The history of the temple

Few temples in India, nay the whole world could claim such antiquity and hoary history along with its spiritual aura such as the Arulmighu Ramanathaswamy temple in the Island of Rameswaram jutting out of the Indian mainland on the south east coast. Though anthropologists and historians have not been able to establish the exact date that this temple came into existence, there is little doubt that the shrine is as old as the Ramayana itself. Hindu mythology records that this shrine dates back to the period, when Sri Rama returned to the island after vanquishing the rakshaka king of Sri Lanka.

The temple and the island of Rameswaram have acquired this name because, Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva, the God of Gods here on return from Sri Lanka. According to legend, after killing Ravana Lord Rama returned with his consort Goddess Seetha to India first stepping on the shores of Rameswaram. To expiate the `dosha' of killing a brahmin, Lord Rama wanted to offer worship to Lord Shiva. Since there was no shrine in the island had despatched Sri Hauman to Kailash to bring an idol of Lord Shiva..

Since there was a delay in Sri Hanuman returning with the Sivalingam, Goddess Sita had moulded a Lingam out of sand and the Lord offered worship to this sand Lingam.. When Sri Hanuman returned with the Kailash Lingam, he was irked that already a Lingam of sand had been installed and which had been worshipped by the Lord. He tried to remove the sand Lingam but could not do so. In order to apease him, Lord Rama had the Viswalingam brought by Sri Hanuman near the sand Lingam and both were worshipped.

This practice had been followed for centuries and is in vogue even today.
According to the `Thala.Puranam' of the Sri Ramanathaswamy temple, the shrine was housed in a thatched hut till the 12 centurty A.D. looked after by a series of ascetics. The existing records show that in the 12th century, Parakrama Bahu, king of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) constructed the sanctum sanctorum around the `Moola Lingam' (Sri Ramanathaswamy) Sri Viswanath and Ambal shrine.
In the 15th century, Udayan Sethupathi of Ramanad and a Vaisya of Nagore near Nagapattinam built the western stone tower which was about 78 feet high and the compound wall. A wealthy devotee from Madurai constructed the Ambal prakaram and and also carried out some renovation works.

In the sixteenth century, Tirumalai Sethupathi built a portion of the southern second corridor. His statue and that of his osn Ragunatha Sethupathi are found by the side of the southern entrance to the Ambal temple. They are honoured with flowers every Friday night. Later in the same century Chinna Udayan Sethypathi katta Thevar who was a feudatory under Viswanatha Naicker of Madurai made some additions including the Nandi mandapam. This nandi is of sudai ( lime and mortar) work, measuring about 22’ x12’ x 17’.

In the seventeenth century Dalavai Sethupathi built a portion of the main eastern Gopuram. Early in the eighteenth Century Ravi Vijaya Regunatha Sethupathi built the Palliyarai(Sayanagriha) and the Mandapam in front of the Ambal temple. Later in the same century, the World famour Third Corridor was constructed by Muthuramalinga Sethupathi. His statue and those of his two ministers are found in the western entrance to the Third Corridor.