Adam's Bridge (Rama Setu) and Dhanushkodi

Adam's Bridge also known as Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu (in Hindi), one the popular mythology tale in India, seems more real than ever! It is a chain of limestone shoals, between between Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, situated at the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, India, to the Mannar Island, northern coast of Sri Lanka.


According to the Geological evidence, the bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka and according to religious tales this bridge was made by Lord Rama with his ape army to reach Lanka and rescue his wife, Sita. Due to this popular Ramanyana tale the bridge is still known as Rama Setu. 


The bridge is about 18 miles long and sea area is very shallow, being only 3 ft to 30 ft deep in places. As reported in the temple texts that, the bridge was easily passable on foot until it broke in a cyclone in AD 1480. 

(Floating stone exhibit near Rameshwar Temple)

The Ramayana attributes the building of this bridge, naming it as 'Setubandhanam'. Other names of the bridge by different cartographer are: 'Sethusamudram' (Sea of the Bridge), 'Ramancoil' (Rama's Temple), 'Sethubandha', 'Sethubandha Rameswaram', 'Set Bandhai (Bridge of the Sea) etc. 

The other name 'Adam's bridge' was prepared by a British cartographer in 1804, referring to an Abrahamic myth, according to which Adam used the bridge to reach a mountain (identified with Adam's Peak) in Sri Lanka, where he stood repentant on one foot for 1,000 years, leaving a large hollow mark resembling a footprint.

Adam's Bridge starts as chain of shoals from the Dhanushkodi tip of India's Pamban Island and ends at Sri Lanka's Mannar Island. Here I would like to share a fact about 'Dhanushkodi' (end of the bow) is a ghost town at the south tip of Pamban Island of the Tamil Nadu, India. According to the story, after rescuing Sita successfully lord Rama broke the bridge with one end of his bow. And from where He broke the bridge the area named after that incident Dhanushkodi or 'end of the bow'.


The Dhanushkodi railway line running from Pamban Station was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone with over 115 passengers drowned in the sea. Before the 1964 cyclone, Dhanushkodi was a flourishing tourist and pilgrimage town. Sri Lanka is just 19 miles away, there were many ferry services between Dhanushkodi, India to Talaimannar, Sri Lanka, transporting travellers and goods across the sea. Altogether, over 1,800 people died in the cyclonic storm. All dwellings and other structures in Dhanushkodi town were marooned in the storm. Following this disaster, Government declared Dhanushkodi as Ghost town and unfit for living. Only a few fisherfolk now live there.


In Dec 2004 just before the arrival of 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that struck South India, the sea around Dhanushkodi receded about 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the coastline, exposing the submerged part of the town for a while. This rare event was witnessed by the local fishermen.


So back to Rama Setu on a more scientific note. There are two main theories explain about the fact about the evolution and origin of this structure. One considered it to be formed by a process rising of the land, while the other explained that it was formed during the drift of Sri Lanka from the Indian mainland. The Geological Survey of India concluded that the dating of corals that Rameswaram Island evolved beginning 125,000 years ago.

So is Rama Setu already exists when Rama reached there or Lord Rama build that?? Anyhow this bridge is important for both, Mythological and Science geeks... if you can then do visit the area and experience the aura by yourself :) 

Thanks for reading

Mugdha 





Comments

  1. I heard about the Rama Sethu while listening to Ramayana when I was small. Still now I wonder whether these stories are real or just an fictitious epic. However, the article is very nicely explained and I loved reading it. Heard it after a long time. Thank u

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ficitonal epic to have an origion from atleast somewhere

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  2. The Geological Survey of India concluded that the dating of corals that Rameswaram Island evolved beginning 125,000 years ago

    Of course they would... Rama and his friends used the existing material available in the surrounding areas (which were there from 125,000 yrs ago)... they also build some materials like the floating stone...

    When people tell a story they say before hand that it is a story. when People tell about history they say it is history... Ramayan is about history... the lineage of kings are also mentioned and even the astrological time is mentioned in great detail... it is impossible for a person Google Earth to imagine that there is a man-made bridge between India & Srilanka and even the names of places "danush kodi" is so much full of meaning.

    British race-mad Illuminati tried to delete all this from our memory and historical writing were called mythology to show that they are superior race.

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