Tamil Nadu - Ramanathapuram   

Thousands perform rites to ancestors at Rameswaram

— Photo: L. Balachandar

Remembrance: A devotee taking a holy dip in the sea at Rameswaram on the occasion of ‘Adi Amavasai’ on Tuesday.

RAMANATHAPURAM: Thousands of persons thronged Rameswaram on Tuesday to take holy dip in the sea on the occasion of ‘Aadi Amavasai’.

Most of them preferred to reach Rameswaram overnight in order to take bath in the Agnitheertham during the sunrise. State transport corporation buses, trains and other services that reached the island were packed to their capacity. Those who came from different parts of the country visited the seashore early morning and performed the rites to their forefathers, ancestors and parents.Earlier, the idols of the temple Sri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were brought to the Agnitheerthakadarkarai in a procession for special pujas and abhishekams. They gave a darshan to the several thousand devotees. Some devotees donated cows to the temple. The devotees also visited the temple and took bath in the 22 theerthams.

The police said the more than a lakh pilgrims congregated in Rameswaram. This year’s turn out had outnumbered the last year’s turnout. Pilgrims, who reached Rameswaram on Monday night, found it extremely difficult to get rooms, as almost all lodges, hotels and ‘yatri niwas’ were full. Several owners of lodges utilised the opportunity to collect abnormal rent from devotees. However, the devotees had to stay in room with only limited facilities.

A large number of pilgrims preferred to visit Dhanushkodi, Muhuntharayarchatram and Devipattinam for performing ‘pithru puja.’ Several hundreds of people also visited Sethukarai near Thiruppullani.

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