Adam's Bridge

Adam's Bridge is a chain of shoals and islets stretching for 48 km in the Palk Strait between mainland India and the island of Sri Lanka, which was formerly called Ceylon. Hindus call this place Ram's Bridge, and Muslims call it Adam's Bridge. Easily visible even from space, the elevation protrudes out of the water in small islands almost along its entire length, and during high tide it is at a depth of a meter or a little more under water.

If you believe medieval nautical maps, it was possible to cross Adam's Bridge from India to Sri Lanka until the very end of the 15th century, when the isthmus was damaged by an underwater earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.

Indian legend

Indian scriptures associate this amazing structure with the name of Emperor Rama, who is deeply revered by followers of Hinduism. According to legend, Rama's wife, the virtuous beauty Sita, was kidnapped and taken to Ceylon by the ruler of the island Ravana. To bring back his beloved, Rama instructed his subjects to build a grandiose bridge. An amazing army of gigantic monkeys also acted as an ally of Rama in the construction of the bridge. Rama won the victory, freed his beloved wife and ruled safely for 11 thousand years, which was an era of happiness, peace and harmony.

Muslim version

According to Muslims, Adam ended up in Sri Lanka after being expelled from paradise, and in search of Eve, he left the island across a wonderful bridge.

Disputes about the origin of Adam's Bridge

There is still debate among scientists about the origin of the crossing. Geologists came to the conclusion that this could not have happened as a result of natural processes in the depths of the earth's crust. The man-made origin is evidenced by the fact that round boulders ranging in size from 1.5 to 2.5 meters were laid on a uniform layer of sea sand, as if by the hands of a giant. Some of them are very light and seem to float in water. Satellite images, which clearly show the structure of the crossing, also indicate its artificial origin.

In any case, Hindus consider Adam's Bridge to be their national treasure. It is also of great interest among tourists, many of whom are ready to take an excursion from India to Sri Lanka along the ancient bridge.

Project to destroy the crossing

In 2007, the Indian leadership initiated the development of a project to deepen the shipping fairway of the Palk Strait. To do this, Adam's Bridge will have to be destroyed. As a result, for 400 km. the length and duration of passage of ships between the mainland and the island will be reduced by 30 hours, which, according to politicians, promises great economic benefits.

It is interesting that the destruction of Adam's Bridge was advocated by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, back in the middle of the last century. But he did not dare to destroy the sacred bridge. Modern Indian politicians are going to do this, trying to prove that Adam's Bridge is a natural formation, and therefore has no historical or cultural value. It is unknown how long the ancient crossing will remain standing.