Rama Bridge is an amazing creation of nature or an ancient megalith. In the footsteps of the Ramayana. Who built Adam's Bridge? (5 photos) Floating stones in India

India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon) have been connected since ancient times by a mysterious sandbank, which both Muslims and Hindus consider a man-made bridge. Relatively recently, Indian geologists found that this is in fact an artificial structure, unique in length - 50 km! — and colossal in terms of the volume of work carried out.

Mysterious Shoal

The mysterious sandbank that connects India with Sri Lanka (Ceylon) can be easily distinguished from an airplane, and it is also recorded on satellite images. Muslims know this shoal as Adam's Bridge, and Hindus call it Rama's Bridge. It is curious that on Arab medieval maps this sandbank is indicated as a real bridge, located above the water level, over which in those days anyone, be it a woman or a child, could cross from Ceylon. It is amazing that the length of this bridge is about 50 km, with a width of 1.5 to 4 km.

This bridge remained in good condition until 1480, when a strong earthquake and the subsequent tsunami damaged it quite badly. The bridge sank heavily and was destroyed in places. Now most of this colossal bridge is hidden under water, but you can still walk across it. True, between the island of Rameswar and Cape Ramnad there is a small passage called Pambas, small merchant ships move along it, so you will have to cross it. However, those who decide on such a risky undertaking should take into account that there is a fairly strong current there that can carry extreme sports enthusiasts out to the open sea.

According to Hindus, the bridge is actually man-made; in ancient times, on the orders of Emperor Rama, it was built by an army of monkeys led by Hanuman, this is mentioned in the holy book “Ramayana”. There are references to the construction of the bridge in both the Puranas (Indian sacred books) and the Mahabharata. This bridge forces ships to sail around Sri Lanka, which means significant losses in time (up to 30 hours) and in fuel. That is why there have been proposals more than once to dig a canal through the Rama Bridge. However, the canal was never built in the 20th century.

They took the canal seriously in the 21st century, and a special corporation was formed for its construction.

This is where the truly mystical events began. As soon as the corporation began work, the dredgers began to fail one after another. Their bucket teeth broke, their engines burned, and their cables snapped. The “defeat” of the corporation was completed by a sudden storm that scattered the ships involved in the construction like grains of sand and finally interrupted the work. Hindu believers had no doubt that the failure of the canal was due to unnatural causes; in their opinion, it was the monkey king Hanuman who did not allow his creation to be destroyed.

Since 2007, a campaign has been going on in India under the slogan “Save Rama Bridge.”* Campaigners defend the Rama Bridge not only as an ancient historical monument, they believe that it is very important for the preservation of the local ecosystem. They say that the Rama Bridge to some extent even reduced the consequences of the 2004 tsunami and saved many lives. Of course, the most important question is: is this bridge an artificial structure? If the answer is positive, other questions arise: who built it and when?

Sensational discovery of Indian geologists

Amazingly, there is every reason to say that the Rama Bridge is truly an artificial structure. The depth around it is 10-12 meters, with a very significant width, let me remind you, from 1.5 to 4 km; It’s even hard to imagine what a colossal volume of building material was moved during such a titanic work! A few years ago, space photographs of the Rama Bridge taken by NASA were published, they clearly show a real bridge connecting Sri Lanka and India. However, experts from NASA do not believe that these images can shed light on the origin of this amazing formation.

Much more convincing evidence of the man-made origin of the Rama Bridge was obtained by specialists from the Geological Survey of India 6SI.

Indian geologists have conducted extensive research on both the Rama Bridge and its underlying rocks. To do this, they drilled 100 wells in and near the bridge and carried out geophysical research. It was possible to establish that the bridge does not represent any natural elevation of bedrock, as one might assume, it is a clear anomaly of an artificial nature. According to the study, the bridge is formed by an embankment of boulders measuring 1.5x2.5 meters, and of a fairly regular shape.

The main proof of the man-made nature of the bridge is the fact that the embankment of boulders rests on a thick layer of sea sand from three to five meters thick! According to drilling data, bedrock begins only under this sand layer. It turns out that in time immemorial someone laid a gigantic amount of limestone boulders on top of the sand; the artificial nature of the Rama Bridge is also indicated by the orderly placement of this material. Geologists also found that no processes of seabed uplift occurred in the area occupied by the bridge. The conclusion of Indian geologists: the Rama Bridge is undoubtedly an artificial structure!

Was the bridge built by giants?

When was it built and by whom? According to legends, the bridge was built a million years ago, and some Western researchers even give it 17 million years. There are also less impressive assumptions - 20 thousand years and 3500 years. The last figure, in my opinion, is unlikely, because it implies that the bridge was built by people just like you and me. Why did they waste time and effort on a bridge width of 1.5 to 4 km?

Clearly, they would limit themselves to a maximum width of 200 meters. This means that the bridge was not built by ordinary people, so it is most likely older than 3.5 thousand years.

According to legends, the bridge was built by monkeys from the army of Hanuman, and they were real giants up to 8 meters tall, such giants were able to create such an incredible bridge. By the way, the bridge was built with the aim of transporting Rama’s army to Sri Lanka to fight its ruler, the demon Ravana, who kidnapped Sita, Rama’s beloved. Perhaps the width of the bridge was increased for military purposes in order to immediately ensure a massive attack on the enemy. After all, it has long been known that it is much easier to hold off an enemy moving along a narrow bridge, gorge or passage, even with insignificant forces.

However, if you believe in the hypothesis that (Ceylon) was once part of the mainland of Lemuria, then this mysterious bridge could have been built by the Lemurians, who were also of gigantic stature. In any case, not all the secrets of the Rama Bridge can be considered solved yet.

In recent years, we have witnessed an amazing paradox: science, which traditionally does not believe in God, is producing more and more evidence that religious narratives are not fairy tales, but true stories. Suffice it to recall Adam’s Bridge, connecting the shores of... India and Sri Lanka!

Expelled from Paradise

Everyone is familiar with the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Having tasted the forbidden fruit and thereby angering the Lord God, the first people were expelled from Paradise as punishment. Another religious tale? However, more and more scientists are inclined to believe that Paradise actually existed, and Adam and Eve were real historical characters.

Where did the Creator send the first humans? The biblical first man Adam, after his expulsion from paradise, first set foot on earth on the island of Sri Lanka, and then crossed the bridge connecting the island with India to the mainland! And this bridge... exists to this day. Scientists not only do not deny this fact, but do not even doubt that the bridge existed during the time of the heavenly exodus. But time was not kind to Adam’s Bridge.

Currently, the ancient structure is a string of shallows and coral islands, in some places connected by a sand spit, which is located in the Palk Strait, between the island of Sri Lanka and the Hindustan Peninsula. The length of the bridge is about 50 km. Most of it is now under water at a depth of approximately 1-1.25 m and the full majesty of the ancient building can only be seen from a bird’s eye view or from aerial photography.

A series of space images taken by NASA from satellites and space shuttles in both the 1960s and 2000s clearly show the ruins of a massive man-made structure beneath the waters of the Indian Ocean. But according to old English, Portuguese and Arabic nautical charts, about 600 years ago the bridge rose above sea level, was several meters wide and was used for pedestrian communication between India and Sri Lanka. However, in 1480, as a result of a strong earthquake and subsequent tsunami, the bridge was destroyed, and its remains were hidden by ocean waves.

Army of humans and monkeys

Today, few people question the very existence of Adam's Bridge. The main debate revolved around whether this is a man-made structure or a natural formation.

It would seem that such a gigantic structure in the middle of an ocean strait cannot be built by human hands, even with the use of modern construction equipment and materials. So there is nothing to argue about: Adam's Bridge is a natural geological formation. However, not all so simple.

Few people know that the name “Adam’s Bridge” is relatively new. Previously, this structure was called the “Rama Bridge”. The first mention of it can be found in the ancient Indian epic "Ramayana", the creation of which dates back to modern scientists in the 6th or even 7th century. BC.

According to the epic, the bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka was built on the orders of the legendary ancient Indian king Rama, who is the seventh avatar (incarnation) of the supreme Hindu deity Vishnu. Hindus and many modern scholars consider Rama to be a real historical figure, a king who ruled most of modern India about 1.2 million years ago.

