expenses of ₹ 3.7 million (equivalent to ₹ 8.3 million or US$ 99,000 in 2023), and repair & maintenance expenditure of ₹ 2.3 million (equivalent to ₹ 5.2 million or US$ 62,000 in 2023). The functions of

1785-496: Is 10.45% of the total households in the town and these were raised to 3003 (29.12%) in 2007. As per the religious census of 2011, Rameswaram had 87.4% Hindus , 4.36% Muslims , 8.13% Christians , 0.03% Sikhs , 0.01% Buddhists , and 0.07% following other religions. According to the Madras Presidency Panchayat Act of 1885, Rameswaram was declared a panchyat union during British times. It became

SECTION 20

#1732772483654

1870-533: Is a chain of limestone shoals , between Rameswaram and Mannar Island, off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Geological evidence suggests that this bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka. The bridge is 29 km (18 mi) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (North-East) from the Palk Strait (South-West). It was reportedly passable on foot up to the 15th century until storms deepened

1955-540: Is administered by a municipality established in 1994. The town covers an area of 53 km (20 sq mi) and had a population of 44,856 as of 2011. Tourism and fishery employ the majority of workforce in Rameswaram. Rameswaram means "Lord of Rama" ( Rāma-īśvaram ) in Sanskrit , an epithet of Shiva , the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple. According to Hindu epic Ramayana , Rama ,

2040-544: Is believed to have built a floating stone bridge, the Ramsetu bridge, that further continued to Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram till Talaimannar in Sri Lanka. According to another version, as quoted in Adhyatma Ramayana , Rama installed the lingam before the construction of the bridge to Lanka. The history of Rameswaram is centred around the island being a transit point to reach Sri Lanka (Ceylon historically) and

2125-401: Is located around 7 km (4.3 mi) from the main temple on the way to Pamban. It is believed to be the place where Rama quenched the thirst of Sita by dipping the bow into the sea water. Other major holy bodies are Hanuman Tirtham, Sugriva Tirtham, and Lakshmana Tirtham. Gandhamathan Parvatham, a hillock situated 3 km (1.9 mi) to the north of the temple is the highest point in

2210-569: Is part of the Char Dham pilgrimage. According to the Ramayana , Rama is described to have built a bridge from the vicinity of this town across the sea to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from her abductor Ravana . The temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva , is at the centre of the town and is closely associated with Rama and Shiva. The temple and the town are considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivas and Vaishnavas . Rameswaram

2295-470: Is spread across an area of 61.8 km (23.9 sq mi) and is in the shape of a conch. 74% of the area has sandy soil due to the presence of sea and it has many islands surrounding it, the Palk Strait in the north west and Gulf of Mannar in the south East. The Ramanathaswamy Temple occupies major area of Rameswaram. The beach of Rameswaram is featured with no waves at all – the sea waves rise to

2380-602: Is the only college present in the town and all the nearest colleges are located in Ramanathapuram and Paramakudi . Electricity supply to the town is regulated and distributed by the Ramanathapuram circle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). Water supply is provided by the Rameswaram Municipality – the head works is located at Nambunayaki Amman Kovil, Meyyambuli, Semmamadam & Natarajapuram and distributed through four over head tanks having

2465-410: Is the only one of its kind in the state, filled with such varied marine life forms including exotic species. Another focal point on the simmering tension between Indian and Sri Lankan governments is over the use of Kachchatheevu , an uninhabited island 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Rameswaram, belonging to Sri Lanka. The accord of 1974 allows fishermen of both the countries for resting and soaking

2550-592: Is the second closest point from which to reach Sri Lanka from India and geological evidence suggests that the Rama Sethu was a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka. The town has been in the news in past due to controversies such as the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project , Kachchatheevu , Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and capturing local fishermen for alleged cross-border activities by Sri Lankan Forces. Rameswaram

2635-543: Is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga, meaning "pillar of light". It is also one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam temples and is glorified in hymns by the three of the most revered Nayanar saints (7th century Saivite saints), Appar , Sundarar , and Tirugnana Sambandar . The temple in its current structure was built during the 12th century by Pandya Dynasty . The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The breadth of these columned corridors varies from 17 to 21 ft (5.2 to 6.4 m) with

