Historical Geography of Ancient India c7.505

c7.505

Rāmeśvaram.—It is a sacred island in the Bay of Bengal. The temple of Rāmanāthasvāmī is the famous temple here. According to tradition it was built by Rāmacandra when he crossed over to Ceylon to save his captivated wife Sītā from the clutches of Rāvaṇa, the tyrant king of Laṅkā. It is a fine specimen of Dravidian architecture with big towers, carved walls and extensive corridors. The temple is surrounded by a high wall on all sides covering an area of about 900 square feet. It contains many gopurams built of hewn stones. There are tanks inside the temple. A śivaliṅga and images of Annapūrṇā, Pārvatī and Hanumāna are found in the temple. (B. C. Law, Holy Places in South India, Calcutta Geographical Review, September, 1942).