According to legend, Rama once needed to transport his army to the island of Sri Lanka to fight the army of the demon king Ravana. And he ordered Nala, the son of the legendary divine architect Vishvakarman, to build a huge bridge across the entire strait. Interestingly, the construction of this gigantic structure involved not only people - the subjects of the Indian king, but also his allies - the army of apes led by the monkey king Hanuman. The Ramayana says that Hanuman “shot” lightning from his staff at the giant coastal rocks, after which they collapsed exactly in the place that was needed and became the foundation of the future bridge. Today, such “fairytale” technology will surprise few people - it is very similar to controlled explosions. In addition, the Ramayana contains indications of other technologies that are still inaccessible to us, which were used during this grandiose construction.

As a result of the titanic efforts of the people who inhabited India in the distant past and their allies, the demonic army was defeated, goodness triumphed, and the “Bridge of Rama” remained for centuries as a reminder to descendants of the greatness and power of ancient civilizations and their rulers.

And, by the way, here is another argument in favor of the man-made nature of Adam's Bridge: according to radiocarbon dating conducted by Professor Ramasamy from Bharathidasan University, the age of the geological rocks underlying the structure coincides in time with the period described in the Ramayana.

Bridge or canal?

Throughout the entire shipping history of our civilization, Adam's Bridge has been a terrible obstacle to merchant ships. To “go around” it, ships are forced to make a detour of 780 km, skirting Sri Lanka. Back in 1860, the British commander Taylor proposed building a shipping canal between Sri Lanka and India - this would save sailors at least 30 hours of time, not to mention tons of fuel. Only almost a century later, in 1955, did Jawaharlal Nehru decide to take up this grandiose plan. But only recently the Indian government approved the canal project, and the Sethusamudram Corporation began excavation.

But unexpectedly, the grandiose project had opponents who advocated preserving the bridge. They claim that the “Bridge of Rama” is an ancient shrine, destroying which is tantamount to destroying the great heritage of the ancients with one’s own hands. And in fact: there are not many monuments left to humanity that are more than a million years old...

We are already slowly getting used to the fact that behind legends and myths reality and long-overturned pages of the Earth’s past are often hidden. And yet, the images released by NASA several years ago surprised even the residents of India and Sri Lanka. Of course, they show a real bridge between the continent and the island of Ceylon!
Following the release of the NASA images, the Indian newspaper Hindustan Times reported that the NASA images provide evidence of the reality of Indian legends, and that the events told in the Ramayana, including the construction of the Rama Bridge, actually took place. However, NASA distanced itself from any specific statements. Yes, NASA images from US satellites clearly show the amazing marine geomorphology of the area. But, as NASA experts say, by themselves “ Remote sensing images from orbit cannot provide specific information about the origin or age of an island chain and cannot determine the involvement of humans in the origin of a given object».

Rama Bridge on Google Maps

You can view Rama Bridge in detail on Google Maps.

Rama Bridge Ship Canal Project

The question of the origin of the Rama Bridge in India turned out to be so acute that it was resolved at the state level. This was because the Indian government decided to build a shipping canal in the Palk Strait, similar to the Panama Canal., exactly in the place where the Rama Bridge is located, and approved it (Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project).
On March 27, 2007, a group of international public organizations launched a campaign to save the “Ram Bridge” (Save Ram Sethu).

On this issue, the Government of India has stated in the Supreme Court of India that there is no historical evidence of the construction of the bridge built by Rama. Articles appeared in the Indian press claiming that the Rama Bridge was only 3,500 years old. ("Rama"s bridge is only 3,500 years old: CRS". IndianExpress 02.02.2003)
Also in 2007, the Madras High Court in its verdict stated that the Rama Bridge is an artificial structure. Many temples in India and Sri Lanka displayed NASA photographs taken from American space shuttle satellites both in the 2000s and in the 2000s, which showed the outlines of a grandiose structure, which is the Rama Bridge. Meanwhile, the Sethusamudram Corporation has begun excavating the site of the future canal. An interesting fact was that for unknown reasons, some dredgers were returned to the port due to breakdown, and the teeth of the buckets were also broken.
In connection with the construction of the canal in the Palk Strait, the following can be noted. Previously, NASA experts believed that the Rama bridge could be of artificial origin. Recently, they began to take the opposite point of view. A NASA official, citing the Johnson Space Center, said that the structure of sand drifts and reefs located in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka is a natural formation and not an artificial structure.

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So, let's try to understand this controversial issue. Is such an amazing structure a natural formation and can we believe the ancient legends that describe the bridge of Rama?

Rama's Bridge or Adam's Bridge?

"Bridge of Rama" (Skt. Ramasetu Rama's Bridge, also called "Adam's Bridge" is a chain of small coral islets in the Palk Strait about 50 km long, this is an amazing rise of the bottom connecting India and Sri Lanka. The bridge itself stretches from the island of Pamban, also known as Rameswaram, on the southwestern coast of Tamil Nadu in India to the island of Mannar off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Its length is 30 kilometers. The bridge consists of 18 separate parts-islets-shallow waters, nine of them are under the control of the Sri Lanka Navy, the remaining nine are under the control of the Indian Navy.
In this regard, it is worth mentioning the largest bridge in the world, which connects the shores of the bay in China, on the shores of which the city of Shanghai is located. Traffic along it opened in 2008, the length of the structure is 36 kilometers. That is, modern civilization has only now broken the record set either by nature or by ancient builders back in antediluvian times.
It is surprising that Rama's Bridge is marked on modern maps as Adam's Bridge.
According to Arab legends, Adam was expelled from paradise on these shallows, located on the island of Ceylon. And proof of this is the alleged imprint of Adam’s foot left on the top of the mountain, and this mountain is called Adam’s Peak. These names were first officially recorded in 1804. James Rennell (1742-1830), the first Surveyor of British India, who preferred Christian names to the exclusion of local historical names that had existed for thousands of years. James Rennell - English cartographer, geographer and oceanographer, was a specialist in the geography of North Africa and Western Asia and compiled the most accurate map of India of his time (1783).

Adam's Peak

Mountain "Adam's Peak" ( Adam's Peak) , Buddhist name Sri Pada(Sri Pada, Sripadam), located in the southwestern part of the island of Ceylon at an altitude of 2224 m above sea level and is a place of pilgrimage where tens of thousands of believers climb annually. Representatives of different faiths believe in the holiness of this mountain. The peak received its current name thanks to the Muslim legend that the punished Adam stood on one leg at this place for a thousand years. In the Islamic tradition, Adam was God's representative on earth, destined to become the first prophet. It is believed that Adam is the real creator of the sacred stone of the Kaaba in Mecca. After the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, the merciful Lord decided to soften the punishment and placed them in Sri Lanka, the most fertile corner of the earth, more reminiscent of paradise than others.

At the top of the mountain, on a bare, barren granite platform, there is a space 21 meters long and 10 meters wide, surrounded by a meter high wall, behind which rises a small open temple. Below this temple, on a prominent rock, a “sacred footprint” is visible, representing a depression similar to the footprint of a human foot, measuring 1.62 x 0.76 m. The edges of the footprint are supposedly surrounded by a golden frame decorated with precious stones. Photographing the Buddha's footprint is prohibited, as is the temple itself. Moreover, the trail is hidden from the eyes of tourists and pilgrims by fabric, so it is not possible to post a photo here. There is a belief that the water accumulating in this depression has miraculous healing powers.
Sinhalese Buddhists believe that the mysterious imprint belongs to the Buddha, who came across the bridge to the island of Ceylon, and they call it Sripada, that is, the footprint of the Buddha, left by him during his third and last visit to the island. The local Vedda people of the island called the mountain "Samanala Kanda" (butterfly mountain) after Saman, one of the four mystical patron deities of the island. Hindu devotees of Vishnu believe that this is the imprint of Vishnu's lotus foot (Vishnupada), as repeatedly mentioned in the Mahabharata.

According to Shaivite sources, Shiva visited these places. Followers of Shiva believe that the dancing god Shiva left this imprint at the creation of the world. And since the first European sailors arrived in Sri Lanka, Christianity has also laid claim to this imprint and claims that St. Thomas, the first Christian apostle to preach in India, left his mark here.
Thus, this mysterious place has become an object of worship for representatives of the four main religions represented on the island: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Buddhism is the most widespread, although in its variety represented on the island, it bears features, both Hinduism and Islam. One way or another, the southern coast of India and the northern coast of Sri Lanka have been culturally united for many millennia. On the Indian side, near the city of Rameshwaram, there is the ancient Ramanatha Swamy Temple, reminiscent of the legendary events of the Ramayana; on the Sri Lankan side, there is the ancient Tiruketesvara Temple, reminiscent of his wife Ravana(Ravana) Mandodari(Mandodari). She was a daughterarchitect of the demon asurasMayasura, the king of giants, and the celestial dancer apsara Hema. Mandodari was the mother Indrajita(Indrajit), a brave warrior who was able to defeat Indra himself.

Pedigree of the Rakshasas. Ravana and Kubera

According to Ceylonese legends, it was here in Lanka that one of the oldest civilizations on earth existed. Many Indian and Ceylonese legends tell about the ten-headed king of the Rakshasa demons Ravana, who ruled the island of Lanka long before the birth of Rama. According to traditional Indian mythology, Ravana was the direct great-grandson of the creator god Brahma and the grandson of the Lord of all creations, the sage rishi Pulasti(Pulasti)

The people of Lanka were a great nation of four clans. According to the original chronological records, the Sinhala were descended from a mixture of four Sri Lankan "tribes" (groups of intelligent beings) such as Nagas, Yakshas, ​​Dewas and Gandharvas, all associated with the family of gurus Pulasti.

Also, according to the Puranas, Pulastya was the progenitor of Ravana, Kubera, Nagas, Gandharvas and Yaksha vams'a. He is also mentioned as a rishi in the Rig Veda (III.53.16). The descendants of Pulastya were also Vanaras (monkeys), Kinnaras and Rakshasas (Mahabharata I.60, 7)
It was the powerful Ravana who united these clans and named the country "Sivhelas" (Sivhelas - four tribes). The flag of King Ravana became the national flag. This flag, depicting the Sun and Moon with a portrait of Ravana, is the oldest flag of Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, an image of this flag could not be found, but the modern flag of one of the provinces of Sri Lanka (Sabaragamuwa Province) resembles the ancient flag of Ravana.
The current Sri Lankan flag with a lion appeared in Sri Lanka much later, approximately 2500 years ago.
The divine sage-rishi Pulastya lived in Lanka. The city in which he lived was named Pulastipura - the city of the sage Pulastya, then the city was renamed Kanduru Pura, and today is known as Polonnaruwa, located 214 km. northeast of Colombo.
The most famous son of Pulastya is Vishravas, from Havirbhu's wife, or Manini. There is the following legend. Once in Treta Yuga, Pulastya performed asceticism on Mount Meru. Pulastya was the fourth of Brahma's sons and the most virtuous among them; everyone loved him - both gods and saints. He retired to the desert on the slope of the great Mount Meru and there indulged in severe asceticism. The area where his abode was located, blooming and fragrant, was loved by young maidens, daughters of sages and nagas, and apsaras. Their games, singing and dancing disturbed the peace of the ascetic. And one day, annoyed by their carefree gaiety, Pulastya exclaimed: “ The one of you who from now on penetrates the boundaries of my monastery will bear fruit in the womb".
And then one day Manini, the daughter of the sage Trinabindu from the Solar family, not knowing about Pulastya’s words, entered the ashram and became pregnant. Pulastya married her and their eldest son was born. Vishravas(or Vishravasmuni, Visravasmuni). Vishravas married Princess Devavarnini, or Ilabile(Illavila), daughter of the famous sage named Bharadwaja Magina, a Brahmin hermit, son of Brihaspati. Born from this marriage Vaishravana(Vaishravana) his other, more famous name Kubera(Kubera), eldest son of Vishravasmuni. From Vishravasmuni's second marriage to a beautiful woman Kesini(Kesini, another name for Kaikasi), daughter of the king Sumalin(Sumalin) from the Asura clan, sons were born: Ravana(Rawana), Vibhishana(Vibhishana), Kumbhakarna(Kumbhakarna, also called Jug-Eared), daughters Shurpanakha(Shurpanakha), Hema (Hema) and Suparika(Suparikha). All four sons of Vishravas are heroes of Ramayana and are called descendants of Pulastya.
Vishravas Kubera's eldest son was also a great ascetic. Brahma himself, pleased with Kubera's strict adherence to his strict vows, came to him, accompanied by a retinue of celestials, and bestowed upon him a reward. The Creator of the Universe made Kubera the god of wealth and the lord of the Yakshas, ​​mountain spirits guarding treasures. And Brahma also gave him a wonderful chariot “Pushpaka”, which could fly through the air. When Brahma left with the gods accompanying him, Kubera turned to his father and said: " Oh, venerable one, I received the desired gifts from the Progenitor, but he did not show me my abode. Where will I live and store my wealth?" Vishravas said: " There is a large island in the Southern Ocean, and on that island there is a mountain rising above the sea. On the top of that mountain stands the wonderful golden-walled city of Lanka, surrounded by a golden wall. It once belonged to the Rakshasa tribe. The Rakshasas and Yakshas were created at the beginning of creation by the Progenitor; they were born from his feet, formidable and irresistible creatures, whom Brahma destined to be the guardians of the primordial waters. The Yakshas were virtuous and obedient to the will of the gods. The Rakshasas began to attack the gods themselves and the asuras and until then disturbed the celestials with their raids, until Vishnu came to them on the island riding on the great bird Garuda. In a fierce battle, Vishnu and Garuda defeated the Rakshasas and drove them out of Lanka into the underworld. Now the city of Lanka, abandoned by its former inhabitants, is empty. Let your abode be there.". (E.N. Temkin and E.V. Gansovich, Myths of Ancient India, Moscow, 1982)
Thus Kubera, the first son of King Vishravasmuni and the grandson of the sage Pulastya, the god of wealth, became the ruler of the wonderful city of Lanka on an island in the Southern Ocean.