Pamban Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

2720-474: The Brahmin Ravana. To worship Shiva, Rama wanted to have a lingam and directed his trusted lieutenant Hanuman to bring it from Himalayas . Since it took longer to bring the lingam, Sita built a lingam made of sand from the nearby seashore, which is also believed to be the one in the sanctum of the temple. Sethu Karai is a place 22 km (14 mi) before the island of Rameswaram from where Rama

2805-493: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classified the system as a deep depression. Over the following days, the system quickly intensified as it began moving slowly westward. By December 19, it became a severe cyclonic storm and soon acquired hurricane-force winds early on December 20 while near 5°N . The cyclone became one of only a handful of system to attain such an intensity close to

2890-571: The Jaffna district of Ceylon. The district's paddy crop was also destroyed. Other badly hit areas include Mannar and Trincomallee . The Trincomallee port suffered severe damage rendering it inoperable. The economic damage caused in Ceylon was estimated at Rs. 200 million. About 350 Ceylonese fishermen were missing at sea. At least 1,000 people were killed on the island and many more were left unaccounted for. An unofficial estimate stated that

2975-565: The Ministry of Railways sanctioned ₹ 25 crore (US$ 3.0 million) to replace the existing 65.23 metres (214.0 ft) long rolling type span with a 66 metres (217 ft) long single truss span which could be opened automatically. In December 2018, train movement was halted to carry out repairs when a fissure was noticed on one of the spans and rail movement on the bridge was restored in March 2019. In 2020, Government of India announced that

3060-544: The Pamban channel and is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Mannar Island , Sri Lanka. It is in the Gulf of Mannar , at the tip of the Indian peninsula. Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India by the Pamban Bridge . Rameswaram is the terminus of the railway line from Chennai and Madurai . Together with Varanasi , it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus and

3145-601: The IMD estimated its central pressure to have been, at most, 970 mbar (hPa; 28.64 inHg). The lowest observed pressure was 978 mbar (978 hPa; 28.9 inHg) in Mannar on the west coast of Ceylon. Weakening somewhat, the storm soon struck Tamil Nadu , south of Tondi. Once onshore, the cyclone rapidly weakened, becoming a depression before emerging over the Arabian Sea on December 24. The system degenerated into

3230-512: The Indian fishermen to meet their Sri Lankan counterparts and exchange views on their mutual problems. The event served as a meeting point to find brides and grooms from both countries, but this practice has now been stopped from the 90s due to political constraint of fishermen family living in different countries. Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating

3315-461: The Indian judiciary. The cases not being filed is attributed to the fact that people killed beyond the maritime boundary of India are not eligible for compensation and not many file complaints against the Sri Lankan navy. Though the Indian judiciary has provisions to prosecute foreigners, there is little progress due to the diplomatic overheads involved. Indian government has also ventured into

3400-559: The Karaikudi Telecom circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Apart from telecom, BSNL also provides broadband internet service along with other major internet service provider including Reliance . The town is a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre, attracting the visit of thousands of devotees everyday. Adherents assemble to receive

3485-485: The New Pamban Bridge held successfully. The Pamban railway bridge spans a 2.06 km (1.28 mi) wide strait between the Indian mainland and Rameswaram Island. The mainland end of the bridge is located at 9°16′56.70″N 79°11′20.12″E  /  9.2824167°N 79.1889222°E  / 9.2824167; 79.1889222 . The bridge is located in a corrosive marine environment, making its maintenance

Pamban Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

3570-596: The Pandya kingdom to Delhi in 1311. During the early 15th century, the present-day Ramanathapuram, Kamuthi and Rameswaram were included in the Pandya dynasty. In 1520 CE, the town came under the rule of Vijayanagara Empire . The Sethupathis, the breakaway from Madurai Nayaks , ruled Ramanathapuram and contributed to the Ramanathaswamy temple. The most notable of them are the contributions of Muthu Kumara Ragunatha and Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathi, who transformed

