Indian archaeologists intend to study in detail the string of shoals between Sri Lanka and India, which Muslims call the "Adam's Bridge", and the Hindus - "Rama's Bridge", and answer the question of its origin, writes Hakai Magazine.
According to the epic Ramayana, the ruler Rama ordered the construction of a bridge in order to go to Sri Lanka to fight the demon Ravana, who kidnapped Sita, the king's beloved. The object is considered sacred by Hindus. The isthmus also appears in Islamic legends - it was through it that Adam, expelled from paradise, crossed from the island to the mainland and went to meet with Eve.
“There is no archaeological evidence that the Rama Bridge is man-made. There is only a religious aspect,”notes the former head of the Indian Council for Historical Research Deyanat Tripathi.
In turn, underwater archaeologist Alok Tripati believes that the "Rama Bridge" is still a man-made object. The isthmus, in his opinion, could have been erected by representatives of an ancient civilization, which about four thousand years ago, under the pressure of the Aryan tribes, was forced to flee from the Indian subcontinent to Sri Lanka.
“But without field work, nothing can be said,” the researcher emphasizes.
Alok Tripathi will lead an underwater archaeological expedition that the Indian Historical Research Council will send this summer to understand the origin of the isthmus. Previously, the work was postponed several times. So, in 2005, the project was canceled due to mass protests of believers, and in 2013 due to the threat of a tsunami.
Now the Indian authorities want to deepen the "Rama Bridge" in order to facilitate navigation. But Hindus, who make up the majority of the country's population, are protesting against this.
