Rameshwara Setubandha is a secluded location within Kamyavana where Krishna brought to life the legend of Lord Ramachandra. Within this serene spot, one can witness a temple of Lord Shiva called Rameshwara Mahadeva, which symbolizes the sacred Dhama of Rameshwara located in the southern region of India. Setubandha, on the other hand, marks the place where Lord Ramachandra constructed a magnificent stone bridge to cross the vast Indian Ocean and reach the island of Lanka. The temple is situated at one end of a stone bridge that once spanned across a small lake named Setubandha-sarovara, symbolizing the mighty Indian Ocean, and culminating at a small hill named Lanka Puri, representing Ravana’s legendary city of Lanka. Regrettably, the majority of the stones used in constructing the bridge have vanished over time. Additionally, a small forest called Ashokavana lies nearby, signifying the Ashoka garden in Lanka where Sita Devi was held captive by Ravana. Although the lake may remain dry throughout most of the year, it comes to life during the rainy season. In Sanskrit, ‘setu’ denotes ‘bridge,’ while ‘bandha’ connotes ‘link-up.’
On one occasion, while Sri Krishna was enjoying pastimes with the gopis, a troupe of monkeys appeared from the nearby forest to cool off in the lake on a hot summer’s day. Lalita-sakhi was reminded of the adventures of Lord Rama upon seeing the monkeys and shared the story with Vishakha-sakhi. She recounted how the monkeys had built a bridge out of large stones across the ocean to Lanka so that Lord Rama and his army could rescue Sita Devi from Ravana. Hearing this, Krishna declared that He was indeed Lord Rama and had appeared in Ayodhya in His previous life as the son of Maharaja Dasaratha. The gopis laughed at Krishna’s boastful words, and Lalita challenged Him to prove His claim by building a bridge with the help of the monkeys.
Krishna instructed the monkeys to build a rock bridge for the gopis to cross over the water and reach a nearby hill. With the help of his flute, Krishna summoned the monkeys and directed them to construct a bridge, which they did with great speed and efficiency. The gopis were amazed as a stone bridge was quickly erected across the lake. They declared Krishna to be the very same Lord Ramachandra and named the lake Shri Rameshwara Setubandha, also known as Lanka-kunda and Setubandha-sarovara. At one end of the bridge, Shri Krishna established a Shiva-linga known as Rameshwara Mahadeva, representing Rameshwaram, where Lord Ramachandra worshiped the deity of Shiva to defeat Ravana, a devoted follower of Shiva. Ashoka-vatika, situated in the nearby forest of SetuBandha, is a representation of the infamous Ashoka garden in Lanka where the demon king Ravana held Sita Devi captive. At this place, a deity of Hanuman is revered and worshiped.
How to Reach
Located adjacent to the Kaman Pahari Road, Setubandha is approximately 2 kilometers to the southwest of Kaman. It is roughly 70 kilometers away from the Mathura railway station and can be reached by car in about two hours. To reach Ashok Vatika or the magnificent temple of Rameshwara Mahadeva, one must take a walk for a few minutes from the main road, amidst towering trees and thick vegetation.