Birth and rise of Ravana

Kubera ascended to the throne of Lanka and ruled the country wisely and fairly. He lived in a palace, which was protected by a large fortress. According to the Ramayana, this gigantic fortress in the center of Lanka was called Alakamanda - “... The royal residence of the gods, Alakamanda, is powerful, rich and populous, and many gods visit it, and there is always an abundance of food in it.”(Sutra on the Great Final Liberation Mahaparinibbana Sutta (Mahвparinibbвnasutta), part five, verse 43).
At that time, the leaders of the Rakshasas were two brothers - Malyavan and Sumalin. Sumalin had a daughter named Kaikasi (Kesini), similar in beauty to Lakshmi. One day, Sumalin, emerging from the underworld to the surface of the earth, saw in the sky the wonderful chariot "Pushpaka", and on it Kubera, the brilliant lord of wealth, flying through the air from Lanka to Mount Meru to visit his father's abode. Sumalin came up with the idea of ​​how to achieve benefit for the Rakshasas. Returning to the underworld, he called Kaikasi to him and said: " O my daughter, the time has come for you to get married. Until now, no one has dared to ask for your hand. Now I am letting you go from your father’s house. Go to Mount Meru, where the great ascetic Vishravas, son of Pulastya, lives; may you choose him as your husband!“And the daughter Sumalina left the underworld and appeared in the abode of Vishravas at the hour when the ascetic was making agnihotra - an offering to fire. Vishravas penetrated her soul with his inner gaze and said: “ I recognized your wish, beauty. You long to have offspring. Let it be so. But since you came to me at an inopportune hour, when I was making a sacrifice to the fire, you will give birth to children of terrible appearance and cruel disposition.". “Have mercy, O wise ascetic,” Kaikasi prayed. “This is not the kind of offspring I wanted for myself.” Then Vishravas promised her that her youngest son would be virtuous and like his father in everything.
The time came, and Kaikasi gave birth to a son, a terrible rakshasa with ten heads and twenty arms, with hair like flames and fangs protruding from his mouth. The moment he was born, the sun darkened in the sky, the earth shook, the ocean was agitated, and bloody rains poured from heaven to earth. The ten-headed son of Vishravas was named Dashagriva (lit. "Ten necks"), but he is better known by the name Ravana.
Following him, the terrible giant Kumbhakarna was born. The third was born to Kaikasi a daughter of a terrifying appearance, with sharp and long claws - she was named Shurpanakha. When Kaikasi's youngest son, Vibhishana, was born, flowers bloomed on the earth, and heavenly music sounded in the heights.
One day Kubera visited his father's abode on his flying chariot "Pushpaka". Kaikasi pointed out to her sons their half-brother as he flew across the sky and said: “Look, here is your brother, born of the same father as you! In a blaze of glory and power, he commands a rich kingdom, but you have been given a miserable lot. You must equal his power!” In order to achieve the same power, they began to indulge in the most severe torture of the flesh. Kumbhakarna indulged in severe asceticism for a thousand years: in the summer, in the heat, he lay between two fires,in winter - in cold water.Vibhishana stood on one leg for five thousand years, raising his hands to the sky, and for another five thousand years he looked at the sun without looking away. The ten-headed man fasted for a thousand years and finally, as the last sacrifice, he burned all ten of his heads in the fire.
Then Brahma appeared to Ravana, pleased with his asceticism, and said: " Choose the gift you want!" Ravana said: " I wish immortality, because for living beings there is no enemy in the world more terrible than death". But Brahma told him: " You cannot become immortal!"Then Ravana wished:" May I be invulnerable to asuras and gods, to suparna birds and snakes, to yakshas and to rakshasas. I am not afraid of other creatures; people are blades of grass before my power". - "Let it be so“- said Brahma and returned to Ravana his sacrificed heads; and he also granted him the ability to take on any form at will.
Vibhishana wished that his soul would always remain pure and striving for virtue, and that in his actions he would never deviate from the righteous path. Thus Vibhishana, who did not ask for it, received from the pleased Brahma the gift of immortality, which his elder brother vainly desired. When Brahma was about to grant the fulfillment of Kumbhakarna’s wishes, the celestials prayed to the Creator, humbly folding their palms: “ Do not give the gift to Kumbhakarna, oh lord, for you know that he will use it for evil." Then Brahma, before appearing to Kumbhakarna, sent Saraswati, the goddess of speech and wisdom, to him, and she quietly penetrated his larynx. And when Brahma asked him about the desired gift, Kumbhakarna replied: " May I fall asleep for many years!" Saraswati spoke these words for him. Brahma immediately granted him the fulfillment of this desire and left, and the goddess of speech followed him. And Kumbhakarna, having come to his senses, realized that the gods had deceived him.

Ravana is the ruler of Lanka. Alakamanda, Chitrakuta, Sigiriya

Sumalin wanted Ravana to return their possessions to the Rakshasas. One of Sumalin's advisers, a rakshasa named Prahasta, said this to Ravana: " There are no brotherly feelings and affections between the warriors, O Ten-Headed One! Remember that asuras and gods are also children of the same father, but there is no peace between them, and their struggle is endless. Therefore you should follow our advice". And Ravana, convinced by these words, replied: " Let it be so!"
Kubera tried to settle this issue by offering Ravana joint ownership of Lanka, but Ravana decided to seize power and acquire the Alakamandu palace, where Kubera lived, as well as the throne and vimana of Pushpaka. Then Vishravas said to Kubera: " My son, do not argue with this villain. I have already spoken to him and rebuked him for his sinful behavior. Brahma's gift filled him with vanity. Go north to the mountains; there, on the top of Kailasa, in a beautiful and flourishing area, where Gandharvas and Apsaras, Nagas, and Kinnars find shelter and gather for joyful festivals and games - there let your abode be". And, following the advice of his father,Kubera along with his wives,sons, advisers and with all his associates and subjects left Lanka and retired to the north, to Kailasa.
So, Ravana wrested power from his brother and received all the wealth of Kubera, including the palace, throne and vimana. He occupied precious Lanka along with the Rakshasas, who declared him their king. The fierce and warlike Rakshasas moved from the underworld to Lanka, to the kingdom of Ravana, while the Rakshasas of a peaceful disposition, following the paths of virtue, surrendered together with the Yakshas under the rule of Kubera.
As soon as Ravana came to power, he built a temple for his beloved parents, King Vishravasmuni and Kesini, in the city of Anuradhapura, the northern capital of Lanka. Worship of former leaders was an ancient ritual among the Yakshas. The Vishravasmuni Temple, where Ravana's parents are depicted, was later converted into a Buddhist shrine and is now called Isurumuniya. This is the world famous temple complex Isurumuniya Vihara (also known as Meghagiri Vihara).

Ravana began to live in Alakamanda, the royal residence of his half-brother Kubera.
Confirmation of these events can be found in ancient texts. Thus, the Lankavatara Sutra is one of the most important sutras of Mahayana Buddhism. It is believed to contain the words spoken by the Buddha when he visited Lanka. In the Sutra, Ravana is described as the king of Lanka who tried to study the teachings of the Buddha. According to it, Ravana invited Buddha to his place in Lanka. The Sutra also describes the ocean and Rama's bridge. It also says that Ravana was an excellent ruler and a devoted son, and his ten heads symbolized his extraordinary erudition, he knew six Shastras and four Vedas.
Under Ravana, Alakamanda began to be called Chitrakuta, now it is called Sigiriya and is one of the unique ancient monuments.
Sigiriya(“lion rock”, another more ancient name for Sinhapura, Sigir Vimana) is a rocky plateau rising 370 meters above sea level and about 170 meters above the surrounding plain in the very center of the island of Ceylon. Since 1982 Sigiriya is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Sigiriya is home to perhaps the oldest and largest “art” gallery in the world. This is a hall of mirrors, formerly lined with porcelain, with numerous frescoes that extend 140 meters in length and 40 meters in height.

Sigiriya and Adam's Peak (www.countries.ru)

As stated in the ancient Sri Lankan text Ravana Katha,The world famous frescoes of Sigiriya depict beautiful maidens from Ravana's harem.In the frescoes we can see beautiful women from all four ancient families: Yakshas, ​​Nagas, Devas and Gandharvas. The beautiful flowers in their hands symbolize national unity.
According to archaeologists, the buildings of Sigiriya are believed to be made of bricks identical to those found in Mohenjodaro and Harappa, cities of the Indus and Saraswati civilizations. According to Ravana Katha, the architect of Sigiriya was Maya Danava.


After the death of Ravana, his brother Vibhishana came to power in Lanka, who helped Rama defeat Ravana. The fortress with the palace of Ravana became the residence of the hero from the Yaksha family, Chitraraja, a relative of Vibhishana. Among the descendants of Chitraraja from the Yaksha family were King Pandukabhaya (437-367 BC), and the famous King Kassapa (459-447 AD), who was the first since the time of Ravana to restore all the buildings of Sigiriya (Chitrakuta ). Kassapa built an impregnable fortress on the rock.

Around the rock there were endless gardens, in which perhaps the first fountains in the world flowed. Shafts and clear signs of the use of an elevator were discovered in the rock itself. The monumental Lion Gate led to the top of the plateau. From the giant figure of a lion carved into the rock, only the paws remained.

The lion's mouth once served as the entrance to the fortress. Before and after the reign of Kasapa, there was a cave Buddhist monastery on the rock. The existence of the fortress became known to Europeans only in 1907, when British explorer John Steele described the “vast picture gallery” of the magnificent Sigiriya Palace.
It is interesting to note that in the photograph of the Lion Gate we see three-toed paws and non-retractable claws; on the Sri Lankan flag we can distinguish four toes. As far as is known, no trace of lions has ever been found in Ceylon. Thus, the idea arises that Sigiriya - “lion rock”, in fact, has nothing to do with lions, and the Lion Gate depicts the paws not of a lion, but of some more ancient creature that lived in Lanka, and was important for the locals inhabitants.