3655-513: The Rameswaram. Hinduism was their state religion and they made generous contribution to the temple. Setu was used in their coins as well as in inscriptions as marker of the dynasty. According to Firishta, Malik Kafur , the head general of Alauddin Khalji , the ruler of Delhi Sultanate , reached Rameswaram during his political campaign in spite of stiff resistance from the Pandyan princes in

3740-523: The South. Though ideologically the temples are divided between the sects of Hinduism, namely Shaivism and Vaishnavism , the Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair. The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime. Traditionally, the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in

3825-529: The Tamil Nadu government has set up 30 more marine police stations to bring the state's entire coastal belt under close vigil. During the intense civil war of Sri Lanka, post 1980, Rameswaram acted as one of the focal points of smuggling and intense patrolling was carried out during the period. There are a total of 65,940 registered destitute Sri Lankan refugees dwelling in 129 refugee camps situated in different parts of Tamil Nadu, as of April 2000 , and

3910-814: The agricultural sector reduced from 23% in 1971 to 0.13% in 2001. Rameswaram is an industrially backward town – there has been no demarcation for industrial land due to the pilgrim sanctity and ecological fragile geography. Being an island town, the traditional occupation was fishing, but due to poor returns, the people in fishing community have gradually shifted to other professions. Banks such as State Bank of India , Indian Bank , Union Bank of India and RDCC Bank have their branches in Rameswaram. Rameshwaram has well road connectivity from Madurai by National Highway NH87 passes through Manamadurai - Paramakudi - Ramanathapuram and National Highway NH536 from Trichy passes through Pudukkottai - Karaikudi - Ramanathapuram . Indian government and state government are keep developing

3995-567: The bridge are opened manually using levers. A metre-gauge railway ran along the bridge since its inception in 1914 till 2007 when it was upgraded to a 5ft 6in broad gauge line. The railway line connected Mandapam in mainland India and the Pamban island via the bridge. Earlier the railway line bifurcated from Pamban with one line heading towards Rameshwaram about 6.25 miles (10.06 km) up and another branch line of 15 miles (24 km) terminating at Dhanushkodi . The railway line to Dhanushkodi

4080-400: The bridge to carry broad-gauge trains in a project that finished on 12 August 2007. Historically, the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers. About 10 ships – cargo carriers, coast guard ships, fishing vessels and oil tankers pass through the bridge every month. After completion of bridge, metre-gauge lines were laid from Mandapam up to Pamban Station, from where

4165-609: The bridge was suspended permanently as the bascule section had weakened significantly due to corrosion. Plans for a bridge to connect to mainland was suggested in 1870 as the British Administration sought ways to increase trade with Ceylon . The construction began in August 1911. The bridge was opened for traffic on 24 February 1914 and connected Rameshwaram in Pamban Island with mainland India. The bridge

4250-496: The centre of the town and can be reached by road. According to local tradition, Dhanushkodi is the site where Vibhishana , a brother of Ravana, surrendered to Rama in the epic Ramayana . Rameswaram is significant for many Hindus as a pilgrimage to Varanasi is considered to be incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram. The town along with the Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Badrinath , Puri , and Dwarka . Though

4335-541: The channel. The temple records record that Rama's Bridge was completely above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in 1480 CE. The bridge was first mentioned in the ancient Indian Sanskrit epic Ramayana of Valmiki. The name Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu (Sanskrit; setu : bridge) refers to the bridge built by the Vanara (ape men) army of Rama in Hindu mythology, which he used to reach Lanka and rescue his wife Sita from

SECTION 50

#1732772483654

4420-442: The cloistered precincts of the temple was reconstructed by him. The rulers of Sri Lanka contributed to the temple – Parakrama Bahu (1153–1186 CE) was involved in the construction of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The eastern tower and shrine of Nataraja were built by Dalavai Sethupathy in 1649 CE. The second enclosure is ascribed to Chinna Udayar Sethupathy and his son Ragunatha Thirumalai (1500–1540 CE). The third enclosure

