91-551: 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
182-399: 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
273-743: 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
364-426: 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
455-454: 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
546-640: 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
637-517: 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
728-756: 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,
819-414: 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
910-545: 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
1001-409: 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
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#17328517032151092-470: A sex-ratio of 983 females for every 1,000 males. The district is home to the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram and tourist spot Dhanushkodi , an abandoned town . In the early 15th century, the present territories of Ramanathapuram district, comprising taluks Tiruvadanai, RajaSingaMangalam, Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram, Kamuthi, Mudukulathur in Pandyan Dynasty. For a short period, this area
1183-478: 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
1274-598: 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
1365-448: 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
1456-424: 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
1547-927: 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
1638-483: 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
1729-523: 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
1820-730: Is a variety of dry red chilli mainly grown in this district. It is primarily grown in the Ramanathapuram district's Tiruvadanai , Mudukulathur , Kadaladi , RS Mangalam and Kamuthi taluks. It was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government of India on 22 February 2022 (valid until 15 November 2030). Ramnad Mundu Chilli Producer Company Limited from Mudhukulathur, proposed
1911-526: 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 ,
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#17328517032152002-531: 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
2093-401: 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
2184-465: Is overlain by thin alluvium and exposed towards the north of the Vaigai River. Detached exposures of laterite and lateritic soil are seen in the northwestern part of the district. A major part of the district is covered with the fluvial, fluvio-marine, Aeolian and marine sediments of Quaternary age. The fluvial deposits which are made up of sand, silt and clay in varying degree of admixture occur along
2275-559: 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
2366-464: 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
2457-528: 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
2548-410: 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
2639-572: 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
2730-543: 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
2821-467: 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
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2912-556: 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
3003-591: 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
3094-465: The Western ghats and bordered with the state of Kerala and east by Bay of Bengal . It was the largest district on that time. The town of Ramanathapuram is the district headquarters. Ramanthapuram District has an area of 4,123 km . It is bounded on the north by Sivaganga District , on the northeast by Pudukkottai District , on the east by the Palk Strait , on the south by the Gulf of Mannar , on
3185-552: The British in collaboration with Kattabomman of Panchalamkurichi. Colonel Agnew captured Marudhu Brothers and hanged them and made Gowri Vallbah Periya Udaya Thevar as Zamindar of Sivaganga. After the fall of Tippu Sultan, British took the control and imprisoned the Nawab. In 1892, the Zamindari system was abolished and a British Collector was appointed for administration. In 1910, Ramanathapuram
3276-507: 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
3367-455: 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
3458-539: 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
3549-477: 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
3640-585: 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
3731-504: 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
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3822-514: 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
3913-523: 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
4004-610: The active channels of Vaigai, Gundar, Manimuthar and Pambar rivers. They have been categorised into levee, flood basin, channel bar/ point bar and paleo-channel deposits. The paleo-channel deposits comprise brown-coloured, fine to medium sands with well preserved cross-beddings. The fluvio-marine deposits are exposed in the Vaigai delta as deltaic plain, paleo-tidal and dune flat deposits. The deltaic plain and dune flats comprise medium, grey brown sands. The paleo tidal flat deposits include black silty clay, black clay and mud. In Rameswaram Island,
4095-701: The age of six, constituting 71,705 males and 68,939 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 18.40% and 0.08% of the population, respectively. The average literacy of the district was 72.33%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The district had a total of 323,905 households. There were a total of 602,977 workers, comprising 149,959 cultivators, 103,592 main agricultural labourers, 18,546 in house hold industries, 214,053 other workers, 116,827 marginal workers, 23,808 marginal cultivators, 50,282 marginal agricultural labourers, 6,682 marginal workers in household industries and 36,055 other marginal workers. Languages of Ramanathapuram district (2011) At
4186-814: 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
4277-541: The area came under the control of the Marattas and then under the Nizam in 1744, Nawab's rule made displeasure in the mind of those chieftains. That made them declare the last Nayak as ruler of Pandiya Mandalam against the Nawab in 1752. By that time, throne of Carnatic had two rivals, Chanda Sahib and Mohamed Ali, and this district was part of Carnatic. The British and French supported Chanda Sahib and Mohamed Ali respectively. It paved
4368-563: 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
4459-400: 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
4550-588: 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
4641-496: 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
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#17328517032154732-533: 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
4823-442: 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
