Palani, Madurai and Rameshwaram

Visited in January 2026

This was our first trip in 2026, with family, to visit Palani, Madurai and finally the sacred Jyotirlinga of Rameshwaram.

We started off in the morning from Thrissur in the tempo-traveller we had hired. First stop was at Palani. We visited the temple by hiking up the hill.

By evening, we checked in to our hotel in Madurai. Next day morning, we took a rikshaw to visit the Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple.

Next, we drove towards Rameshwaram. This is one of the twelve sacred Jyotirlinga temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple's pran parthishta was done by Lord Shri Ram.

Once we reached Rameshwaram, we were so exceited to see the famous Pamban bridge, another engineering marvel.

We then went to visit the temple at around 3 pm in the evening. The temple has beautiful pillars carved out of stone and is absolutely stunning to see those on all the four sides of the main shrine.

We felt incredibly fortunate to visit the Ramanathar Swamy temple, where we offered prayers and sought the blessings of Lord Shiva. That evening, we also took a holy dip in the ocean and also the 22 sacred wells inside the temple premises.

The next day, we visited the main sites in and around Rameshwaram and also Dhanushkoti.

Dhanushkoti is a small, abandoned town located at the southeastern tip of Pamban Island. The town, which once flourished as a town, is now known uninhabited, but draws many tourists round the year.

Dhanushkoti has geographical as well as spiritual significance to it. According to legend, it is believed that Lord Rama built a bridge, known as 'Rama Setu' from Dhanushkoti to the Sri Lanka, to cross the ocean to rescue Maa Sita from Ravana who had abducted her.

In 1964 when a devastating cyclone struck, leading to widespread destruction here leaving the town uninhabitable. The remains of the town can be seen here which includes Post Office, Railway Station, Church etc.

We also visited the Kothandaramar temple, Villondi Theertham, APJ Abdul Kalam museum before we headed back to Thrissur.