Legends of Ravan

For centuries of asceticism, Ravana was awarded by Brahma himself the gift of invulnerability: for ten thousand years he could not be killed by god and demon. As a result of the blessings he received, Ravana possessed unmatched strength and was invulnerable to the demigods and devas and all types of living beings in the universe except humans.
Feeling the benefits that Brahma's gift promised him, Ravana decided to conquer the whole world. He easily defeated the devas and took control of all three worlds of the Universe: heaven, earth and the underworld. Ravana ravaged both earth and heaven, and did not spare the heavenly grove of Nandana in the kingdom of Indra. As stated in the Ramayana, he devastated the heavenly groves of Chitraratha and the gardens of the gods on the northern slope of Mount Meru, which were guarded by Kubera. Being as tall as a high mountain, he stopped the movement of the sun and moon with his hand and prevented their ascent, and where Ravana appeared, the sun lost its power, the wind stopped blowing, the fire stopped burning and the raging ocean pacified its waters.
Ravana's power grew and almost the entire world was conquered by him. But one day the rakshasa made a mistake. He took possession of his nephew's wife, the beautiful apsara Rambha. For this, her husband Nalakubara, the son of Kureba, cursed Ravana, threatening that the next time Ravana tried to take possession of a woman against her will, his head would shatter into seven pieces. And this time Brahma did not help Ravana.
Many centuries later, Ravana kidnapped Sita, the wife of Rama, intending to make her his wife. Without causing violence, Ravana wanted to gain her favor through threats and persuasion, since he was under a curse: in case of violence against a woman, he would instantly die.
The invincible ruler of the Rakshasas was incredibly angry with the celestials and because they doomed his brother Kumbhakarna, a huge glutton giant, to eternal sleep. The wise goddess Saraswati, who embodies the creative energy of Brahma, was to blame for this. Ravana swore revenge on the celestials. He gathered an army of rakshasas and, burning with anger, went north, devastating everything in his path. Because of this, the gods became very angry with Ravana and threatened to punish him, but could not cause him the slightest harm, since Brahma’s gift made Ravana completely invulnerable. Ravana became even more angry and threatened to kill all the gods and guardians of the world, and even his elder brother Kubera, who lived peacefully next to the gods. The Lord of the Yakshas Kubera tried to reason with his brother, addressing him with the following words: “ Why did you harm me, why did you destroy the divine groves and kill the holy sages?" But Ravana did not want to listen to anything.
Once, encroaching on the abode of Shiva, Ravana tore Mount Kailash from the ground, on which the palace of the mighty ruler was located. Shiva, outraged by Ravana's insolence, stepped on the mountain with his foot and pressed it to the ground. The mountain crushed Ravana's hands and he roared in pain. For this, Shiva called him a howler, i.e. "Ravana".
By the way, many of Ravana's deeds are commemorated in India's most important temples dedicated to Shiva, including the famous Ellora Caves. Thus, in one of the Ellora temples there is a sculpture of Ravana trying to lift Mount Kailash, the seat of the god Shiva.

After this, Ravana decided to oppose Shiva. Then Shiva's servant Nandin predicted his death from the army of monkeys. (Nandi or Nandin-vahana is the mount of Shiva)
The Ramayana describes how the personification of the earth, the goddess Bhumi, came to the creator of the Universe, Brahma, begging to save her from unrighteous kings who mercilessly exploited her resources and were responsible for the death of many people in bloody wars. Many deva demigods also came to Brahma to ask for refuge, frightened by the enormous power of the ten-headed Ravana, the demonic ruler of Lanka. When the devas turned to Brahma for help, Brahma answered them that the evil rakshasa did not ask him for protection from man, so only man could defeat him. Meanwhile, the gods created powerful monkeys, brave, wise and agile, capable of changing their appearance. They were supposed to help Vishnu in his fight against the rakshasas. For example, Hanuman, Rama's ally and assistant, was the son of the wind god Vayu and the apsara Punjistala. Hanuman's mother was at that time under the influence of a curse that turned her into a Vanara, bore the name Anjana (hence one of Hanuman's names - Anjaneya) and was the wife of Kesari, a powerful warrior from the Vanara race. One day, when she was walking in the mountains, she was seen by the wind god Vayu flying past, who was struck by her beauty. Vayu took possession of Anjana. This is how Hanuman was born and hence his first name - Maruti (son of the wind). Hanuman inherited from his father the divine abilities of flight, fast movement, and incredible strength.
Vishnu, in his seventh incarnation, took the form of a man and appeared on earth as the hero Rama with the aim of fulfilling a certain mission for the devas, the administrators of the Universe.

History of the creation of the Rama Bridge according to the Ramayana

After Rama and his allies reached the southern borders of India, Hanuman, Sugriva, Rama and Vibhishana (Ravana's brother, who had defected to Rama) held a council to decide how they and the army of monkeys would cross the ocean and reach Lanka. Vibhishana suggested turning to the god of the ocean. Only he could help build the bridge.
Prince Rama spent three days on the ocean shore, but he remained silent. Angry, Rama grabbed his bow and promised to dry up the ocean. He fired several arrows into the water, and the water began to burn, and a storm arose, alarming the gods and hermits. But the ocean was still silent. Then Rama pulled the bowstring and prepared to shoot Brahma's arrow into the water. The heavens and earth darkened, the mountains shook, and lightning flashed in the sky. All living things were afraid, the depths of the ocean began to move, and the Ocean God appeared to Rama in rich robes decorated with precious stones. It was followed by rivers - Ganga, Sindhu and others. Approaching Rama, the Ocean god said: “ O Rama, you know that each element has its own properties. My nature is such that it is impossible to cross over me. I just can’t force the waters to stop their eternal movement. But you can build a bridge, and I will help it stand" Ocean also said that he was also a descendant of the Solar Dynasty of Ikshwaku, like Rama, and therefore a relative of Rama. The ocean told Rama that in his army there is a wise vanara named Nala, who is a skilled craftsman and endowed with great strength. Nala is the son of Tvashtri, in the Puranas and other later texts Tvashtri appears under the name of Vishvakarma ("creator of all"), the divine artisan of the Universe.
It is interesting to note that the creations created by Vishwakarma include the city of Lanka, built for the rakshasas, palaces for Kubera, Varuna, Garuda and Agastya, the Pushpaka chariot for the same Kubera, the Soma chariot, which Arjuna acquired, for the god Vishnu. Vishwakarma also introduced Sthapatya Veda, the science of architecture and mechanics, to people. Vishwakarma had several children: Nala, a skilled builder, daughter Sanjana was married to Surya.When Vishwakarma found out that his daughter was unable to bear the radiance of her husband, he placed the Sun on his anvil and removed an eighth of Surya's radiance.Fragments from this eighth part of the radiance fell to the ground and Vishwakarma made from them a disk for Vishnu, a trident for Shiva, a weapon for Kubera, a spear for Skanda.
So, the words of the Ocean calmed Rama, but Brahma's arrow was still waiting for its target, and it was no longer possible to remove it from the bow.
“Where should I shoot the arrow?” Rama asked the god of the ocean.
“There is a place in my domain where terrible creatures live, shoot an arrow there,” he answered.
Rama pulled the string and shot the arrow. The flaming arrow dried up part of the ocean, and now there is a desert where the waves splashed. But Rama blessed the scorched earth, and it became fertile.
According to another version, having heard the words of the Ocean, Rama decided not to shoot his arrow into its waters; however, every arrow already placed on the string must find its target; Rama turned and fired towards the distant jungle, which then turned into a dry desert.
« Mister! In your camp there are two chiefs, Nala and Nila, who have fallen victim to a curse brought on by the sage. This curse may now turn into a blessing. It's time to tell this story."
And the Ocean himself told Rama the details of the sad incident:
« In ancient times, there were hermitages on the banks of the river. When both brothers, Nala and Nila, were still very young, they acquired the unwise habit of sneaking secretly to the monastery at a time when the sages were immersed in deep meditation. They grabbed holy icons, called saligrams, and threw them into the fast waters of the river! The sages, enraged by such blasphemy, brought a curse upon the daring youths. They proclaimed: “Listen up, teenagers! Let it be from now on that all the objects that you throw into the water will never sink; they will remain on the surface and will always be in the place where you throw them, no matter how stormy and swift the river flows.”
Therefore, according to the prediction, any rock thrown into the sea by their hands will never sink or move; inscribe your Name on the mountains and stone slabs - your Name is lighter than the wind, it does not have heaviness. Then the huge mountains and rocks submerged in my waters will remain on the surface and form a bridge. On my part, I promise you help and support, for if efforts are directed towards the search for truth, nature must serve those who follow this path.”
Rama summoned the leaders of the monkey tribes and the leaders of the army and ordered them to begin building a Bridge across the ocean. The vanara heroes rushed in different directions to return back, carrying mountains and rocks on their shoulders and heads, like toy balls. The warriors lined up in one long line and passed each other, carrying their heavy load from shoulder to shoulder, loudly and tirelessly repeating the name of Rama. From time to time they tore huge trees out of the ground and transported them in a chain to the seashore, where Nala and Nila, standing ready, plunged them into the sea.
Millions of fast and strong hands worked: they cut down, uprooted thousand-year-old trees, carried blocks of earth, piles of stones, broke off entire mountain ridges and threw it all, felled it, laid it down and trampled it into the sea. When the gigantic work, possible only by the mind and strength of the gods, was completed and the land of one shore touched the land of the other, along the road with noise and crashing, thundering and flashing weapons, countless hordes of Vanaras began to boil, and, like waves, overtaking and overtaking each other, They rolled towards Ceylon.
At that very moment, Hanuman placed a huge hill brought from the far north on his shoulder. Hearing Rama's order, Hanuman lowered the hill to the ground near Vrindavan (a city of five thousand temples in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, where Sai Baba's ashram is located) and was very surprised to hear a loud groan coming from the fallen hill. " Alas! - the mountain lamented, - I missed the opportunity to render a service to Rama" She could not recover from grief and was deaf to words of consolation. When Hanuman told Rama about this incident, he smiled good-naturedly: “ ABOUT! Even the mountains are eager to take part in this action!" He became happy to hear about such enthusiasm and said to Hanuman: " Go quickly. Comfort this mountain as best you can. Tell her that she has no reason to be sad. During the coming Dwapara YugaI will hold this mountain in the palm of my hand for seven whole days and nights. The mountain will be happy to hear this news " Since then, the mountain has received the name Govardhan Peak, which God,as promised in Treta Yuga, raised it with his hand.
One may also marvel at the presence of an unusual mountain on the island of Ceylon, on the beach near Ruma Sulla, approximately 150 km north of Colombo. Surrounded by the ocean and sandy beaches, it looks very out of place there. It’s as if someone specially placed a huge mass of soil on sandy soil, and the soil on the mountain does not correspond to other soils on the island of Ceylon. And on this mountain grow various herbs and medicinal plants found in the mountains of the Himalayas.
According to the Ramayana, Rama's bridge was built by Rama's subjects and allies, including an army of bears and monkeys. Construction was carried out under the leadership of Nala. It was over this bridge that Rama's troops crossed to Lanka, defeated the demon Ravana and freed Sita, Rama's beloved.
In the 6th book of the Ramayana Yuddha Kanda ("Book of War") in the 22nd chapter it is said that the bridge of Rama, one hundred yojanas long and ten yojanas wide, was built within five days. Day 1 – 14 yojanas, day 2 – 20 yojanas, day 3 – 21 yojanas, day 4 – 22 yojanas, day 5 – 23 yojanas.
“That beautiful and wonderful bridge built by Nala across the ocean, the abode of alligators, shone brightly in its perfection like the Milky Way of stars in the sky” (Ramayana 6-22-72) . “And then the gods, gandharvas, siddhas and great rishis gathered in the sky to behold this masterpiece, which resembled the constellation Swati.”
In the Ramayana (6-22-76) this bridge is also called Setubandhanam ("sacred dam"), a name that still exists today. When Rama and Sita were flying on the vimana over the bridge, Rama says to Sita: “You see the great ocean below and you can contemplate, Sita, my Setu, dividing this foamy ocean, like the Milky Way and the sky, into two parts; Setu Bandhanam is a very sacred place which can help everyone destroy their sins. In this place, Lord Shiva resided a few eras ago just to help me.”

Battle of two worlds

Before Rama reached Ravana, Hanuman, Rama's loyal ally, managed to burn the whole of Lanka to the ground. Rama's multi-million army clashed in mortal combat with a countless horde of rakshasas. Then Rama, Hanuman and Angada, seizing the uprooted trees and fragments of rocks, fell upon Kumbhakarna, the brother of Ravana. Hanuman, soaring into the sky, threw huge boulders at the demon, but this did not stop Kumbhakarna. Deftly throwing his spear, he wounded Hanuman. Kumbhakarna threw a second spear at Hanuman, but he caught it and broke it in two. The monkeys shouted joyfully, and the rakshasas, frightened by these shouts, retreated.
Then Pitcher-Ears grabbed a piece of the mountain and threw it at Sugriva, knocking the lord of the monkeys down. The frightened monkeys, thinking that their ruler was dead, scattered. But Sugriva woke up and, getting up, again rushed towards Kumbhakarna. The battle resumed. Armed with a bow, Rama fired a cloud of arrows at the rakshasa, and then cut off his powerful hand, which, falling, crushed many monkeys. With the second blow, Rama cut off Kumbhakarna’s second hand, and with the help of two disks with sharp edges, he also cut off his legs. Then he cut off the demon's head with Indra's spear. Like a mountain, Kumbhakarna fell into the ocean, and the hearts of the gods were filled with joy.
Ravana's two brothers Indrajit and Kumbhakarna, as well as other commanders of Ravana's army, had already fallen on the battlefield, but Ravana did not retreat. Ravana's father-in-law Mayasura gifted him with a large number of divine weapons, and Ravana decided to go to the end.
Finally, Ravana himself entered into single combat with Rama. The duel between the prince and Ravana turned out to be a difficult test for Rama. From this battle the earth shook, the clouds poured bloody rain, the sun sparkled unbearably. Many devas began to watch the progress of this fight. Rama pulled the string and released the arrow. A thousand rakshasas died on the spot from fear, so terrible was the whistle of the fired arrow. Ravana, grabbing his bow, showered Rama with a rain of lion-headed arrows, but Rama repelled them with his arrows, bright as lightning. Indra sent his chariot and his charioteer Matali to help Rama. Rama continued to fight Ravana on Indra's celestial chariot. Ravana, trying to destroy Rama, fired golden arrows with animal faces spewing flames at him. In the air, these arrows turned into poisonous snakes. All living things around could disappear in an instant. But Rama used Garuda's weapon and responded with arrows that turned into birds and destroyed Ravana's arrows. Encouraged by good omens and the help of the gods, Rama began to press back the lord of demons. Like angry lions, the heroes grappled with each other and entered into mortal combat. With his sword, Rama cut off the heads of the ten-headed Ravana one after another, but each time a new one mystically grew in place of the severed head. Rama's deadly arrows pierced the king of Lanka like five-headed snakes, but Ravana seemed immortal and invulnerable. It seemed that nothing could destroy the powerful demon. The arrows that took the lives of Marichi, Khara, Bali and other commanders of the countless hordes of rakshasas did not cause any harm to the demon lord. Ravana used a wonderful spear that struck without a miss. " The spear flew into the sky, blazing with fire, the thundering bells swaying above the ground" But Rama repelled his blows with the spear of Indra.
Then Rama decided to use the weapon of Brahma, an arrow given to him by the sage Agastya, who had the ability to control the wind. The tip of this arrow contained enormous power of fire, and in its power it was equal to Mount Meru. After reciting the mantras, Rama pulled the bowstring and released the arrow. This arrow, " launched from the hands of a godman fighting with Ravana over a woman, struck Ravana" With a whistle, it pierced Ravana's chest and, having washed itself in the blood of the rakshasa, returned to Rama's quiver.
Ravana was defeated. The joy of the gods at the death of Ravana was so great that celestial music began to play in the heavens. After the death of Ravana, great rejoicing began on the celestial planets, and the grateful devas showered Rama with rain of celestial flowers. Finally, peace was established in all three worlds, freed from the power of the demon. After Rama's victory in the war with Ravana, immediately after Sita passed the test of chastity by passing through the fire, Brahma, Indra and other devas, along with the celestial sages and Shiva, descended from heaven. They confirmed Sita's integrity and, thanking Rama for freeing the Universe from the forces of evil, revealed Rama's divine position and announced the completion of his mission.Rama returns to Ayodhya and becomes the king of Ayodhya, and subsequently the emperor of the whole world. Rama's reign lasted 11 thousand years, during which an era of perfect happiness, peace, prosperity and justice reigned throughout the entire planet, known as “Rama Rajya”.

