Rajeev Nigam

Ancient Indian culture often refers to the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Bhagwad  Gita, and Ramayana. These books are written in Sanskrit, making them hard for common folks to understand. For this reason, 'Ramcharit Manas,' written by Tulsidas in Hindi, has gained popularity It has bestowed upon Sri Rama the revered title of 'Pujya Maryada Purushottam.' The places connected to Lord Rama's life like Ayodhya and Ram Setu, were made subjects of controversy and it caught the attention of all sections of society. Scientists too embarked on a rediscovery of the reality of these places.

The scientists from the Department of Archaeology played a significant role in resolving the Ayodhya dispute, and the court gave its verdict based on their testimony. Here I would like to discuss only Ram Setu, the stone bridge used by Ram and his army to cross the ocean to reach Lanka. Both Maharishi Valmiki's Ramayana and Tulsidas' Ramacharitmanas describe Setubandha Rameswaram, where Sri Rama's army built a bridge to reach Lanka. When there was a proposal to demolish it for the 'Setu Samudram' project, going against public sentiment, the government at that time stated in an affidavit that Ram or Ram Setu was just a concept. This declaration sparked controversy and further discussions.

Logical minds wondered if it was possible to cross the ocean in the times of Lord Rama.  Three questions emerged from this:

One: What was the era of Sri Ram? Second, how deep is the sea between India and Sri Lanka today? Science helps us understand changes in the seabed, movements, and depth of the sea. So, the question is, how deep was the sea during Sri Rama's time, and could a bridge or dam be built over it?

The era of Sri Rama

Different sources, including literature, historians, and scientists, have varying opinions about the era of Sri Rama. In 2010, a seminar in Delhi explored this topic, inaugurated by President Dr. Abdul Kalam. Through various research papers presented, considering Shri Rama's birth, events, and the planetary positions at that time using 'Planetarium Software,' it was concluded that the era of Shri Rama is approximately 5100 years BC, making it around 7100 years old (Reference: Historical Identification of Lord Shri Ram Yuga by Sarojbala and 'Episode of Lord Shri Ram's Yuga' by Pushkar Bhatnagar, published by 'Rupa & Company').

Depth of sea between India and Sri Lanka :

The sea between India and Sri Lanka is quite shallow, measuring around three meters in depth. This shallowness makes it necessary for large ships to take a longer route around Sri Lanka when traveling from the west coast of India to the east coast. To address this, the 'Setu Samudram Project' to cut down costs of navigation by 'dredging the seabed to increase its depth.

Changes in the seabed during 14K years:

Indian scientists have investigated changes in the seabed of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal over the past 14,000 years. They focused on Ram Setu, where the two seas meet to study the seabeds in both regions and compare the two. Modern techniques were applied, for a comprehensive analysis.

Referring to studies conducted by Hashmi and Nigam from 1995 to 2002, it was revealed that around 14-15 thousand years ago, the seabed was approximately 100 meters deeper than it is today.

Around 9,500 years ago, the seabed was 30-40 meters deeper than it is today. During that period, the Ministry of Earth Sciences uncovered an ancient city beneath the sea near Surat, Following this discovery, the sea level began to rise. About four to six thousand years ago, the world's oldest port, Lothal in Gujarat, was founded, and during that time, the sea was considerably shallow.

If we consider Sri Rama's era around 7100 years ago, the seafloor between India and Sri Lanka was roughly 2-3 meters deep. The sea in this region was quite shallow, almost at the level of the land; some areas resembled craters. This unique topography allowed Sri Rama's army to easily fill shallow ditches and construct a dam or, more accurately, a bridge (also known as a Setu, which can mean a flyover). This provides evidence that approximately 7100 years ago, during Sri Rama's time, a dam, known as Ramsethu, was built across the sea to link India and Sri Lanka.

ALSO READ: PM Modi proposes a Sufi circuit to dargah representatives

This era marked the feasibility of bridge construction. If we go back to 10,000 years, maybe there was no need for a dam or bridge, as India and Sri Lanka would have been connected by land. Conversely, if it was a bit more recent, around 5,000 years ago, building a bridge would not have been possible due to an increase in sea depth in that location.

(Dr. Rajiv Nigam is the former Head of the Department of Marine Geology at the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa)