M10-THE MANY HOLY THEERTHAMS IN RAMESWARAM

 

By PragyanSharma Polavarapu

THERE ARE WONDERS SPIRITUAL, GEOGRAPHICAL AND ALSO TECHNOLOGICAL AT RAMESHWARAM

(A)

INTRODUCTION

Some people realize god by writing holy books about gods.These books themselves are treated equal to gods because every hymn in it creates an inspiring image of god in the reader’s mind . We know of the great books like Ramayan, the Geetha, the Guru Grandh Sahib. Some people create a painting of god or a sculpture of god which too have such effect. great sculptors of yore created some sublime and majestic idols of gods and those idols adorn some of our temples . the idols we see in srirangam,Madurai and rameswaram etc create great spiritual joy in our minds. Similarly since ancient times some sweet water springs and beautiful ponds were identified with certain gods and goddesses of our mythologies and are greatly venerated . Such are the holy theerthams( sweet water springs or ponds of water or nice beaches) of holy Rameswaram island which is closely linked to Ramayana legends and some legends of puranas.

We know that the sea between south India and SriLanka is very shallow just 10 to 30 meters deep for tens of miles .In this area sea water was getting filtered and desalinated by naturally passing through miles thick limestone /calcium corbonate rock barrier which exists between south India and SriLanka. This had been occurring perhaps since millions of years of geologic time . This wonderful natural phenomenon was by noticed by the ancient builders of ramanathaswamy temple more than a thousand years back. the Skanda Purana names twenty-four theerthams . in this article the names of the theerthams are given after verifying several internet sites and online encyclopedias. For this I am very grateful to those on line sites.

(B)

THE TWO THEERTHAMS OUTSIDE THE RAMANATHASWAMY TEMPLE COMPLEX

Among the twenty-four theerthams the first and most important theertham is the Agni Theertham, which is a serene beach hardly 100 meters from the eastern entrance of Ramanathaswamy temple. It is here that goddess Seetha jumped into a big fire being unable to bear the harsh words coming from Lord Rama after she was rescued from Ravana’s captivity. The god of fire removed all the heat from the fire and personally escorted the goddess into Lord Rama’s presence. All pilgrims first take a holy bath in the Agni Theertham before entering the temple.

The second is “Sethu theertham” near Dhanushkodi and is also called Dhanushkodi theertham . It is said that Ramasethu bridge built by Lord Rama with floating stones was dismantled after Vibhishana new king of Lanka asked Lord Rama for its dismantling. King Vibheeshana said that wicked persons like Ravana may attack Lanka by travelling over the bridge. King Vibheeshana said that the bridge served its purpose and should be dismantled. Lord Rama agreed and he simply hit the bridge with the butt of his magical bow and it felled down and crumbled.

( C )

THE TWENTY TWO THEERTHAMS WITHIN THE TEMPLE COMPLEX

There are twenty-two other holy theerthams in the temple complex and they are within the corridors of the temple. They are listed below

Mahalakshmi Theertham.

It is located south of the Shri Anjaneyar shrine. taking a holy bath here will give prosperity and wealth .

Savithri Theertham, Gayathri Theertham and Saraswathi Theertham 

These are located west of the Shri Anjaneyar shrine . Devotees believe that taking holy bath in these wells will help them to get rid of many doshas.

Sethu Madhava Theertham

It is located in the third corridor of the temple. Such holy tanks are called “teppakulams”

Gandhamadana Theertham and kavacha theertham

They are located near the Sethumadhava temple.

Gavaya theertham

It is also near lord sethumadhava Shrine.Devotees believe that taking a bath in gavaya theertham is equal to sitting under the Kalpavriksha – the wish-fulfilling sacred tree of heaven.

Nala Theertham and Neela theertham

Both are near the Sethumadhava Perumal Shrine. It is said that a bath in nala theertham gives “ surya tejas” and a place in heaven and that a bath in neela theertham gives benefits got from bathing in all the theerthams.

Sanku Theertham.

It is located within the inner prakarams.it is said that bathing in it absolves people from the great sin of being ungrateful to others who helped .

Chakra Theertham 

It is located in the inner praharams.it is stated that sun god (surya) by bathing in it got the golden disc. Devotees believe that taking a bath in this well will give them good health.

Brahmahathya Vimochana Theertham.

 It is also located in the inner prakarams.it is believed that taking a bath in this well can cancel the serious sin of killing a cow unknowingly.

Soorya Theertham and Chandra Theertham

They are also located in the inner prakaram. Devotees believe that taking bath in these holy wells will give them “Thrikala gnanam”—knowledge of past,presentand future .

Ganga Theertham, Yamuna Theertham and Gaya Thertham

All located in the inner prakarams. They give the same benefit equivalent to bathing in those holy rivers .

Siva Theertham

Located in the inner praharams. Devotees believe that taking a bath in this will absolve them of unknowingly speaking ill of god almighty of universe(Lord Vishnu or Lord Siva).

Sathyamirtha Theertham-also located in the inner prakarams.

 Devotees believe that taking a bath in this holy well will help them to get rid of various sins.

Sarva Theertham-located in inner prakaram.

Devotees believe that bathing in this theertham has the merit of bathing in all theerthams n all the fourteen worlds.

Kodi Theertham

 This is the holy well where Lord Krishna bathed and got rid of the sin of killing his most wicked uncle king Kamsa. This is also said to be the place where Rama ,for worshipping lord shiva at rameswaram,by merely touching earth with tip of his arrow created a fountain of water and with that holy water performed abhisheka of lord shiva.

( D)

OTHER HOLY THEERTHAMS ON RAMESWARAM ISLAND

Apart from the twenty-two theerthams located inside the corridor of the Ramanathaswamy temple there are some other important theerthams on rameswaram island.

Jada Theertha.

 It is located just 5 km away from the temple town of Rameswarm, Jada Theertham is found on the way to Dhanushkodi( the town on rameswaram island which was totally destroyed by a severe cyclone in 1964). Lord Rama is believed to have washed his Jada (long hair) in this theertham. Devotees believe that taking a holy dip here will help them to not get struck by impoverishment and sins, and so on.

Lakshman Theertham

 The Lakshman Theertham is a big temple tank near to the main temple of ramanathaswamy. there is a temple of lord shiva here. Such a temple tank is called teppakulam. Devotees believe that lord Balarama(elder brother of lord Krishna) bathed in this tank.

Seetha Theertham

:It is also near to the main temple .it is said that by bathing in it dharmaraja who spoke a falsehood during mahabharatha war got absolved of the sin of deliberately speaking a falsehood.

Rama Theertham

It is a “ teppakulam” like the Lakshman Theertham. It is said that dharmaraja bathed in this theertham also to get absolved of speaking untruth during the mahabharatha war.

Villoondi Theertham

When queen seethe felt thirsty Lord rama fired an arrow into the sea and a spring of sweet water appeared and goddess seethe could allay her thirst.at present a well is constructed in the sea just 30 meters from the land and is connected by a small modern concrete bridge like passage to it. There is no trace of salt in this water .