The temple at Rameshvaram, besides being considered a Dhama, is also one of
the twelve sacred Jyotir Linga sites. These sites, located throughout the
sub-continent of India, are where the god Shiva is said to have manifested as a
towering column of fire. Among India's most ancient temples sites, they enshrine
small pillars of stone, called lingas, which are worshipped as containing the
creative power of Shiva. Unlike the other eleven Jyotir Linga sites, Rameshvaram
has two sacred Lingas instead of just one. A legend from one of India's great
epics, the Ramayana, explains this unique condition. A demon named Ravana had
stolen Sita, the wife of Lord Rama. Following a terrific battle on the island of
Lanka (modern day Ceylon or Sri Lanka) in which Rama killed the demon Ravana,
Sita and Rama returned to India. At the site where they landed, Rama decided to
install a Shiva Lingam to absolve him of the sin of destroying Ravana who,
besides being a demon, was also a member of the Brahmin caste. Lord Rama sent
his devotee, the monkey deity Hanuman, to Mt. Kailash to get a lingam from the
god Shiva. Hanuman's journey took longer than expected however, and as the
auspicious time of worship neared, Sita quickly fashioned a lingam out of sand.
When Hanuman finally arrived with a stone lingam from Kailash he was
disappointed to find another lingam already installed. To please Hanuman, Rama
installed the stone lingam beside the sand one and ordered that all worship
should henceforth be given first to the Visvalingam brought by Hanuman, and only then to the Ramalinga made by Sita.
 

The enormous temple of the two Shiva Lingams lies near the seashore at the
tip of India. Besides the 100-foot tall gopuram towers shown in the photograph,
the temple is renowned for its magnificent corridors with massive stone pillars.
Decorating the sides of the gopuram towers and throughout the interior of the
temple are thousands of exquisite sculptures depicting mythic events from the
Ramayana. There are also twenty-two sacred bathing pools within the temple
complex. Fully clothed, pilgrims will immerse themselves in each of these pools
- known for their miraculous healing cures - before praying at the two Shiva
Lingams. Perhaps the finest example of Dravidian architecture in south India,
the present temple dates from the 12th century and is the composite work of
several different kings. More than ten thousand pilgrims pass through the temple
each day, making Rameshvaram one of the most visited and vital sacred sites in
all of Asia.