The
Kothandaramaswamy Temple also known as Kothandaramar Temple is on the way to
Dhanushkodi, on Rameswaram Island of Tamil Nadu State. It is located at a
distance of 13 km from Rameswaram and is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal Ocean,
and it is almost like an Island but for its long and narrow road connection
from the Rameswaram - Dhanushkodi Road. You can see the location of this Temple
in the second and third pictures from the top. This Temple is the only
structure which remained intact during the destruction of Dhanushkodi by the
1964 cyclonic storm which washed away everything in Dhanushkodi and turned the
place into a Ghost Town, unsuitable for human habitation. This Temple and the
areas around it have a very prominent connection with Lord Rama and his stay
here and have a lot of relevance in Ramayana.
We
visited this Temple on our way to Dhanushkodi ruins and Dhanushkodi beach point
and Rama Setu. This Temple has the deities of Lord Rama, Sita Devi, Lakshmana,
Hanuman, and Vibhishana - the younger brother of Ravana the demon king of
Lanka. The main idol of Lord Rama is depicted with a bow (Kothandam), hence the
name Kothandaramaswamy for the idol and the Temple.
According
to the legend associated with this temple, there is a place near the Temple
named Nandavanam where Lord Rama is believed to have stayed with sage Bhringi
at his ashram for a few days. And this Temple is believed to be the place where
Vibhishana asked Rama and his Vanara army for refuge. According to this legend,
after the abduction of Sita, Vibhishana advised his brother Ravana to return
her to Rama. However, Ravana did not listen to the advice, which led Vibhishana
to flee from Lanka and join Rama's army. When Vibhishana surrendered to Rama,
the Vanara army urged Rama not to accept Vibhishana suspecting him to be a spy.
However, Rama accepted Vibhishana under the insistence of Hanuman, stating that
he has to protect those who surrender to him. It is also said that after the
slaying of Ravana, Rama performed the "Pattabhishekam" (Crowning to
the throne of Lanka) for Vibhishana at this place. Hanuman worshipping Lord
Rama is a common sight in many temples but a rare and special feature in this
Temple is that Vibhishana is seen worshipping Lord Rama. This entire story is
depicted in paintings across the walls inside this shrine. I am presenting
below these six paintings with commentary and some more photographs and a video
showing the Temple and its surrounding Ocean.
To be in the place where Lord Rama moved around and has such an important mention in Ramayana is a very exciting experience.
Details are very useful and it will be very use for coming tourist Thanks
ReplyDelete