Rama’s Bridge - Let us Save It

Rama’s Bridge or Rama Sethu which is also called Adam’s Bridge/Nala Sethu is a chain of limestone shoals, between the islands of Mannar, near northwestern Sri Lanka and Rameswaram off the Southeastern coast of India. The bridge is 30 miles (48km) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar from the Palk Strait. Some of the sandbanks are dry and the sea in the area is very shallow, being only 3 feet to 30 feet (1m to 10m) deep. This seriously obstructs navigation. Upto the 15th century, it was reportedly passable on foot. Rameshwaram temple records show that Rama’s bridge was complete above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in 1480 A.D.

NASA’s images and Google images are a clear evidence of Rama Sethu but NASA has distanced itself from the claims related to the epic Ramayana, “the images may be ours, but their interpretation is certainly not ours.”

Does the bridge belong to Rama’s age i.e., Tretayuga? According to scientists of  Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka, the stones used in Rama’s bridge belong to the time 10 lakh to 20 lakh years ago. This calculation matches Rama’s age.

The unique curvature of the bridge and composition by age reveals that it is manmade. The legends as well as Archeological studies reveal that the first signs of human inhabitants in Sri Lanka date about 17,50,000 years ago and the bridge’s age is also almost equivalent.

This information is a crucial aspect for an insight into the Ramayana, which was supposed to have taken place in Tretayuga. (more than 17,00,000 years ago) this information may not be of much importance to the Archeologists who are interested in exploring the origins of man, but it sure to open the spiritual gates of the people of the world to have come to know an ancient history linked to the Indian Mythology.

Recently the Government of India has approved a multimillion dollar Sethusamudram shipping canal project that aims to create a ship channel across the palk strait. Though it is expected to save 30 hrs of shipping time by cutting 400 km off the journey and there is a fear that the dredging will cause destruction of coral reefs and invite tsunami destruction. One of the cranes used was broken.

The determined moves made by the central government to build the Sethusamudram canal by cutting across Rama’s bridge has far-reaching implications and detrimental effects for all Hindus.

1.  The priceless heritage in the form of Rama’s bridge is to be removed altogether in the name of reducing shipping costs.
2.  Rameswaram, which is one of the holiest locations for Hindus, will get submerged like Dhanushkodi, which got submerged in the 1960’s and like Poompuhar, which got submerged in the Sangam Period.
3.  Removal of the bridge may result in changes in the very pattern of monsoon rainfall in India.
4.  In the expert assessment of Dr. T.S. Murthy, leading tsunami expert, the project could cause a tsunami with drastic consequences for the entire shoreline extending from Dhanushkodi to Ernakulam, and from the Delft island to Colombo.
5.  Instead of demolishing, they can build India-Srilanka rail/road bridge and can take experts’ advice for transportation of ships.
6.  The Dutch and Belgian contractors get paid in millions of dollars from the government of India to destroy Rama’s bridge.
7.  Everywhere in the world, the people and the governments are struggling to protect their heritage, what is happening in India is the reversal.
8.  Conservation of India’s cultural and historical heritage and protecting natural environment is the responsibility of every citizen of India and the government also.

Dr. Ramanujan (Head, postgraduate Dept. of Geology and Research centre) speaking to “The Hindu”, said that Adam’s Bridge is only a chain of shoals between the palk strait and the Gulf of Mannar, created by sedimentation owing to long shore currents. (online edition of India’s National Newspapers, Saturday March17, 2007)

But according to Dr. S. Badrinarayana, former director of Geological survey of India and a member of National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) the Adam’s bridge was not a natural formation. In his own words, “coral reefs are formed only on hard surfaces. But during the study, we found that the formation of Adam’s Bridge is nothing but boulders of coral reefs. When we drilled for investigation, we found that there was loose sand two to three meters below the reefs. Hard rocks were found several meters below the sand.

Such a natural formation is impossible. Unless somebody transported them and dumped them there, these reefs could not have come there. Some boulders were so light that they could float on water. Apparently, whoever has done it, has identified light (but strong) boulders to make it easy for transportation.

Since they are strong, they can withstand a lot of weight it should be preserved as a national monument.” He opined.

He also cautioned: once they remove the Adam’s bridge/Rama’s bridge, it could spell doom for the southern Tamilnadu coastline. During the tsunamis, it was Adam’s bridge/Rama Sethu and Sri Lanka that saved the southern coastline when Nagapattinam and other northern shores were ravaged.

All Indians! Awake to save the Rama’s bridge.