Rameshwaram

If there were a Guinness Book of World Records entry for longest and most spectacular hallway in the world, the temple of Ramanathaswamy on Rameshwaram island would probably take the prize. At this Hindu pilgrimage site, one of the holiest in southern India, the 1,220m-long (4,003-ft.) corridor is just one of many architectural and artistic splendors adorning the monumental 12th-century temple complex, which owes its high religious status to one of the most important stories in Hindu mythology.

According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, Lord Rama (an incarnation of Vishnu) built a bridge across the sea from Rameshwaram to rescue his wife, Sita, from her abductor, the demon king Ravana, in what is now Sri Lanka (only 24km/15 miles away). Rameshwaram is also the supposed site where Rama worshiped Shiva in thanks for his support in defeating Ravana. For this reason, Rameshwaram is incredibly sacred to both Shaivites (devotees of Shiva) and Vaishnavites (devotees of Vishnu). And because Hinduism is always so wonderfully complicated, the main "deity" worshiped at Rameshwaram is the Linga of Sri Ranganatha, one of the 12 jyotirlingas of India. (A jyotirlinga is a shrine where Shiva is worshiped in the form of light shining through the earth; this light can be seen only by those who have reached spiritual enlightenment.)

Nowadays, Rameshwaram island—a landmass of some 62 sq. km (24 sq. miles) in the Gulf of Mannar and connected to the mainland by the 2.3km-long (1¹/₂-mile) Pamban bridge—is home to several temples associated with the Ramayana, but the main event is without a doubt the Ramanathaswamy temple, begun in the 12th century and embellished by subsequent dynasties. The star feature of the temple is the aforementioned hallway, a masterpiece of architecture that stretches for more than a kilometer and is lined with intricate columns that create a mesmerizing sense of perspective. Another oft-photographed element of the temple is its 54m-tall (177-ft.) gopuram (monumental entrance tower). Throughout the Ramanathaswamy temple, there are 22 wells, each with water that tastes totally different—and visitors are encouraged to try them all.

Rameshwaram is considered one of the principal pilgrimage sites in India. Hindu believers must make a pilgrimage here, as well as to Varanasi (aka Kashi or Benaras), in Uttar Pradesh, to attain moksha, or liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara) and an end to all the suffering and shackles of worldly existence.