4505-478: The cyclone extended as far as 485 km (301 mi) into the Southern Hemisphere . Several vessels encountered the storm, with one reporting 110 km/h (70 mph) winds early on December 22. That day winds along the coast of Ceylon increased; the storm accelerated during this time as well. Early on December 23, the cyclone struck the northern tip of Ceylon and turned back toward

4590-465: The death toll would likely exceed 2,000. The government regarded it as, "the greatest tragedy to ever hit Ceylon." The effects of the cyclone were felt mostly in Pamban Island , which lies between the Indian mainland and Ceylon. More than 3000 people, many of them tourists and pilgrims, were stranded on the island. The total damage to property was estimated at $ 150 million. On December 23, an estimated 7.6 m (25 ft) storm surge struck

4675-952: The demon king Ravana. The Ramayana attributes the building of this bridge to Rama in verse 2-22-76, naming it as Setubandhanam. The sea separating India and Sri Lanka is called Sethusamudram meaning "Sea of the Bridge". Maps prepared by a Dutch cartographer in 1747 CE, available at the Tanjore Saraswathi Mahal Library show this area as Ramancoil , a colloquial form of the Tamil Raman Kovil (or Rama's Temple). Many other maps in Schwartzberg's historical atlas and other sources such as travel texts by Marco Polo call this area by various names such as Adam's Bridge , Sethubandha and Sethubandha Rameswaram . According to 2011 census , Rameswaram had

4760-707: The disaster left villages isolated for at least three days and without food or clean water. Communication lines were severely damaged and hampered relief efforts. By December 26, relief supplies were delivered to 14 villages by the Ceylonese Air Force. Britain, Cuba , West Germany , and the United States offered aid to Ceylon. Reconstruction of the Pamban Bridge was deemed a priority and initially expected to take six months to complete. However, E. Sreedharan , an engineer tasked on

4845-430: The district statistics has a lower literacy rate. There are two Government high schools, one each for boys and girls. There are seven other schools: Swami Vivekananda vidyalaya Matriculation School, St. Joseph Higher Secondary School, Mandapam Panchayat Union 9 – School, Micro Matriculation School, Sri Sankara Vidhyalaya, Holy Island Little Flower School and Kendriya Vidhyalaya School. Alagappa University Evening College

4930-534: The early 14th century. He erected a mosque by name Alia al-Din Khaldji in honour of victory of Islam . The records left by the court historians of the Delhi Sultanate state that Malik Kafur raided Madurai , Chidambaram , Srirangam , Vriddhachalam , Rameswaram and other sacred temple towns, destroyed the temples which were sources of gold and jewels. He brought back enormous loot from Dwarasamudra and

5015-431: The equator. Moving more west-northwesterly, the cyclone continued to deepen as it approached southern India. On December 21, satellite imagery showed clouds from the storm covering an area roughly 965 km (600 mi) wide. Several prominent banding features were present, with one such feature, extending over 240 km (150 mi) crossing the equator while maintaining a cyclonic arc. Clouds associated with

5100-623: The ethnic violence from July 1983. As of October 2006 , an estimated 200,000 refugees have been reported in Mandapam Camp . Sivarasan, one of the mastermind behind the Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi , the ex-prime minister of India registered as refugee in Rameswaram camp on 12 September 1990. Being an island, a significant population is involved in fishery traditionally. There have been incremental cases of Rameswaram fishermen allegedly killed or arrested by Sri Lankan navy along

5185-493: The island. In a two-storeyed hall, Rama's feet are venerated by adherents as an imprint on a chakra (wheel). The Ramarpatham Temple is located on the hillock. Dhanushkodi is the southernmost tip of the island and houses the Kothandaramaswamy Temple dedicated to Rama. Though Dhanushkodi was washed away during the 1964 cyclone , the temple alone remained intact. It is 18 km (11 mi) way from

SECTION 60

#1732772483654

5270-419: The mainland with Rameswaram, boats were the only mode of transport to Rameswaram island. The Rameswaram municipality covers a total road length of 52 km (32 mi) and 20 km (12 mi) of national highway covering about 80 percent of the town. The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation runs daily services connecting various cities to Rameswaram and operates a computerised reservation centre in

