1. A Bridge To Eternity
Ram Setu is a well know name for all of us specially for Hindu religion people. Ram Setu actually means ram’s bridge which was actually made by Shri Ram, keeps popping up according to our Indian history, is there really a stone bridge under the water between India and Shri Lanka? How many years ago this bridge were made? Is it natural or manmade? Is it a formation of ice age or Ayodhya Prince Shri Ram’s army builds it with the help of floating rocks or stones?
As we travel by train on pamban bridge from dhanushkodi to mandapam on Indian mainland which is off the coast of shri lanka, we will get the glance of rocks and stones that include the bridge. If we are talking about scientifically it is a chain of lime stone.
From the latest NASA Satellite footage, it is found that it is about 30 km long and it is a natural formation of a chain of sandbank. “ the main thing is the image is definitely ours, but with the help of photographs or remote sensing images we cannot determine the facts about things. We also cannot get direct information about the age of a particular thing or island and we also cannot determine whether it is created by human or it is natural.
Mr.V Ram Mohan of the Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Studies, Madras University, admitted that any rebuilding of the geological evolution of the island chain would be a challenging task and would have to be carried out based on circumstantial evidence. The lack of comprehensive field studies explains many of the uncertainties regarding the nature and origin of Ram Setu, which is also known as Adam's Bridge.
5. It's Science Vs Religion Again
It is true that we cannot understand the truth with the help of satellite images as they are larget then our real life, unreal feel about them. But even if science cannot vouchsafe for any religious interpretations, does it mean history has to seek answers from science? Indian history, that probably dates back to BC era, doesn't automatically become a myth.
Why should science be at war with history or religion? Everything has its own place. Why can't the Government set up a team for the sake of national pride: let the team be multi-disciplinary - comprising geologists and historians and let's arrive at the truth, whatever it may be. As a researcher has pointed out, it was such a team that discovered the submerged city of Dwarka 1.5 kilometres away from the existing Dwarka. If history appears like a myth, so do certificates denying the manmade status to Ram Setu without any research.
Of course, the popular religious viewpoint is that when Ram Avtar, in the Hindu era of Treta Yuga, set out to save his wife Sita from the clutches of Lanka King Ravana, he was stumped to find the breach of water separating India and Lanka. But a vanar sena, comprising monkeys and bears, built a path with boulders, which came to be known as Ram Setu.
Religious frenzy was witnessed over the Ram Setu issue when the Government proposed to demolish the limestone path to create a passage. But does religious frenzy dictate that religious faith has no moorings? There is as much evidence to the milestones in Ramayan as the ecological threat posed by such demolition.
Several private expeditions have tried to trace the footsteps of Ram from Ayodhya to Rameshwaram. As many as 195 places, including ashrams of famous rishis on river banks, have ancient memorials testifying to his arrival during his sojourn across India during his 14-year exile or vanvas. These are further coroborated in scriptures like Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkindha Kand and Sunder Kand.
From Ayodhya, Ram travelled along the Gangetic Belt to reach Tamsa Nadi Tal (Mandah today, 20 km from Ayodhya). Thereafter, he crossed Gomti river. Then, Ram, Sita and Lakshman reached the Ganga and entered Shringverpur (Singraur, 20 km from Allahabad), the then kingdom of Nishadraj Guh. This phase was the scene of the famous "Kewat Prasang", where a kewat, or boatman, refused to ferry Ram, saying he had heard of the magic in the dust of Ram's feet, by which even a stone turned into a woman (he was referring to a previous incident in which Ram released Ahalya from a curse). The kewat said he would allow Ram to board his naiiya or boat only after he washed Ram's feet to remove the dust. The kewat, thus, left a deeply spiritual message for the faithful.
After crossing Yamuna near Sangam, the three reached Chitrakoot (on the UP-MP border today), where memorials like Valmiki Ashram, Mandavya Ashram and Bharat Koop still exist. After "Bharat Milap", they left Chitrakoot and went to Atri Ashram (located in Satana, MP today).
Along with Sita and Laxman, Shri Ram travelled through this land of dense forests (MP and Chhatisgarh today). In Dandak Aranya, they visited Sharbhang and Sutikshan Muni ashrams (in Satna). Then, they visited several rishi ashrams along the Narmada and Mahanadi rivers. This phase lasted about ten years, after which, they returned to Sutikshan ashram. Several memorials (in Panna, Raipur, Bastar and Jagdalpur) still exist - like Mandavya ashram, Shringi ashram, Ram Laxman Mandir, etc.
13. Panchvati
Later, after crossing many rivers, lakes, hills and forests, the three reached Agastya's ashram (Nasik). According to Valmiki, it was in this ashram that weapons made in Agnishala were given to Shri Ram by Agastya Muni. From Agastya ashram, they went to stay in Panchvati – a place so named because of the five vata trees located on banks of Godavari (Nasik). This place is famous for the Shoorpanakha episode.
Along Tungabhadra and Kaveri, Shri Ram and Laxman travelled in search of Sita. After meeting Jatayu and Kabandh, they moved south, reaching Rishyamook Parbat. On the way, they visited Shabari ashram in Pampasarovar area (in Kerala today). Remember how she first tasted, then offered, ber fruit to Ram?
After crossing sandalwood forests, they reached Rishyamook, where they met Hanuman and Sugreev. Ram killed Bali in this area (Hampi in Karnataka). Then, Ram left in search of Sita, equipped with sena provided by Sugreev. Details of this phase of travel as cited in Valmiki’s Ramayan tally with memorials which exist till today.
Ram Sena first camped in Koddikarai, but finding the area unsuitable for constructing a bridge, later moved to Rameshwaram. Many memorials exist in Chhedukarai to commemorate this event. Ram selected a suitable spot and the Ram Setu bridge was constructed under the supervision of great architect or shilpkar Nal. In Rameshwaram (Dhanushkoti), boatmen can take visitors in glass boats to show the remains of Rama’s bridge.
After Shri Ram’s army constructed Ram Setu - the bridge over the sea between Rameshwaram and Sri Lanka - they used it to go across to Sri Lanka, defeated Lankan king Ravan and free Sita from captivity.
On his return journey, Ram stopped at the beach in Dhanushkodi in Rameshwaram to perform a puja by building a Shiv linga out of sand, to seek forgiveness for having killed Ravana. The Rameshwaram temple, whose deity is Shiva not Ram, stands testimony to that incident.
Other studies quote Ram Setu as being used, in later centuries, as a land route between India and Sri Lanka. The Historical Atlas of South Asia by Joseph E Schwartzberg has more than 20 maps that give historical as well as geographical evidence about the existence of Ram Setu and its use as land route between India and Sri Lanka during the last 2500-odd years.
According to Hunter’s Imperial Gazetteer, preserved in the Rameswaram temple, a violent storm in 1480 AD breached the exisitng bridge.
James Rennell (1742–1830 AD) was the first Surveyor General of the East India Company and known as the Father of Indian Geography. A map of Hindustan arranged by him, referred to this bridge as Rama’s Bridge.
22. The Legend Of Ram
The legend of Ram is known to generations of Indians, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Why should we forfeit this legacy?
23. National Monument
The legend of Ram is known to generations of Indians, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Why should we forfeit this legacy?
There have been proposals to confer the National Monument status on Ram Setu - not a bad idea, considering the religious, social and historical importance of this tiny stretch of rocks...
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