Rama Sethu

I have visited Rama's bridge near Rameshwaram. I went there last year. Though the place assumes a lot of importance historically and religiously, there is no sign board or organised tourism to this place.

We had to go asking local residents on the way.Once we reach the nearby area (there is a newly built small hanuman temple) we have to take a motor boat to venture close to a kilo meter into the sea to reach Rama Sethu. Reaching there was not exactly a great experience, since there was no organised facility. I was told that a good view of the Sethu can be had during low tide times and especially during the nights or early mornings, I had chosen such a time to visit the place.

Once I reached the actual Sethu Site, I was astonished and was in loss of words. The bridge should be easily 40-50 feet wide (the visible part) and made of huge stones. For a normal logical mind it certainly does not seem to be a geographical phenomenon. It certainly looks like a huge manmade structure. At least that is was the structure of the bridge suggests.

Historical Facts

Let us get into a little bit of history and find out what the said structure means factually.This structure of close to 48 kilometers which is 3 to 30 feet deep through its course and was well above the sea level till the 15th century. The oldest recorded map that mentions of Rama’s Bridge is the Malabar Bowen Map of Netherlands which is supposed to have been made in 1747, where the map mentions no name to the bridge but has mention about a place Ramencoil. Further, the same place is mentioned again in a 1788 Map of Hindoostan available in the Sarasvathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur.