RAM ISSERAM is a small island 8 miles long, situated between Ceylon and the continent of India, at the entrance of Palk's Passage in the Straits of Manaar, where there stands a very ancient pagoda, and formerly an observatory. It was found by Colonel Lainbton's Survey to lie in lat. 9° 18' 7" N., and long. 79° 22' 5" E. Many Telugu and Tatnil astronontera, as Baladityacalu and Mallicarjanadu, refer their computations to the meridian of Rameswara. It is in a line with the island of Matiaar, near Ceylon, which forms the Adam's Bridge, and is famed throughout India as a place of Hindu pilgriniage. It is united by a break of sand to the island of Manaar. IIindu pilgrims resort to Ramisseram front remote parts of India ; its celebrated temple is sacred to Vishnu in his avatara of Rama called Rameswara, or iu its neighbonrhood is called Ramisseram, conform ably with the Tamil and Canarese termination of names ending with a vowel or a, liquid.
The pagoda in the island of Ratniaserain is said to have been founded by Rama after his invasion of Ceylon. It has two lingams, one which Sita is said to have made, and one which Hanuman is said to have brought from Mount Kaila_sa. There is one complete goparum, about 100 feet high, covered with figures relating to the Hindu myth ology; it is on the west. Other three doorways
are 19 feet high, composed of single upright stones, with others laid across at the t,op. Inside the gate is a magnificent colonnade. It runs along the four sides of the quadrangle, front N. to S. 353 feet, and E. to W. 671 feet, by 17 feet in breadth. It is the most remarkable structure of its kind in India. The ceiling is composed of large slabs of granite, supported by nnmerous carved granite pillars, each 12 feet high, raised on each side on a platform 5 feet high. Most of the pillars are single blocks of stone, MI brought from a distance of 40 miles. The annual revenue of the pagoda is Its. 40,000. The glory of the temple is in its corridors ; these extend to a length of 1333 yards, front 20 to 38 feet broad, and from the floor to the centre of the roof about 30 feet in height. The inner prakaram or corridor is said to have been constructed by a Naik ruler of Madura, and the sokkatan or mantaparn outside was raised by two of the Settwati of Itainnad. Each pillar is compound, and is richer and more elaborztte in design than those of the Parvati porch at Chedambararn, and more modern iu date.—Moor ; Fergusson.