Ramanathaswamy

Ramanathaswamy is the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and is revered as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas—self-manifested lingas of Shiva—as enumerated in the Shiva Purana (Kotirudra Samhita, chapter 19). The temple is also one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites, alongside Badrinath, Puri, and Dwarka. According to the Ramayana (Yuddha Kanda, sarga 131), after the war against Ravana, Rama—an avatar of Vishnu—wished to absolve the sin of killing a Brahmin (Ravana) and thus installed a linga at Rameswaram to worship Shiva. Tradition holds that Rama himself established the linga, which is also known as Rama's Linga. The Skanda Purana (Maheshvara Khanda, Arunachala Mahatmya) further glorifies this site as a sacred tirtha where the ocean and the divine unite.

Iconographically, Ramanathaswamy is represented as a linga, symbolizing the formless aspect of Shiva. The temple complex is renowned for its massive corridors, the longest among all Hindu temples, with intricately carved pillars. The linga is said to have been brought by Hanuman from Mount Kailash, and there are two lingas in the sanctum: the main Ramanathaswamy linga installed by Rama and a smaller one brought by Hanuman, known as Vishwalinga. This duality symbolizes the unity of Rama (Vishnu) and Shiva worship, a recurring theme in Hindu theology. The temple is located on the island of Rameswaram, which is believed to be the place from where Rama built the bridge (Ram Setu) to Lanka, as described in the Ramayana.

Regional worship traditions include elaborate abhishekams (ritual bathing) of the linga, especially during Maha Shivaratri and Thai Amavasya. The temple also observes Rama Navami with great fervor. In Hindu cosmology, Rameswaram is considered a gateway to the southern pilgrimage circuit and is associated with the tirtha (holy water) from the Ganges, which is brought to the temple for rituals. The deity's consort is Parvati, and his mount is Nandi. The associated mantra "Om Rāmanāthasvāmine Namaḥ" is chanted by devotees seeking liberation and blessings.

Linga form. Temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples. Located on the island of Rameswaram.