Kothandaramaswamy Temple
Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu · temple
- Days OpenOpen daily
- Entry Fee₹0
Standing almost alone on a low, sandy neck of Rameswaram island, the Kothandaramaswamy Temple is one of the most atmospheric stops on the road out to Dhanushkodi, roughly 7 km south-east of the main temple town in a straight line and about twenty minutes away by road. Small, whitewashed and weather-worn, the shrine is dedicated to Kothandarama — Rama bearing the kodanda, his great bow — and enshrines Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and, unusually, Vibhishana. The setting is as much the draw as the deity: the shallow, gull-flecked water of Palk Bay, on the Bay of Bengal side of the island, laps the shore beside the compound, and beyond the low boundary wall there is little to see but sea-spray, pale dune grass and a flat, unbroken horizon. Drivers heading out to the sandspit pass the shrine early on the run, well before the Mukundarayar Chathram stretch, which makes it an easy first halt rather than a detour.
Where to Eat Nearby
- ✦South Indian "meals" hotels and messes in the pilgrim belt near the Ramanathaswamy Temple gopurams, Rameswaram town — look for the "pure veg" / "sudha saivam" board and confirm at the counter before ordering
- ✦Tiffin and filter-coffee stalls along West Car Street and East Car Street around the main temple — look for the "pure veg" / "sudha saivam" board and ask at the counter that the kitchen is fully vegetarian before ordering
- ✦Simple thali houses in the Rameswaram pilgrim belt serving unlimited South Indian banana-leaf meals — ask before you sit down whether the kitchen is pure-vegetarian, as many island kitchens are not
- ✦Tender-coconut and fresh-fruit vendors along the Dhanushkodi road for a roadside stop — stick to whole fruit and coconut water, and check what else the cart handles before buying anything prepared
About
Standing almost alone on a low, sandy neck of Rameswaram island, the Kothandaramaswamy Temple is one of the most atmospheric stops on the road out to Dhanushkodi, roughly 7 km south-east of the main temple town in a straight line and about twenty minutes away by road.
- Small, whitewashed and weather-worn, the shrine is dedicated to Kothandarama — Rama bearing the kodanda, his great bow — and enshrines Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and, unusually, Vibhishana.
- The setting is as much the draw as the deity: the shallow, gull-flecked water of Palk Bay, on the Bay of Bengal side of the island, laps the shore beside the compound, and beyond the low boundary wall there is little to see but sea-spray, pale dune grass and a flat, unbroken horizon.
- Drivers heading out to the sandspit pass the shrine early on the run, well before the Mukundarayar Chathram stretch, which makes it an easy first halt rather than a detour.
- By tradition, this lonely spot is said to mark the place where Vibhishana, the righteous younger brother of Ravana, crossed over and surrendered to Rama, who is traditionally said to have received him into his fold and later crowned him king of Lanka.
- Devotees relate the episode as inherited belief and living tradition rather than documented history.
- The temple's iconography — Rama flanked by his companions, with Vibhishana standing among them rather than apart — quietly carries the theme the shrine is loved for: an adversary's kin received with grace.
- That single, gentle idea is what gives this modest building its particular character.
- The temple's fame rests equally on a modern story of survival.
- When the catastrophic 1964 Rameswaram cyclone and its storm surge destroyed the town of Dhanushkodi, this shrine was, by local accounts, left standing when almost nothing else on the strip was.
- That resonance gives a visit its weight — a small building outlasting a vanished town.
- Twenty to thirty minutes is enough to walk the compound, take in the painted Ramayana panels, and let the wind do the rest.
- Footwear comes off at the entrance, the sand grows hot by midday and there is very little shade, so carry water and a hat, and treat the shrine as an active place of worship rather than a photo stop alone.
- For food, there are no dependable pure-vegetarian kitchens at the shrine itself, so eat before you set out from Rameswaram town.
- Rameswaram is a working fishing island, so pure-vegetarian cooking is not a given anywhere on it; the pilgrim belt around the Ramanathaswamy Temple gopurams is where most travellers find South Indian "meals" hotels and messes serving hot idli, crisp dosa, pongal and banana-leaf sappadu with filter coffee.
- Look for an explicitly pure-vegetarian board — "sudha saivam" or "pure veg" — at the door and confirm at the counter before ordering.
- Carry bottled water and simple vegetarian snacks for the drive, as roadside options thin dramatically past the temple toward Dhanushkodi.
Timings & Entry Fee
Verified: August 2026
Location & How to Reach
Address
Kothandaramasamy Koil Road, off the Dhanushkodi Road, Rameswaram, Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu 623526, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, 623526
How to Reach: About 7 km south-east of Rameswaram town in a straight line — roughly twenty minutes by road on the way to Dhanushkodi, and passed early on the run out to the sandspit, several kilometres before the Mukundarayar Chathram stretch. Reachable by auto-rickshaw, taxi or two-wheeler; many Dhanushkodi tour vans and shared jeeps halt here en route. The nearest railway station and bus stand are in Rameswaram town, which is linked to the mainland at Mandapam by the Pamban road bridge and, for trains, the Pamban rail bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kothandaramaswamy Temple known for?
It is a small seaside Rama shrine on the Rameswaram–Dhanushkodi road that is traditionally said to mark the place where Vibhishana surrendered to Rama and was accepted into his fold. It is also remembered as the shrine that, by local accounts, was left standing by the devastating 1964 cyclone that destroyed nearby Dhanushkodi.
Where is the temple located and how do I get there?
It stands on a low, sandy neck of Rameswaram island about 7 km south-east of Rameswaram town in a straight line, on the way to Dhanushkodi, with the shallow water of Palk Bay — the Bay of Bengal side of the island — close beside it. You can reach it by auto-rickshaw, taxi or two-wheeler in roughly twenty minutes, and most Dhanushkodi tour vans and shared jeeps stop here en route.
Is there an entry fee and how long should I plan to stay?
There is no entry fee. The shrine is small, so twenty to thirty minutes is usually enough to see the sanctum and the painted Ramayana panels. Footwear comes off at the entrance and there is little shade, so carry water and visit mid-morning or late afternoon.
Where can I eat vegetarian food near the Kothandaramaswamy Temple?
There are no dependable pure-vegetarian kitchens at this isolated shrine, so eat in Rameswaram town before you set out. The pilgrim belt near the Ramanathaswamy Temple gopurams is where most travellers find South Indian messes and "meals" hotels serving idli, dosa, pongal and banana-leaf sappadu — but Rameswaram is a working fishing island, so look for an explicit "pure veg" or "sudha saivam" board and confirm at the counter before ordering. Carry water and simple vegetarian snacks for the drive onward.
Why does the temple enshrine Vibhishana alongside Rama?
Devotees relate that this stretch of shore is where Vibhishana came across and gave himself up to Rama, who is traditionally said to have received him rather than turning him away. The shrine keeps that theme of grace toward an adversary's kin, which is why Vibhishana stands among Rama's companions here. It is recounted as inherited tradition and belief rather than documented history.