The Story of Rama Setu - Why Lord Rama Built the Bridge at Rameshwaram

What the Name 'Rameshwaram' Actually Means

Before we tell you the story, let us explain the name itself.

The word Rameshwaram comes from two Sanskrit words - Rama and Ishwara. Ishwara is another name for Lord Shiva. So Rameshwaram means - 'The Shiva who is worshipped by Rama.'

This name alone tells you the whole story. This is the sacred place where Lord Rama - the avatar of Lord Vishnu - worshipped Lord Shiva with great devotion. On this very spot.

रामेश्वरं च यो याति शिवलिङ्गं प्रपूजयेत् । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः शिवलोकं स गच्छति ॥

Raameshvaram cha yo yaati, Shivlingam pra-pooja-yet | Sarva-paapa-vinirmuktah, Shiva-lokam sa gachchhati ||

Meaning: One who goes to Rameshwaram and worships the Shivalingam is freed from all sins and reaches the abode of Lord Shiva.

- Skanda Purana - Rameswara Khanda, Chapter 3

Where Are We in the Ramayana? - Setting the Scene

Lord Rama spent 14 years in the forest (vanvas) with His wife Sita and His younger brother Lakshmana. During this time, the demon king Ravana kidnapped Sita and took her across the ocean to his island kingdom of Lanka.

With the help of Hanuman and the monkey army of King Sugriva, Rama found out that Sita was in Lanka. But a vast ocean stood between them. How would an army cross the sea?

This is where the story of Rameshwaram begins.

Lord Rama Prays to the Ocean God - Three Days of Waiting

Lord Rama came to the southernmost shore of Bharat with His entire army - crores of vanara warriors led by Hanuman, Angad, Jambavan and Neel.

He sat on the shore and prayed to Samudra Dev - the god of the ocean - asking for a path through the waters. He prayed with great devotion. For three full days. But Samudra Dev did not appear.

On the fourth day, Rama became angry. He picked up His bow and shot blazing arrows into the sea. The ocean began to boil. Sea creatures were thrown into panic.

समुद्रं क्षोभयामास चापज्यातलनिस्वनैः । महाशैलैः सधाराभिर्व्यकिरत् सलिलं भृशम् ॥

Samudram kshobhayaamaasa chaapajyaatala-nisvanaiH | Mahaa-shailaiH sa-dhaaraabhir, vyakirat salilam bhrisham ||

Meaning: Rama stirred up the ocean with the thunderous sound of His bowstring, shooting great arrows like torrents of water and boulders.

- Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 22

Only then did Samudra Dev rise from the waters - wearing a crown of coral and jewels - and fold his hands before Lord Rama. He said: 'Among your army, the divine builders Nala and Neel have the boon that any stone they touch will float. Let them build a bridge, and I will hold it up.'

The Building of the Bridge - Nal Setu or Rama Setu

And so began one of the greatest construction events in all of cosmic history.

The entire army of vanaras got to work. They uprooted enormous trees. They pulled giant boulders from the mountains. They carried huge rocks to the seashore. And every stone that Nala and Neel touched and threw into the ocean - floated.

नलः सेतुं ततो राम वानरेन्द्रस्य शासनात् । योजनानां शतं चक्रे वानरर्षभकोटिभिः ॥

Nalah setum tato Raama, vaanara-indrasya shaasanaat | Yojanaanam shatam chakre, vaanara-rishabha-kotibhiH ||

Meaning: Then Nala, following Lord Rama's command, built a bridge of one hundred yojanas with the help of crores of the best among the vanaras.

- Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 22, Verse 45

According to Valmiki Ramayana - the oldest scripture on this story - the bridge was 100 yojanas long and 10 yojanas wide. It was built in just 5 days. Even today, satellite images show a chain of shallow limestone shoals between Rameshwaram and Sri Lanka - scientists call it Adam's Bridge. We know it as Rama Setu.

The Great War - and the Sin That Weighed on Rama's Heart

With the bridge built, Rama's army crossed into Lanka. The war that followed lasted many days. Finally, Lord Rama faced Ravana in direct combat.

Ravana was not an ordinary demon. He had mastered the Vedas. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. He had received boons from both Brahma and Shiva. Killing such a learned Brahmin - even an evil one - was considered Brahmahatya dosha - the sin of killing a Brahmin. Lord Rama voluntarily took this upon Himself - to show human beings how even great men must seek purification.

