Kasi Rameswaram Yatra

Aptly called the Cultural Capital of India, Kasi (Varanasi) is an ultimate pilgrimage center for Hindus for ages. According to Hindu Ithihas (Purana), it is believed that Kasi was founded by Lord Shiva, one of three principal deities along with Vishnu and Brahma and so here we can see a mighty form of River Ganges (Ganga) which is said to have its origin in the tresses of Lord Shiva. But the pilgrimage to this holiest city is incomplete without offering prayers to Lord Ramanathaswamy in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, a destination which is approximately 2,400 km away and so, this is how Kasi Rameswaram Yatra got its importance. Kasi Rameswaram Yatra is the most important of all yatras in our culture with its major significance in Rameswaram.

The initiating and ending point of this Yatra should be Rameswaram but before commencing, it is necessary that one should give something as ‘Dhaanam’ or ‘Donation’ to the needy ones to fulfill the morals of the religion which teaches us to do such yatras. As per Hindu Parampara, it is believed that this yatra should be done barefooted and the water from the holy river Ganga should be offered to the primary deities i.e., Vishwalingam and Ramalingam in Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple, and sand from Rameswaram should be mixed with River Ganga in Kasi, Uttar Pradesh. Yatra starts with offering prayers to Lord Ramanthaswamy (meaning ‘Lord of Rama’), a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which is one of the 12 jyotirlingas and one of the Char Dhams, followed by a dip in 22 holy water bodies (Tirthas) situated within the temple premise, the first and major one being called as ‘Agni Teertham’. It’s important that once you visit Rameswaram you should follow these rituals or else it is considered as ‘Papam’ or ‘Dosham’ but when we talk about Kasi if things don’t work according to plan, it is exempted because visiting Kasi is a punyam. This shows the importance of rituals and the Rameswaram shrine in this Yatra. According to Skanda Purana, there are 64 Tirthas in and around the island of Rameswaram out of which 24 are the most important ones. Next should be the collection of sand for further rituals. This sand is split into 3 parts namely Sethu Madhava, Veni Madhava, and Bindhu Madhava. After some rituals, Sethu and Bindhu Madhava are left out in the sea whereas, Veni Madhava is carried to Kasi.

The next pilgrim is to Shri Kashi Vishwanath Mandir also known as, ‘Golden Temple of Lord Shiva’ situated on the western bank of River Ganga. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, with the current structure being established under the reign of Maratha Ruler, Ahilya Bai Holkar in 1780. The main deity is known as ‘Shri Vishwanath’ meaning Lord of the universe. The importance of this yatra is mentioned in the Kasi-Khand of Skanda Purana. As per the tradition mentioned in the Puranas, the sand (Veni Madhava) from Rameswaram is mixed with the holy water of the Ganga River after a dip into it. Ghats like Assi Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat, and Manikarnika Ghat are associated with rituals like Pradhanam, Dhaanam, Sraadham, and Yagnam. These rituals lead to the attainment of salvation and it is believed that Shiva’s devotees on death are being directly taken to his abode on Mount Kailash by his messengers and not to Yama. The journey is brought to a conclusion by offering the holy water of Ganga to Lord Ramanathaswamy in Rameswaram, thus finishing one complete cycle starting from Rameswaram.