5355-399: The maritime borders of India and Sri Lanka from the time of Sri Lankan civil war during 1983. In the face of simmering tension after the 1985 January Colombo bound Yaldevi train attack in which 22 Sri Lankan soldiers and 16 civilians were killed, Rameswaram fishermen dared to venture to seas spelling acute hardship for the 10,000 fishermen family. An estimated 381 fishermen have been killed in

5440-429: The municipal bus stand of Rameswaram. Rameswaram is the important port among all the ports in the district, having a ferry service to Talaimannar of Sri Lanka, though not operational throughout the year. Limited foreign trade is conducted with Jaffna , Kaits, Talaimannar and Colombo . The Rameswaram TV Tower is the tallest tower in India. The tower is a 323 m (1,060 ft) tall circular concrete tower with

5525-462: The municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning and the Computer Wing. All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the supreme executive head. The legislative powers are vested in a body of 21 members, one each from the 21 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by

5610-511: The nets in the island. Repeated allegations on attacks by the Lankan navy, which on many occasions killed Indian fishermen, prevented them from making it to the island. The annual two-day Saint Anthony fest at the island draws huge number of people from the fishermen community of both the countries. The number of pilgrims for the 2012 function crossed 4,000, the largest attendance in the past two decades. The feast also provides an opportunity for

5695-628: The origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of Hinduism established by Sankaracharya , attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer. The four monasteries are located across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in

5780-450: The pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance. Twenty-two of the tanks are within the Ramanathaswamy Temple. The foremost one is called Agni Tirtham, the sea ( Bay of Bengal ). Jatayu , a vulture/eagle demigod, is believed to have fought in vain with the rakshasa -king Ravana to save Sita, and is said to have fallen down at Jatayu Tirtham, as his wings were severed. Villoondi Tirtham literally translates to 'buried bow',

5865-433: The presence of Ramanathaswamy Temple. Tevaram , the 7th–8th century Tamil compositions on Shiva by the three prominent Nayanars ( Saivites ) namely Appar , Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar . The Chola king Rajendra Chola I (1012–1040 CE) had a control of the town for a short period. The Jaffna kingdom (1215–1624 CE) had close connections with the island and claimed the title Setukavalan meaning custodians of

5950-539: The project, managed to have the railway bridge finished in 45 days. A stable road connection was built in the following years. In Mandapam , the cyclone's surge created five tidal pools over a 2 km (1.2 mi) stretch of coastline. Three of the pools had higher than normal salinity coupled with below-average silicate content and were colonized by Peridinium . The other two featured opposite levels of salinity and silicate and were inhabited by Pyrocystis fusiformis . All five featured bioluminescence as

6035-476: The railway lines bifurcated into two directions, one towards Rameswaram about 6.25 miles (10.06 km) up and another branch line of 15 miles (24 km) terminating at Dhanushkodi . The noted Boat Mail ran on this track between 1915 and 1964 from Chennai Egmore up to Dhanushkodi, from where the passengers were ferried to Talaimannar in Ceylon . The metre-gauge branch line from Pamban Junction to Dhanushkodi

6120-488: The road connectivity in this region as the number of tourists gets increased every year. Pamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait that connects Rameswaram to mainland India. The railway bridge is 6,776 ft (2,065 m) and was opened to traffic in 1914. The railroad bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge section that can be raised to let ships pass under it . The railway bridge historically carried metre-gauge trains on it, but Indian Railways upgraded

6205-504: The sea due to shoot outs from 1983 to 2009. The Sri Lankan army attributed the killings to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but the casualty continues even after the end of LTTE in the region. The Tamil Nadu state government has increased the compensation of casualty from the original ₹ 100,000 to 500,000 (US$ 1,800 to $ 9,000). There has not been a single prosecution in any of the 381 killings committed so far from

6290-499: The seventh avatar of the god Vishnu , prayed to Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon-king Ravana in Sri Lanka. According to the Puranas (Hindu scriptures), upon the advice of sages , Rama, along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana , installed and worshipped the lingam (an iconic symbol of Shiva) here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya incurred while killing of