Attempts at scientific research

Among scientists studying Indian culture, it is generally accepted that today there is not a single artifact that proves that the events described in the Ramayana actually happened. However, the bridge, 30 km long and 2 - 3 km wide, is not a needle, so it itself is a gigantic artifact. Let's talk about the connection between the Rama Bridge and the Rama Setu structure from the legendary ancient Indian epic.
Rama's Bridge appears in almost all local legends, and is also depicted on ancient maps. Remains or traces of the Rama Bridge are still present today (the depth of the ocean in these places is only 1-2 m). There are other “artifacts” - several huge rough-hewn slabs of road masonry, as well as several tablets with sacred writings, which supposedly protected the Rama Bridge from destruction. The curvature and configuration of the Rama Bridge rather speaks of an artificial construction of a “sacred dam”.

And the most intriguing point: if Rama's bridge is a natural education , then why is it not located in some other part of the Indian Ocean, but precisely in the place where, according to the Ramayana, the bridge was supposed to be built by Rama and his allies? So, is this really an artificial structure or is it still a natural formation?
Researchers describe this amazing structure in different ways: as a chain of sandbanks, coral reefs, or as a ridge formed due to thinning or pinching out of the earth's crust, or as a double sandy isthmus, a sand spit connecting the island to the mainland, or as a long sandbank, an alluvial spit or shelf islands. Some researchers believe that this bridge several thousand years ago was the largest sandy isthmus in the world, which then turned into a chain of sandbanks with changes in sea level. This bridge is not just a dune. In the area of ​​the Rama Bridge there is a sharp rise in the bottom from a depth of 10-12 m to 1-0.5 m; it is possible to sail here only in small boats.The islands protrude above the surface of the water in some places, but most of the corals are underwater at a depth of about 1 m(at this link you can watch 4 interesting videos: 1. View of the Rama Bridge from an airplane, 2. A train ride on the Rama Bridge, 3. Floating stones from which the Rama Bridge is made, 4. Rama Bridge in the bioclimate of the Indian Ocean).
On the northeastern side of the bridge is the turbulent Palk Bay with periodic storms and cyclones. On the southwestern side there is a very calm Manara Bay with clear emerald-colored water. It is the Rama Bridge that separates these two completely different bays. Interestingly, even the structure of the water in them is visually different. From the Bay of Bengal side, the water has a cloudy-grayish hue due to the suspension; from the Bay of Manara side, despite the waves, the water is transparent - turquoise.
This is why coral reefs can only be found to the west and southwest of Rama Bridge; from the Bay of Bengal we will not find them. This shows that the Indian Ocean in this place is, as it were, divided into two sections with different geological structures.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has carried out a detailed analysis of the entire structure of the Rama Bridge. Soil samples taken from different wells in the area of ​​the bridge were studied, the total number of wells was about 100. Also, a multi-beam echo sounder-sonar, as well as magnetic and bathymetric scanning were used to study the structure of the bridge. As a result of the research, a low underwater “ridge” with a width of 1.6 to 4 km was identified. It is an anomaly because it appears unexpectedly from the Bay of Bengal. Moreover, the ridge is a cluster of boulders measuring 1.5 x 2.5 m, consisting of limestone, sand and coral. Moreover, these boulders lie on sea sand, the thickness of the sandy soil is from 3 to 5 m, and only then does the solid soil begin. Thus, the presence of loose sand below the boulders appears to indicate that the ridge is not a natural formation. Some of the boulders are so light that they can float on water.

Attempts to determine the age of the Rama Bridge

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) conducted research on the coral ridge as part of the Rameswaram Project and, based on the age of the corals, concluded that Rameswaram Island was formed 125,000 years ago. There is research that confirms that during periods of low sea levels over the last 100,000 years, the Rama Bridge provided an intermittent land connection between India and Sri Lanka. Radiocarbon dating has shown that the area between Rameswaram and Talaimannar took on its present form sometime between 18,000 and 7,000 years ago.
During periods of low sea level, the land area was significantly larger than what is now India and extended far beyond the borders of Sri Lanka. According to the research of Indian scientist P.K. Banerjee, approximately 7300 years ago the most significant (4 meters relative to modern) rise in sea level occurred. This led to the flooding of many coastal areas and the formation of a strait between India and Sri Lanka.
Sea levels were high from 7300 to 5800 years ago, then became lower from 5800 to 5400 years ago. In the period 5400 to 4000 years ago, sea levels rose again (by 2 meters compared to modern levels). That is why in the areas of Rameswaram, Tuticorin and other areas, scientists found two groups of corals. Moreover, as measurements have shown, the corals in the lower layers are older, while those in the upper layers are younger. It was also determined that these land areas were not uplifted as a result of any geological processes. All this means that the structure is more of a small dam than a bridge.
Let us now look at the curvature pattern of the Rama Bridge. In the area between Rameswaram and Mannar we will see that the underwater ridge is unnaturally curved in the opposite direction. Probably, the original bridge made by Rama had the appearance of an arc extending upward towards the Bay of Bengal. And there is an explanation for this.

The process of arching in the opposite direction occurred due to the rotation of the Earth and the gravitational influences of the Sun and Moon, as a result of which water flows, along with sand and various sediments in the sea strait, moved from east to west. Moreover, sands carried into the ocean by various rivers of Bangladesh and the eastern coast of India, partially settling on the sea coast, drift freely towards the equator and are then captured by the current from east to west. Accordingly, over tens of thousands of years, a huge amount of sand should have settled on the east coast of India and in the area of ​​​​Rama's Bridge. As a result of this, the outlines of the coasts of Southeast India and Sri Lanka have changed noticeably.
Thus, thermoluminescent analysis showed that the dunes from Dhanushkodi to Rama Bridge began to form approximately 500-600 years ago. Radiocarbon dating of some ancient beaches between the towns of Thiruthuraipoondi and Kodiyakarai (Kodiyakarai or Kodikkarai) 150 km northeast of Rameswaram suggests that Thiruthuraipoondi beach dates back to 6,000 years ago, and Kodiyakarai about 1,100 years ago. Radiocarbon dating of coral samples from other locations gives an age of 4020±160 years.
Therefore, it is likely that in very ancient times, such as the Treta Yuga, that is, about 2 million years ago according to the accepted chronology of the south, despite the lower sea level, some parts of Sri Lanka and South India were under water (pictured sections 1 and 2).

So, Initially, the Rama Bridge may have looked like this (bottom photo on the right):

 

If you fly over the sea between India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon), then at some point you will notice a strange sandbank located literally at the very surface, which, slightly curving, connects the island and the continent. Muslims call this shallow Adam's bridge, and Hindus - Rama bridge.

The Muslim name is due to the fact that followers of this religion believe that Adam, expelled from paradise, descended to earth in Ceylon. And to the continent, to India, he crossed over this strange sandbank, so similar to a bridge.

Hindus even believe that this is truly a man-made bridge, built in time immemorial by order of Emperor Rama by an army of monkeys led by Hanuman. According to the Ramayana, Nala, the son of the legendary divine architect Vishvakarman, supervised the construction, and over this bridge Rama’s troops crossed to Sri Lanka to fight its ruler, the demon Ravana, who kidnapped Rama’s beloved Sita.

On Arab medieval maps it is marked as a real bridge rising above the water, over which anyone could cross from India to Ceylon. The situation changed in 1480, when, as a result of a strong earthquake and subsequent severe storm, the bridge sank and was partially destroyed. However, the Portuguese and British still marked it on maps as an artificial structure, a dam or a bridge.

The length of the bridge is almost 50 kilometers, its width ranges from approximately 1.5 to 4 kilometers, and the depth of the seabed around the structure is 10-12 meters. Most of it is hidden by water, sometimes at a depth of more than a meter. So even now it is quite possible to walk along it from beginning to end, sometimes wandering along a stone surface in knee-deep water, sometimes going deeper to the waist or more.

