Rameshwar, the most sacrosanct pilgrimage where Sri Ram had constructed the bridge has the supreme place among all the pilgrimages. Having a 'Darshana' of this pilgrimage helps a man to develop devotions in lord Shiva and lord Vishnu and he gets liberated from the cycles of births and deaths. Sighting this bridge gives virtues similar to the virtues acquired by the performance of all the oblations.

A man who takes a holy bath at this pilgrimage goes to the abode of lord Vishnu and achieves liberation.

A man who meditates upon this 'setu' (bridge), `Rameshwar- linga' and 'Gandhamadan-Parvat' (mountain) is freed from all of his sins. Even the sands at the shore of the sea is considered very sacred and a man who lies on the sands has all his sins of Brahma-hatya (killing a brahmim) gets destroyed.

The air around the bridge is so sacrosanct that its mere touch on the body destroys the sins acquired by having wine to the extent of ten thousand bottles.

If the ashes of the bones of a man are immersed in the water of the sea by his sons or grandsons then his (dead man's) sins of stealing gold for ten thousand times gets destroyed.

A man who takes a bath here and thinks about another man while bathing all the sins acquired by him (about whom he thinks) because of being in the company of the most lowly and sinful men, gets destroyed.

A man who aspires to become wealthy has his aspirations fulfilled by taking a bath at this sacred pilgrimage of Rameshwar.

It would be appropriate to say that all the wishes and desires of a man gets fulfilled if he takes a bath at Rameshwar.

SOME OTHER SACRED PILGRIMAGES AROUND RAMESHWAR:

Lord Ram while on his way to Lanka had constructed the bridge over the sea with the help of the Monkeys. The place where he had taken rest came to be known as 'Darbhashayan teerth'.

There are many sacred sites situated on the bridge itself among which twenty-four sites are considered to be the main. They are as follows:
'Chakra-teertha', 'Vetal-varad teertyha', 'Pap-Vinashan teertha', 'Sita-Sarovar', 'Mangal-teertha', 'Amrit vapika', 'Brahma-Kunda', 'Hanumat-kunda', 'Agastya teertha', 'Ram-teertha', 'Laxman teertha', 'Jaya-teertha', 'Laxmi teertha', 'Agni-teertha', 'Chakra-teertha', 'Shiv-teertha', 'Shankha-teertha', 'Yamuna-teertha', 'Ganga-teertha', 'Koti-teertha', 'Sadhyamrita-teertha', 'Manas-teertha' and 'Dhamush-Koti teertha'. These are the main pilgrimages situated on the bridge. All these pilgrimages are considered as very sacred and a man who visits these sites gets all of his sins destroyed.

Chakra Teertha: A ferocious demon ran towards sage Malav who was meditating at the banks of Dharma-puskarini. As the demon was very hungry he wanted to devour the sage. The sage called on lord Vishnu for his protection. Lord Vishnu sent his weapon 'Sudarshan-Chakra to kill the demon. The Sudarshan Chakra instantly killed the demon by beheading him. Sage Malav requested the 'Sudarshan Chakra' to remain there. Sudarshan Chakra accepted his requested and stayed there. That pilgrimage became famous as 'Dharma-Pushkarini Chakra-teertha.

SITA SAROVAR: Sita the daughter of Janak to prove her chastity to lord Ram had entered into the fire which was witnessed by all the deities. Sita came from the fire without being harmed. She created a pond for the welfare of the human beings. She took bath in that pond. Later on this pond came to be known as Sita-Sarovar.

MANGAL-TEERTHA: Goddess Laxmi always dwells at Mangal-teertha. In the ancient time a king by the name of Manojava and who was in the lineage of the moon took refuge in the forest along with his wife and children, after being defeated by the enemies. His hungry child demanded something to eat. Being unable to meet his demand both the king and his wife fainted. Sage Parashar was passing through that forest. Seeing him 'Sumitra' made salutations to him and narrated her whole story to him. By contemplating on lord Shiva, Sage Parashar touched the king and as a result the king regained his consciousness. Sage Parashar instructed them to go near the Gandh Madan mountain, where according to him was situated a sacred reservoir. He also asked them to take a holy bath in it as the result of which all of their miseries would end.

The king, following the instructions of sage Parashar went to the said place and chanted cryptic mantra for three months. As the result of his penance he acquired various divine weapons, a divine chariot. The king then defeated his enemies and regained his kingdom.

This mangal teertha is very sacred and gives liberation and salvation to a man.

EKANTA RAMNATH: Sri Ram along with Sita, Laxman and Hanuman dwell at Ekanta Ramnath, to oblige his devotees. There is situated, a pond by the name of Amrit Vapika, A man who takes a dip in this pond, is freed from the fears of old age and death. A man, who bathes in the holy water of Amrit Vapi, attains immortality by the blessings of Lord Shankar.

BRAHMA KUNDA: This sacred and great pilgrimage is situated in the middle of the bridge, at the 'Gandh-Madan' mountain. Having a darshan of this 'Brahma-Kunda' destroys all the sins of a man. It also neutralizes the sins of acquired by lakhs of 'Brahmhatya' (killing of Brahmin). One, who applies the sacred ashes of Brahmakunda on his forehead (tripunda), attains salvation. One who takes a holy bath in the Brahma-Kunda, finds the doors of the 'abode of salvation' open for him. This 'Brahmakunda' liberates a man from the bondage's of the world. It also fulfills all the wishes and desires of a man.

HANUMATKUNDA: While returning from Sri Lanka, Sri Ram along with his army which comprised of the monkeys, reached 'Gandhamadan' mountain. Hanuman, the son of wind (Pawan) created a supreme pilgrimage, for the benediction of the human beings. One who takes a bath in this reservoir attains to the abode of lord Shiva.

