Ramanathaswamy Temple

Ramanathaswamy Temple is a historic stone temple located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The temple is dedicated to Ramanathaswamy (Shiva) Parvatavardhini (Parvati) Rama. Constructed during the Pandya and Jaffna kings period, it stands as a testament to India's rich temple-building tradition. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. It is one of the 276 Paadal Petra Sthalams, the sacred sites glorified by the Nayanars (Shaivite poet-saints), Appar, Sundarar, and Sambandar, with their songs. According to tradition, the lingam (an aniconic form of Shiva) of the Ramanathaswamy Temple was established and worshipped by Rama before he crossed the bridge called Rama Setu to the island kingdom of Lanka, identified with Sri Lanka.