4914-477: The crevices, these sponges are found with many animals, ranging from tiny crabs and brittle star to bivalve molluscs. 275 species under 8 orders are found in Gulf of Mannar. With a 34 percentage share, Paramakudi is the top chili pepper producer in Tamil Nadu. In 2018, Government of India classifies Ramanathapuram as one of the 112 most underdeveloped district across the country and brought it under Aspirational Districts Phase 1. The Ramnathapuram Mundu chilli
5005-921: 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
5096-430: 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
5187-545: The division of Ramanathapuram. With the help of the King of Thanjavur in 1730, one of the chieftains deposed Sethupathy and became the Raja of Sivaganga. Acting upon the weakness of the Nayak rules, the local chieftains (Palayakarars) became independent. Raja of Sivagangai and Sethupathy of Ramanathapuram were prominent among them. In 1730, Chanda Sahib of Carnatic, captured Ramanathapuram. In 1741,
5278-522: 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
5369-609: 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
5460-423: The first marine biosphere reserve declared in India, this area has long been a national priority. The Gulf of Mannar and its 3,600 species of flora and fauna is one of the biologically richest coastal regions in all of the mainland of India. It is equally rich in sea-algae, sea grasses, coral reef pearl banks, fin and shellfish resources, mangroves, and endemic and endangered species. It is an important habitat for
5551-445: The fluvio-marine deposits include indurated sand and dune sands. The Aeolian deposits comprise red sands which are in nature of ancient dunes and occur over a 3.2 km wide and 8 km long stretch and lie parallel to the sea coast. These are separated by marshy deposits of black clays. The sands are underlain by calcareous hardpan. In Rameswaram Island also brown sand deposits occur around Sambaimadam on either side of NH 49 west of
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#17328517032155642-479: The highly endangered sea mammal, the dugong commonly called the sea cow. There are 137 species of coral found in Gulf of Mannar. The coral come in myriads of shapes. Some have finger like branches and others dome-shaped colony with a net work of ridges and furrows. Sponges, although at casual glance look like plants, are animals, living singly or in colonies of many individuals. Their colours vary as much as shape, being green, red, yellow, and even black or white. In
5733-483: 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
5824-419: 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
5915-399: 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
6006-429: 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
6097-455: 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
6188-507: 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
6279-611: 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
6370-450: 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',
6461-433: 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
6552-472: 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
6643-488: 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
6734-496: 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
6825-494: 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
6916-616: 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. Ramanathapuram district Ramanathapuram District , also known as Ramnad District , is one of the 38 districts an administrative districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India . The old Ramanathapuram District consists of Present day Virudhunagar and Sivagangai districts, it touches
7007-614: 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
7098-502: The time of the 2011 census, 97.67% of the population spoke Tamil and 1.53% Saurashtra as their first language. It is a part of Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency . Marine Biosphere Reserve not only in India but also in south and southeast Asia. The IUCN Commission on National Parks and WWF, identified the Reserve as being an area of "Particulars concern" given its diversity and special multiple-use management status. In addition, as
7189-440: The town. The marine formation comprises coastal plain deposits of sand and clay in varied proportions. Marine calcareous hardpan occurs as low terraces and platforms, with admixture of quartz, limonite and garnet concentration. According to 2011 census , Ramanathapuram district had a population of 1,353,445 with a sex-ratio of 983 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 140,644 were under
7280-662: The unconsolidated sediments of the Quaternary age except in the northwestern part, where isolated patches of Archaean crystallines and Tertiary sandstone are exposed. The Archaeans are mainly represented by the Charnockite group of rocks comprising garnetiferous granulite and the Khondalite group of rocks made up of quartzite and gneisses. The Tertiary sandstone (Cuddalore Formation) comprises pinkish, yellowish, reddish (variegated colours) medium to coarse grained sandstone and clay stone. It
7371-425: 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
7462-592: The way for series of conflicts in the southern part of the continent. In 1795, the British deposed Muthuramalinga Sethupathy and took control of the administration of Ramanathapuram. In 1801 Mangaleswari Nachiyar was made the Zamindar of Sivagangai. After the passing of Queen, the Marudhu Brothers took the charge by paying regular revenue to the East India company. In 1803 the Marudhu Brothers of Sivaganga revolted against
7553-428: The west by Thoothukudi District , and on the northwest by Virudhunagar District . The district contains the Pamban Bridge , an east–west chain of low islands and shallow reefs that extend between India and the island nation of Sri Lanka , and separate the Palk Strait from the Gulf of Mannar. The Palk Strait is navigable only by shallow-draft vessels. As of 2011, Ramanathapuram district had a population of 1,353,445 with
7644-486: 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
7735-422: 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
7826-470: 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
7917-411: 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,
8008-507: 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
8099-456: Was formed by clubbing portions from Madurai and Tirunelveli district. Shri J.F. Bryant I.C.S was the first collector. And this district was named as Ramanathapuram. During the British period this district was called "Ramnad." The name continued after independence. Later the district was renamed as Ramanathapuram to be in conformity with the Tamil name for this region. Most of the area is covered by
8190-804: 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
8281-548: Was under the Kings when Rajendra Chola I brought it under his territory in 1063 CE. In 1520, the Nayaks of Vijayangar took over the area under their control from the Pandiyan dynasty for about two centuries, maravar chieftains Sethupathis who were Lords under Pandiyan Kings and reigned over this part (17th century). At the beginning of the 18th century, family disputes over succession resulted in
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