6375-484: The structure considered sacred by Hindus. With 22 km (14 mi) of dredging remaining, the project is held from March 2010 by a Supreme Court order seeking the Central Government to clarify the status of the bridge as a national monument. 1964 Rameswaram cyclone On December 15, 1964, an area of low pressure was identified over the southern Andaman Sea . Remaining nearly stationary,

6460-633: The temple to an architectural ensemble. The region then fell under the rule of different leaders Chanda Sahib (1740–1754 CE), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725–1764 CE) in the middle of the 18th century. In 1795 CE, Rameswaram came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency . After 1947, the town became a part of independent India. Rameswaram has an average elevation of 10 m (33 ft). The island

6545-556: The town of Dhanuskodi on the south-eastern edge of the island, submerging the town and overturning the Pamban-Dhanuskodi passenger train killing all 200 passengers on board. The town, an important transit point between India and Ceylon, was completely destroyed and has not been rebuilt since. Prior to the cyclone, the town had been an important commercial centre with a railway station , a customs office, post and telegraphs office, two medical institutions, one railway hospital,

6630-425: The use of technology like use of Global Positioning System (GPS) by the fishermen and enabling cellphone blips to alert their mobile phones whenever they are crossing into Sri Lankan waters. The Sri Lankan navy has confirmed reports on Indian fishermen risking the international boundary due to depleted catch in Indian waters. There is a yearly 45-day ban on fishery with motorboats in the region. The fishing ban for

6715-410: The west-northwest. According to an officer on Pamban Island , located between Ceylon and Southern India, the storm's eye was no more than 16 km (9.9 mi) wide. Based on satellite imagery, it was estimated that the storm had peak winds of 240 km/h (150 mph), with gusts as high as 280 km/h (175 mph). This ranked the system as a modern-day super cyclonic storm. Additionally,

6800-495: The year 2012 was effective during the months of April–May. The jetty at Rameswaram is the largest landing centre for fishing boats in the region and it usually comes alive after the ban, with the arrival of fishermen, boat captains, shore workers and others from their native places. Sea World Aquarium is a natural habitat lying opposite to the Rameswaram Bus Stand, having an assortment of underwater creatures – it

6885-422: Was abandoned after it was destroyed in a cyclone in 1964 . There are daily express trains connecting major cities in Tamil Nadu like Chennai , Madurai , Trichy , Coimbatore and Karaikudi . There are express and passenger trains connecting to major destinations. The Ramanathapuram – Rameswaram National Highway is the main connecting link from Rameswaram to the mainland. Before the 1914 train service linked

6970-477: Was constructed by Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathy (1725–1771 CE) – his statue is located in the entrance of the corridor. There are sixty-four Tīrthas or Tirtham s (holy water bodies) in and around Rameswaram. According to the Skanda Purana , twenty-four of them are important. Of the 24, 14 are in the form of tanks and wells within the precincts of the temple. Bathing in these tanks is a major aspect of

7055-411: Was damaged during the 1964 Rameswaram cyclone and required extensive repair work. The adjacent road bridge was opened in 1988. In 2009, further strengthening work was carried out on the bridge under the supervision of E. Sreedharan to enable it to withstand heavier freight trains. On 13 January 2013, the bridge required repair work to the piers after suffering a minor damage from a naval barge. In 2016,

7140-451: Was destroyed during 1964 Dhanushkodi cyclone along with the Pamban-Dhanuskodi passenger train, killing around 200 people. Rameswaram Rameswaram ( IPA: [ɾaːmeːsʋaɾam] ; also transliterated as Ramesvaram , Rameshwaram ) is a municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by

7225-845: Was traditionally a stronghold of the Indian National Congress that won 6 times till the 1991 elections, after which it was won twice each by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is A. Anwhar Raajhaa from the AIADMK party. Being a pilgrimage town, the majority of the population is involved in tourism related industry consisting of trade and services. Service sector increased from 70% in 1971 to 98.78% in 2001, while

#653346