32. तीर्थीकृतधरातलः Tīrthīkṛta-dharātalaḥ

One by whom places on the earth were made places of pilgrimage

The word ‘dharā’ refers to the earth and ‘tala’ connotes an area or location. Hence here His Holiness is said to be One by whom certain places on earth were tīrthī-kṛta, rendered into places of pilgrimage. Places like Varanasi, Dwaraka, Rameswaram, Kalady, Ayodhya, Puri and Mathura are considered as tīrthas because each of them is associated with incarnations of the Lord. Devotees visit these places, recall the events associated with the Lord’s avatāra there, pay their homage, feel blessed and return with a sense of fulfillment. His Holiness being the Lord Himself (as seen in nāma 3), the places He graced would automatically be places of pilgrimage in their own right. Notwithstanding this, He specifically consecrated many a place and shrine all across the country.

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On 4^th February, 1965, His Holiness went to the Rama Setu at Rameswaram and determined the spot of confluence of the Ratnākara (Indian Ocean) and Mahodadhi (Bay of Bengal). His Holiness then consecrated it as a sacred bathing place for pilgrims, and after completing His anuṣṭhāna, proceeded to perform pūjā to the sacred Rāmeśvara-liṅga.

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