Vivid Colors of Rameshwaram Temple

Indian temples are known for their architecture, grandeur and vivid colors. One who sees these huge temples in the southern part of India for the first time are nothing short of being in awe of these imposing and stunning structures. (More photos of South India temples are here)

Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameshwaram in the state of Tamil Nadu is one such beautiful ancient temple. Apart from being a gorgeously colorful temple, it is one of the most sacred temples for Hindus and among one of the twelve jyothirlinga temples of Lord Shiva. According to Ramayana, the holy scripture of Hindus, Lord Rama is believed to have prayed Lord Shiva here to absolve himself of the sin of killing a brahmana – Ravana – in the fight between good and evil. Lakhs of people from all across India visit this temple, located at the confluence of Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, just few miles away from Sri Lanka.

I shot this photo when i visited this temple in the summer of 2013. It was really a hot day with scorching heat outside. But once inside the temple, i was soon forgotten about it seeing the vivid colors in the world-famous corridors of this temple. This temple has the distinction of having the longest corridor for any Hindu temple in the world. My shot captures a different perspective of this corridor where three Rathas are kept, which are used on auspicious festive occasions.

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