Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameshwaram

Rameshwaram's Ramanathaswamy Temple is one of Hinduism's holiest sites — a 12-Jyotirlinga shrine, a Char Dham destination, and the place where Rama is said to have worshipped Shiva to atone for killing Ravana before crossing the sea to Lanka. The temple sits on Pamban Island, accessible from mainland Tamil Nadu via the iconic Pamban Bridge. The present structure was built in the 12th century with later additions; the eastern gopuram reaches 38.4 metres. The temple's signature feature is the third corridor — at 197 metres along its longest axis with carved granite pillars on both sides, it is the longest temple corridor in India. Inside the complex are 22 sacred theerthams (wells), each named for a different mythological event; pilgrims traditionally bathe at all 22 in sequence as part of the Rameshwaram darshan, with attendants pulling buckets from each well.