What is the story of Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga?

Question

Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.

Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is described in Koti Rudra Samhita of Shiva Purana in the chapter "Dwadash Jyotirlinga Mahatmya". It states:

सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्री शैले मल्लिकार्जुनम् ।
उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोंकारे परमेश्वरम् ।।
केदारं हिमवत्पृष्ठे डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम् ।
वाराणास्यां च विश्वेशं त्रयम्बकं गौतमीतटे ।।
वैद्यनाथं चिताभूमौ नागेशं दारुकावने ।
सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये ।।
द्वादशैतानि नामानि प्रात्यस्त्थाय यः पठेत् ।
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तं सर्वसिद्धिफलं लभेत् ।।

Somanath in Saurashtra, Mallikarjuna in Shri Saile, Mahakala in Ujjaiyana and Parameshawara also manifested as Omkara. Kedara in Himavat and Bhima Shankara in Dakinya. Vishewaswara in Varanasi and Trayambaka in side of Gautami. Vaidyanath in ChitaBhumi and  Nageshwara in forest of Daruka. Rameshwara in Setubandha and Ghusmeshwara in Shivalaya. These name of 12 Jyotirlingas who recites in morning, he gets freed from all sins and is eligible to get all Siddhis.

There are twelve Jyotirlingas mentioned in the similar popular verse.

Saurāṣṭre Somanāthaṃ ca Śrīśaile Mallikārjunam

Ujjayinyāṃ Mahākālam Omkāram Mamleśhwaram

Paraly Vaidyanāthaṃ cha Ḍākinyāṃ Bhīmaśhaṅkaram

Setubandhe tu Rāmeśaṃ Nāgeśhaṃ Dārukāvane

Vārāṇasyāṃ tu Viśveśaṃ Tryambakaṃ Gautamītaṭe

Himālaye tu Kedāraṃ Ghuśmeśaṃ ca Śivālaye

etāni jyotirliṅgāni sāyaṃ prātaḥ paṭhennaraḥ

saptajanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati

I have already asked a question about Somanath What is the story of Somanath Jyotirlinga? and Mallikarjun What is the story of Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga? and Mahakaleshwar What is the story of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga? and Omkareshwar What is the story of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga? and Vaidyanath What is the story of Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga? and Bheemshankar What is the story of Bheemshankar Jyotirlinga?. Now I want to know the story of Rameshwaram Jyotirling.

Please mention the scriptural reference.

Rameshwaram temple is situated in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu.

By Ssriram mt - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48384927

Answer 1

Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva in Linga form during the Setubandha event and Lord Shiva established himself as Jyoti Swarupa there and that Linga became popular as Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga.

Rameshwaram is one of the popular pilgrimage site and it is one of the Char-Dham. Rameshwara Jyotirlinga is described in several Puranas like Shiva Purana, Brahmanda Purana, Padma Purana, etc..

In the Adhyatma Ramayana of Brahmanda Purana, Lord Rama gives boon that "Whoever after having Darshan of Rameshwara Mahadeva, goes Kashi and brings water in pot and offers to Rameshwara and throws that pot to sea, He gets salvation."

Here is how Yuddha Kanda of Adhyatma Ramayana of Brahmanda Purana narrates the event:

सेतुमारभमाणस्तु तत्र रामेश्वरं शिवम् ।
संस्थाप्य पूजयित्वाह रामो लोकहिताय च ॥ १॥
प्रणमेत्सेतुबन्धं यो दृष्ट्वा रामेश्वरं शिवम् ।
ब्रह्महत्यादिपापेभ्यो मुच्यते मदनुग्रहात् ॥ २॥
सेतुबन्धे नरः स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा रामेश्वरं हरम् ।
सङ्कल्पनियतो भूत्वा गत्वा वाराणसीं नरः ॥ ३॥
आनीय गङ्गासलिलं रामेशमभिषिच्य च ।
समुद्रे क्षिप्ततद्भारो ब्रह्म प्राप्नोत्यसंशयम् ॥ ४॥

During the construction of bridge, Rama installed Mahadev and worshipped him calling by the name Rameshwar Mahadev. He described his glory, “If someone visits the bridge (setubandh), and prostrates to Rameshwar mahadev he is liberated of the severest of sin of killing Brahmins.” Rama stated, “One should bathe here in sea, and having darshan of Rameshwar Mahadev, he should go to kashi, to fetch ganga water. Offering the Ganga water of Kashi over Rameshwar Mahadev, he should throw the pot in sea. Thus, he is bound to get salvation.”

One may get confused whether Rama installed idol form or Linga form. But it is Linga form and Lord Rama himself states it in Padma Purana Patala Khanda chapter 104:

विभिषणः कथमसौबद्धः श्रृंखलयानृभि: । मत्स्थापितंशिवलिङ्गंदृष्ट्वारामेश्वरंत्वहो ।।

Oh, how is it that Vibhisana seeing the Linga of Shiva, (called) Ramesvara and installed by me, is bound with chains.

In the above verse Rama tells "Mat Sthapitam Shiva Linga"... ie. That Shiva Linga installed by me.