Adam Bridge; It is a bridge thought to be 1.7 million years old that connects Sri Lanka and India in the Indian Ocean. There is controversy about this mysterious structure, also known as Rama’s Bridge or Rama Setu. There are those who argue that the building is a natural formation, as well as those who argue that it is man-made. The bridge, which is the subject of the famous Hindu epic Ramayana, is believed to have been built by the Hindu god Rama. It has been determined that before the storms deepen the channel, it is possible to walk over the bridge.
The bridge is a natural chain of limestone shoals located on the southeast coast of India, between Pamban Island and Mannar. Geological evidence indicates that this bridge was an ancient land link between India and Sri Lanka. Some areas on the bridge, whose length is 48 kilometers, are on the surface of the water. In other parts, its depth does not exceed 1 meter. For this reason, it is not possible for ships to pass through the region. Canal construction works were carried out in order to ensure the passage of ships, but they were not successful. Records of the Ramanathaswamy Temple write that the bridge was completely above sea level until it broke in a hurricane in 1480.
Naming the Building Adam’s Bridge and Indian Legends
After the bridge was discovered by scientists, it was defined as the oldest man-made bridge in the world and was named “Adam’s Bridge”. In some early Islamic sources, from a mountain in Sri Lanka, Hz. Adam’s Peak. It is mentioned as the place where Adam fell to earth. These sources are St. He tells that after Adam was expelled from the Garden of Eden, he crossed the bridge from Sri Lanka to India, hence the name Adam’s Bridge.
Indian culture and religion; contains legends about the supernatural origin of the bridge. According to the Hindu Epic; Sri Lanka’s demon king Ravana kidnapped Rama’s wife Sita and took her to Sri Lanka to take revenge. Rama has to cross to Sri Lanka to save Sita. Brahma created an army of clever warrior monkeys to aid Rama. This army, called the Vanaras, built a bridge to Sri Lanka in five days. Rama crossed the sea from this bridge and followed Ravana for days. He shot hundreds of golden arrows that turned into snakes that cut off Ravana’s head, killed him and saved his wife.
Theories About the Formation of the Bridge
There is considerable diversity of opinion and confusion about the nature and origin of the bridge. In the 19th century, two important theories were put forward to explain the structure. One of them is that the bridge was formed during the accumulation and rise of the soil. The other theory is; It is that Sri Lanka was formed by breaking off from mainland India. The brittle calcareous ridges were later split into large rectangular blocks, leading to the belief that the gorge was an artificial structure.
V. Ram Mohan from Madras University Center for Natural Hazards and Disaster Research on the subject; “Reconstructing the geological evolution of the island chain is a challenge and must be performed on the basis of circumstantial evidence,” he explained. The lack of comprehensive field studies leads to many uncertainties about the nature and origin of the bridge.
The bridge is mostly composed of a series of parallel sandstone and pebble protrusions that are hard at the surface and grow rough and soft as you descend to the sandy shores. Made works; This led to the description of the structure as a chain of herds, coral reefs, a ridge due to thinning of the earth’s crust in the region, a pair of tombolos or barrier islands. The Indian Space Research Organization concluded that the bridge consisted of 103 small patch reefs. Another study done; It was formed as a result of currents moving counterclockwise in the north and clockwise in the south of Rameswaram, Talaimannar and drifting along the coast.
Scientists Robert Bauvel and Graham Hancock, who conducted research on the subject, state that this discovery, like the previous discoveries on the Giza plateau, goes back much further. He states that the bridge was buried in ocean waters due to major flood disasters and the damage that occurred in the last ice age the world had seen. He says that the bridge, which is thought to be 1.7 million years old, is supported by historical legends 13 thousand years ago, and that these legends are a chronological reference.
Doctor Badrinaranayan, Former Director of the Geological Survey of India, made statements on the subject. Together with his team, they cut rifts at 10 different points along the Adam’s Bridge. At a depth of 6 meters from the surface of the bridge remains, they found a consistent layer of sandstone and rock. Within the scope of the research, the divers who examined the bridge rocks determined that the rocks were not typical sea-formed rocks. It turned out that the detected rocks were the same as the rock type at both the Sri Lankan and Indian ends.