AGASTYA TEERTHA: Sage Agastya, while travelling towards south, went to the Gandhamadan mountain. After coming to know about the greatness of Gandhamadan Mountain he constructed a very virtuous pilgrimage in his own name. Even today, he along with his wife dwell at this pilgrimage. One who takes a bath in the holy water of this pilgrimage becomes free birth, death and rebirth.

RAM TEERTHA: This sacred reservoir created by lord Raghunath imparts religious merits and destroys the sins. Even performance of a minor oblation, at the banks of Ram-teertha, gives complete virtues. Similarly a self-study and chanting of Mantras, at the banks of Ram-teerths gives complete virtues. The great Shiva-linga with a desire to oblige the human beings, manifested at the banks of Ram teertha.' A man, who takes a bath in the holy water of Ram teerth and then has a darshan of this Shiva-linga attains salvation.

JATA TEERTHA: After the killing of Ravana the pond in which, Sri Ram had washed his locks of hair, came to be known as 'Jata-Teertha'. Taking a bath in the holy water of this pilgrimage purifies the conscience of a man. It also bestows the self-knowledge and as the result of this self knowledge a man attains salvation.

LAKSHMI TEERTHA: A man who takes a bath in the holy water of Lakshami teertha gets all of his desires fulfilled. This pilgrimage makes a man prosperous by driving away the poverty. It also destroys the gravest of sorrows. It helps a man in attaining to the heaven, in the attainment of the salvation, makes him free from the burden of the debts and helps him to have 'good' progenies.

RAMESHWAR-MAHALINGA

A man who has a 'darshan' of 'Rameshwar-Shivlinga', established by Sri RamChandra, achieves unification with lord Shankar and which is just like attainment of salvation.

The virtues attained in ten years in the era of 'Satya' are equivalent to the virtues attained in one year, in the era of 'treta' and to the virtues attained in one month, in the era of 'dwapar' and to the virtues attained in one day in the era of 'Kali'. The same virtues by becoming crore-folds are attained in a moment, by having a 'darshan' of lord Rameshwar.

All the deities all the pilgrimages and all the pilgrimages and all the ancestors dwell in the Rameshwar-linga. Rameshwar-Shivlinga, which has been worshipped by Sri Ram, is Sancro-Sanct that even its mere remembrance frees a man from the pains of Yamaraj (death.) Just as a fire burns the wood to ashes in the same way having a darshan of lord Rameshwar burns (destroys) all the sins.

A man who has a 'darshan' of 'Rameshwar Mahalinga' even destroys. The sins committed by other people instantly. If a man has a 'darshan' of Rameshwar-Mahalinga at the time of his death then he does not have a second birth.

A man who bathes Rameshwar-Mahalinga with the milk of the cow liberates his twenty-one generations and attains to the abode of 'Shiva'.

If a man bathes Rameshwar-Mahalinga with the curd attains to the abode of lord Vishnu.

If a man bathes Rameshwar-Mahalinga with the water of river Ganges, he is even revered by lord Shiva himself.

Therefore a man, aspiring to attain salvation, should worship, eulogize and meditate on the form of Rameshwar-Mahalinga till he is alive.

ESTABLISHMENT OF RAMESHWAR-LINGA

When lord Ram returned from Lanka after achieving victory, sage Agastya along with his disciples, went to the Gandhamadan Mountain, to see him.

Sri Ram inquired from him about the means of atonement, for his sins acquired by the killing of Ravana. Sage Agastya advised him to establish a Shiva linga and worship it. He also said that it would appropriately act as an atonement for his sins and it would also bestow virtues to the common man, similar to that of having darshan of Kashi-Vishwanath. "This 'Shiva-linga' would become famous by your name" said sage Agastya.

Hearing this lord Ram fixed an auspicious time for the establishment of Shivalinga and he also sent Hanuman to bring 'Shivalinga from Kailash mountain.

But, when the sages saw that Hanuman did not return in time and there was a fear of the auspicious time being over, they requested Sri Ram, to establish the Shiva linga, made of sand by Sita.

Sri Ram followed the instructions and established the Shiva-linga, at one end of the bridge on the 'Gandhamadan' mountain amidst the chanting of auspicious mantras by the sages and Sita. At that particulars time lord Shiva and goddess Parvati had manifested themselves in the Shiva-lingas. Lord Shiva was present with his full splendour and magnificence moon's phase on his forehead and river Ganges flowing out from his locks of hair.

Lord Shiva becoming pleased by Sri Ram blessed him with a boon, that anyone who has darshan of his Shiva lingas, his gravest of sins would be destroyed just as taking a bath in Dhanuskoti destroys the gravest of sins of a man.

After establishing the Shiva lingas Sri Ram also established an idol of Nandikeshwar, and then he bathed Rameshwar-Shivlinga with the water, which was acquired by piercing the earth with his arrow. This pond came to be known as 'Koti-teertha'.

When Hanuman returned, he told Sri Ram about the reason for being late. He told that, when he reached Kailash mountain, he did not have a darshan of Lord Shiva, so he pleased lord Shiva by his penance and then received a Shivalinga as his blessings.

"Now I find that you have already established the Shiva linga, what do I do with the Shivalinga, I have brought" said Hanuman.

Sri Ram then consoled Hanuman and asked him to establish the Shivalinga himself. This Shivalina would become famous in all the three world, by your name and it would also act as an atonement for your sins, which you have acquired by killing 'Bramha-Rakshas' (Brahmin-Demon)"- said Sri Ram.

The Shiva-linga established by Hanuman became famous as Hanuman-Shivalinga, which was gifted to him by lord Shiva himself.