The only serious obstacle is the so-called Pambas Pass between Rameswar Island and Ramnad Point, accessible to the traffic of small merchant ships. The few travelers who decide to make such a transition have to use all their swimming skills here. For those who are not good at this, it is better not to walk on the bridge at all - the strong current through Pambas tends to carry daredevils into the open sea.

Damn channel

Large ships are still forced to sail around Sri Lanka, which takes an extra 800 kilometers, which is 30 hours of travel. To solve this problem, back in 1850, the English commander Taylor proposed to build a canal through the Rama Bridge. In 1955, Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to implement this plan. Since it is somehow unethical to destroy the sacred places of one’s own people, the government of the country stated in the Supreme Court of India that there is no historical evidence of the construction of the bridge by Rama. The Ramayana, although a holy book, somehow does not count.

But real passions regarding the construction of the canal flared up already in the 21st century, when the Setusa Mudram corporation was formed for this purpose. She even began construction work on the site of the future canal, but for unknown reasons, some of the dredgers were returned to the port due to breakdowns, including the teeth of the buckets. An unexpected storm scattered the vessels involved in the construction and prevented work from continuing. Hindu believers immediately declared that it was the monkey king Hanuman who was protecting his creation.

On March 27, 2007, just on Rama's birthday, a group of international public organizations launched the Save Ram Sethu campaign. Since for Hindus the Rama Bridge is living proof of their ancient history, the construction that began touched the feelings of millions of believers. Campaigners also said the destruction of the bridge would destroy the entire local ecosystem. After all, to the northeast of the bridge there is the stormy and dangerous Polk Strait with its storms and cyclones, and to the southwest there is the calm Manara Bay with clear emerald-colored water.

The Rama Bridge separates them and mitigates the terrible effects of cyclones and tsunamis. Thus, according to scientists, the tsunami that hit India in 2004 and claimed tens of thousands of lives was significantly weakened by the Rama Bridge. Without this ancient “dam,” there could have been much more casualties. Thousands of people have signed the Save Ram Sethu appeal. Defenders of the bridge are proposing an alternative project: digging a canal along a large sandbank near the village of Mandapam. Whether they will be heard by the Indian government remains to be seen.

Facts show: the bridge is man-made

In many ways, we have become accustomed to the fact that behind legends and myths reality and long-overturned pages of our planet’s past are often hidden. However, the images that NASA released several years ago surprised even the residents of Sri Lanka and India.

On them, with all the clarity that modern photographic equipment provides, a real bridge between the continent and Ceylon is visible. After the publication of NASA images, the Indian newspaper Hindustan Times reported that the images obtained by American satellites serve as proof of the reality of Indian legends, and that the events described in the Ramayana, including the construction of the Rama Bridge, really took place.

However, NASA chose to distance itself from any specific statements. Yes, satellite photographs clearly show the amazing geomorphology of the area. But, NASA says, "orbital remote sensing images alone cannot provide specific information about the origin or age of an island chain and cannot determine human involvement in the origin of a given object."

But the Geological Survey of India 6SI received data allowing us to judge this. Its specialists examined the entire structure of the Rama Bridge. 100 wells were drilled in and near the bridge, and soil samples from them were carefully studied. Magnetic and bathymetric scanning was carried out. As a result, it was found that a low underwater ridge (bridge) is a clear anomaly, since it appears at the bottom completely unexpectedly.

The ridge is a collection of boulders measuring 1.5x2.5 meters of regular shape, consisting of limestone, sand and coral. These boulders lie on sea sand, the thickness of which ranges from 3 to 5 meters. And only under the sand does the hard rocky soil begin. The presence of loose sand below the boulders apparently indicates that the ridge is not a natural formation, but is laid on top of sandy soil. Some of the boulders are so light that they can float on water.

It was also found that these land areas did not rise as a result of any geological processes and rather resemble a dam. A homogeneous material was discovered in the wells - limestone. The straight and orderly nature of the placement also suggests that these boulders were brought by someone and placed in the dam.

What seems strange, of course, is that the bridge is simply too wide for crossing troops, or anything else. But this is by modern standards. Here's what Alexander Volkov, director of the 2009 documentary film “Rama's Bridge,” says:

— Legends say that it was built by monkey warriors who were gigantic in stature. And we even tried to illustrate in the film that the height of these giants was - you won’t believe it - 8 meters! But, looking at this bridge, you involuntarily begin to believe in it - it makes no sense for you and me to build such a width. But for people eight meters tall, who also have some kind of weapons, there is probably some logic in the width of this bridge.

In general, there are many questions, of course, many. One such issue is the age of the bridge. Based on legends, some Hindu theologians say that the Rama Bridge is a million years old, others give a more modest age - 20 thousand years. Western alternative researchers have put forward a truly radical version - 17 million years. Even Indian academic science condescended to solve the problem and proposed its own option - 3500 years, obviously linking the construction with the Aryan conquest of India. However, with many ambiguities, it is obvious that the Rama Bridge is indeed an artificial, man-made structure. Research conducted by GSI, I dare say, has conclusively proven this.

Why does a seemingly ordinary bridge cause so much interest and controversy? The fact is that his very education seems a little strange and unnatural to researchers. A detailed analysis of the structure of the bridge showed that the low underwater “ridge” actually appeared unexpectedly. This "ridge" is a collection of boulders measuring 1.5 by 2 meters, consisting of limestone, sand and coral. Moreover, these boulders lie on sea sand, and the thickness of the sandy soil is from three to five meters and only then does the solid soil begin.

Adam's Bridge and Rama's Bridge are the same place

In fact, there was a sharp rise in the bottom from a depth of 12 meters to one meter, and, most interestingly, it was found that these land areas did not rise as a result of any geological processes.

The bridge seems to divide the Indian Ocean into two different sections. On the north-eastern side there is the turbulent Palk Bay with periodic storms and cyclones. From the southwest there is the very calm Manara Bay with clear emerald-colored water. Even the structure of the water in them is visually different. On the Bay of Bengal side, the water has a cloudy-grayish hue due to the suspension; on the Bay of Manara side, despite the waves, the water is transparent turquoise.

The bridge divides the Indian Ocean into two sections

According to Arab history, the bridge, which supposedly literally rose from the bottom, is the road along which Adam walked after being expelled from paradise. As proof of this, they cite the imprint of Adam’s foot left on the top of the mountain - “Adam’s Peak”. These names were officially recorded in 1804 by James Rennel. He was the first Surveyor of British India to prefer to give Christian names without taking into account local historical variations that had existed for thousands of years.

The bridge stretches from an island in India to the coast of Sri Lanka

The building itself consists of 30 km of small shallow islands, 9 of which are under the control of Sri Lanka, and another 9 under the control of India. It stretches from the island of Rameshwaram in India to the island of Mannar, the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Some researchers believe that this bridge several thousand years ago was the largest sandy isthmus in the world, which then turned into a chain of sandbanks with changes in sea level.

A more detailed, but already more mythical story of the creation of the bridge is described in Indian culture, or more precisely in the epic Ramayana. Almost in the middle of the story, a description begins of how Ramachandra, the prince of the capital of the legendary Koshala kingdom of Ayodhya, begins to build this very bridge. According to the ancient epic, Rama's beloved was secretly kidnapped by the ruler of Lanka. However, getting to him to save his wife was not so easy. The obstacle was the ocean. Then, as often happens in such works, Ramachandra turned to the god of the ocean, who promised that whatever objects they threw into the sea, he would help them to survive. The answer became a solution and construction of the so-called Rama Bridge began. It is said that the million-strong army of the prince carried mountains and rocks on their shoulders and heads, like toys.

According to Indian legends, the bridge was built in five days

According to legend, within five days the bridge was ready. It was through this bridge that Rama and his allies reached Lanka and overthrew its ruler.

If you believe the legends, the bridge remained pedestrian until the end of the 15th century, and then was destroyed. Images taken by NASA from space confirm the existence of an ancient structure. You can also see various documentaries on this topic. Today, the place where these events took place is revered as a sacred relic.