About three lakh pilgrims from across the country thronged here today to offer worship and take a holy dip at water sites of the Sri Ramanathaswamy on auspicious 'Aadi Amavasya' day.
Devotees also performed rituals in memory of their forefathers as they believe that these would help them reach the abode of the Lord, temple officials said.
The entire island and the temple wore a festive look. Long queues were seen in the temple to worship the presiding deity. Devotees had started arriving here two days earlier to prepare for the rituals.
The rituals were also performed in the famous Meenakshi temple in Madurai and in Kanyakumari, Tiruchirapalli,Papanasam in Tirunelveli district and in Cauvery and Bhavani Rivers in Erode, Bhavani and Kodumudi.
Legend has it that Lord Rama worshipped Lord Siva in the form of a idol, made from sand by Seetha on his return here from Sri Lanka after rescuing her from the clutches of Ravana, a Lord Shiva devotee said.
In order to wash away the sins of murdering a Shiva devotee, he performed 'shiva linga' pooja in month of Adi.
On this day, presiding deities of the temple were taken out in a procession to enable people worship the lord after offering rituals for their forefathers.