 

ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपनुद्य यज्ञैर्बहुभिरिष्ट्वा । रामो राजसिंहः शिवं प्रपन्नो रामेश्वरे ॥

Brahmahatyaam vyapanudya, yajnair bahubhir ishtvaa | Raamo raaja-simhah, Shivam prapanno Raameshvare ||

Meaning: To rid Himself of the sin of Brahmahatya, Lord Rama - the lion among kings - took refuge in Lord Shiva at Rameshwaram.

- Skanda Purana - Rameswara Khanda

The Story of Two Lingams - Ramalingam and Vishwalingam

Rama asked Hanuman to go to Kashi (Varanasi) and bring a Shivalingam for the installation. Hanuman flew north at great speed. But the auspicious muhurat (sacred time) was approaching.

Hanuman had not returned. The time could not be missed.

Then Sita - the divine mother - quietly came forward. With her own hands, she gathered sand from the seashore and shaped it into a lingam. This simple sand lingam, made by the Mother of the Universe and worshipped by Lord Rama at the exact auspicious moment, is the main deity of Ramanathaswamy Temple today. It is called Ramalingam.

Soon after, Hanuman returned from Kashi with a beautiful stone lingam. He felt he had failed in his duty. Lord Rama comforted him and said:

त्वया आनीतं काशीलिङ्गं पूज्यते प्रथमं सदा । रामलिङ्गात् पूर्वं सर्वे दर्शनं कुर्वन्तु भक्तकाः ॥

Tvayaa aaneetam Kaashi-lingam, poojyate prathamam sadaa | Raama-lingaat poorvam sarve, darshanam kurvantu bhaktakaaH ||

Meaning: The lingam you have brought from Kashi shall always be worshipped first. Every devotee must take darshan of the Kashi lingam before the Ramalingam.

- Skanda Purana - Rameswara Khanda 

This is why to this very day - every pilgrim who visits the Ramanathaswamy Temple worships Vishwalingam (Hanuman's lingam from Kashi) first, and only then sees Ramalingam. This is Lord Rama's own arrangement, to honour Hanuman's devotion for all of time.

What Our Puranas Say About Rameshwaram

The Skanda Purana - one of the largest Puranas with over 81,000 verses - has an entire section called the Rameswara Khanda dedicated to the glory of this place.

काश्यां तु मरणान्मुक्तिः रामेश्वर दर्शनात् । जन्मान्तरसहस्राणि पापान्मुच्येत मानवः ॥

Kaashyaam tu maranaan muktih, Raameshvara-darshanaat | Janma-antara-sahasraani, paapaan muchyeta maanavah ||

Meaning: One who dies in Kashi gets liberation. But one who takes darshan of Rameshwaram is freed from the sins of thousands of past births.

- Skanda Purana - Rameswara Khanda, Chapter 7

रामेश्वरं यः प्रत्यहं स्मरेन्नरः । सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्येत विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति ॥

Raameshvaram yah pratyaham smaren naraH | Sarva-paapaiH pramuchyeta Vishnu-lokam sa gachchhati ||

Meaning: One who remembers Rameshwaram every day is freed from all sins and attains the abode of Lord Vishnu.

- Padma Purana - Tirtha Mahatmya

Rameshwaram and Kashi - The Two Ends of One Thread

There is a beautiful tradition in our culture: pilgrims carry Ganga Jal from Kashi to offer at the Shivalingam in Rameshwaram. And in return, they carry Rameshwaram sand back to offer at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

In this way, the two sacred places embrace each other - across the full length of Bharat. This tradition is still followed by thousands of pilgrims every year.

सेतुबन्धे रामनाथे काशी विश्वेश्वरे तथा । एतयोर्दर्शनाद् धन्यः सप्तजन्मसु निर्मलः ॥

Setu-bandhe Raama-naathe, Kaashi Vishveshvare tathaa | Etayor darshanaat dhanyah, sapta-janmasu nirmalah ||

Meaning: One who takes darshan of both Ramanathaswamy at Rameshwaram and Vishweshwara at Kashi becomes blessed and remains pure for seven births.

- Skanda Purana - Kashi Khanda ( Reference to Rameswaram Combination )

When you go to Kashi before Rameshwaram, carry a small sealed bottle of Ganga Jal. Offer it at the Ramalingam. This simple act connects you to a tradition thousands of years old.