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Rameswaram
Town
Montage image showing temple, bridge, and fishing boats top to bottom.
From top: Ramanathaswamy Temple tower, Pamban Bridge, and a set of fishing boats.
Nickname(s): 
Rameswaram, Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram, ராமேஸ்வரம்
Rameswaram is located in Tamil Nadu
Rameswaram
Rameswaram
Location in Tamil Nadu
Rameswaram is located in India
Rameswaram
Rameswaram
Location in India
Country  India
State Tamil Nadu
District Ramanathapuram
Government
 • Type Second Grade Municipality
 • Body Municipality of Rameswaram
Area
 • Total 55 km2 (21 sq mi)
Elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total 44,856
 • Density 816/km2 (2,112/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Rameswaramkar
Language
 • Official Tamil
Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN CODE
623526
Vehicle registration TN 65

Rameswaram (also spelt as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a town and municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilometres from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. It is in the Gulf of Mannar, at the tip of the Indian peninsula. Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India by the Pamban Bridge. Rameswaram is the terminus of the railway line from Chennai and Madurai. Together with Varanasi, it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimage.

It is said the Hindu god Rama built a bridge from here across the sea to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from her abductor Ravana. The Ramanathaswamy Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, is at the centre of the town and is closely associated with Rama. The temple and the town are considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivas and Vaishnavas.

Rameswaram is the closest point from which to reach Sri Lanka from India, and geological evidence suggests that the Rama Sethu was a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka. The town has been in the news over the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, Kachchatheevu, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and capturing local fishermen for alleged cross-border activities by Sri Lankan Forces. Rameswaram is administered by a municipality established in 1994. The town covers an area of 53 km2 (20 sq mi) and had a population of 44,856 as of 2011. Tourism and fishery employ the majority of workforce in Rameswaram.

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