Destination Features

173 Km from Madurai is one of the most sacred towns of India. Rameshwaram, is known for the longest temple corridor. There are 24 bathing ghats within the corridors. It is said that bathing in these Kunds [bathing ghats] one attains salvation. But beware of the slippery stones around the Kunds.

Rameshwaram is connected to the mainland by a road bridge and railway bridge. It takes about 4 hours to reach Rameshwaram from Madurai. The ride on a train over the bridge  over churning seas below is an exhilerating  experience. It takes about 5 mins for a train to cross the bridge.

Areas around Rameshwaram  are not really developed. When I visited the place in 1995,there  was acute water shortage in the area, forcing the people to salvage water from the toilets of the trains passing through this region.

There are a few islands around Rameshwaram and if one plans to stay there for a while, it may be worth visiting them. TTDC used to have a Youth Hostel. Madurai Rly Stn used to have rtiring rooms. I dont find train to Rameshwaram on the IR time tables but it would be worth checking out the Setu Exp. Most tourist plan a day trip  and return to the mainland by evening. Places of interest include Ganthamathana Parvatam,  Kothandaramar and Temple Kurusadi.