NASA Images Discover Ancient Bridge between India and SriLanka

[emad]

Space images taken by NASA reveal a mysterious ancient bridge in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. The bridge currently named as Adam´s Bridge is made of chain of shoals, c.18 mi (30 km) long.


The bridge´s unique curvature and composition by age suggests that it may be man made. The legends as well as Archeological studies reveal that the first signs of human inhabitants in Sri Lanka date back to the primitive age, about 1,750,000 years ago.

This information is a crucial aspect for an insight into the mysterious legend called Ramayana, which was supposed to have taken place in Tredha Yuga (more than 1,700,000 years ago).

In this epic, there is a mentioning about a bridge, which was built between Rameshwaram (India) and Srilankan coast under the supervision of a dynamic and invincible figure called Rama who is supposed to be the incarnation of the supreme.

This information may not be of much importance to the archeologists who are interested in exploring the origins of man, but it is sure to open the spiritual gates of the people of the world to have come to know an ancient history linked to the Indian mythology.

MORE LINKS:
http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=022405021405

[Mikimouse]

1. I can get very excited about that!

What an extraordinary picture! I wonder why the marine archaeologists of the world aren't lined up to investigate this?

[Brotherjohn]

2. Why aren't they lined up to investigate it? Probably because it's not new.

NASA didn't just "discover" it, despite the headline and link. It's been known about for years (probably since it's creation). "It was reportedly passable on foot as late as the 15th century until storms deepened the channel". (http://www.answers.com/topic/rama-s-bridge)

Answers.com also reports that "Archeological studies of the bridge are ongoing, and some archeologists claim to have found evidence suggesting that the bridge is man-made."

But the evidence is not conclusive. It could be a primitive bridge constructed hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago (not entirely impossible, considering how shallow the strait is), or it could simply be a chain of limestone shoals.

[Mikimouse]

4. What you say is obviously correct, I looked at the various websites...

for information about it and found quite a few, but nothing terribly in-depth. I have tried follow the various archaeological investigations for many years, but have to admit that this is my first expoasure to this one. I am fascinated by it and want to know more. I would also like to know why it has not been publicized as much as many others have been. Te website I looked at most recently said that a storm washed away part of the 'bridge' around 1480, and some of it had also been dredged to provide access for shipping. Thanks for the reply.:hi:

[Brotherjohn]

3. A Hindi site debunking the man-made hypothesis...

http://www.punjabilok.com/science/nasa_debunks.htm

Quotes NASA, which says they're naturally occurring, and an Indian historian, who points out that humans didn't settle the subcontinent until over a million years after the shoals formed ("reports" from IndoLink notwithstanding). It also points out that ship channels have been dredged through the shoals for many years, without ever finding evidence of human construction.

Oh, those darned Internet rumors!

[Mikimouse]

5. Good points, my only questions are about the dredging...

According to one of the sites I looked at, the British dredged it in the 19th century. I would argue that the British engineers who were responsible for the planning and implementation of the dredging did not pay any heed to what they were dredgin, as the empire was at the height of colonialism at the time, and indigenous culture meant very little.

[Ediacara]

13. I'm going to have to disagree with this

British engineers and scientists used India as a huge natural laboratory for testing anything and everything. British teams, initially led by a fellow named Everest (where have I heard that name before? :-) ) did the first modern geological survey in history, and surveyed the whole of India (including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangledesh). This straight was definately surveyed at the time.

[greyl]

14. Thanks! :) nt

[patrice]

6. Does anyone want to talk about the "nature of proof"?

[greyl]

7. In the SCIENCE forum?

That might not be a bad idea. ;)

[patrice]

9. Proof is, or at least should be, relevant to most of our issues.

It is a good thing to talk about how we establish what "we" "know".

[greyl]

10. No kidding?

How about we gather what we know about this bridge?

[patrice]

11. I would need to go see it.

Otherwise . . . ?

It is a little too abstract for me right now.

Beautiful, but ir-relevant, because I've got to go to the post office.

[greyl]

12. I undestand now. nt

[patrice]

8. Rama is the effulgence of Krsna, the SuperSoul in All, and the

Ultimate Personality of Godhead.

Rama is kind of a twin or brother of Krsna, but not exactly, because he is Krsna's effulgence, think of Glow, or overflow of life-force that Krsna manifests as another Self.

Harebo!!

[BurtWorm]

15. That's interesting, considering humans have been around just 200,000 years

Humans who could have built a land bridge like that, haven't even been here that long--less than 15,000 years for sure.

[greyl]

16. The genus Homo is 3 million years old.

Iow, humanity is 3 million years old. There are tools found that are over 1.5 million years old.
Now, modern man, or Homo Sapiens are a couple hundred thousand years old.

(but this still isn't a man-made bridge) :)

[BurtWorm]

17. I should have said homo sapiens sapiens is 200,000 years old.

And it *still* isn't a man-made bridge!

[greyl]

18. I made an error.

A knife blade was found in Africa that has been aged at 2.6 million years old.

And a boat would have been a better way of crossing the waters than an 18 mile long, "stacked" bridge.
Not to mention the improbability of a bridge made of "a long pile of stuff" surviving the tides. Isn't the horizon on the ocean only about 10 miles? They wouldn't have known there was a horizon 18 miles away unless they floated out on something.
ima