| When we were children our noted film maker Mr. | | | | Km The Encyclopedia Britannica says it was once the |
| Ramanand Sagar launched his opus magnum | | | | world's largest tombolo ? a sandbar connecting an |
| Ramayana on Indian television and during those days | | | | island to another island or the mainland ? The |
| color Television was a novelty in every household and, | | | | existence of the bridge obviously cannot be denied! |
| though under strict government control, the televisions | | | | However to what extent there was manual |
| had a limited number of channels. This teleserial was | | | | intervention in connecting the gaps between the shoals, |
| aired in the evening prime time slot and we clearly | | | | islands and rocks is a subject for detailed marine |
| remember that we would not shift anywhere during | | | | archaeological and geological research. This kind of |
| that hour and would watch Ramayana with rapt | | | | research has never been carried out nor has any |
| attention. As a child I remember reading the unabridged | | | | team been constituted so far. However, there is |
| Ramayana and it had taken me about a month to | | | | enough evidence about the existence as well as the |
| finish that epic. By the time I had reached the last | | | | use of this bridge in ancient Indian history, literature and |
| chapters I had forgotten the intricate details of the | | | | travelogues etc. |
| earlier chapters. | | | | Maharishi Valmiki has recorded in his Ramayan- |
| Every Indian either living in India or anywhere else in this | | | | (Yuudh Kand, sarg 22 and shlokas 45-73) that Shri |
| world knows about Ramayana and the Mahabharata. | | | | Rama' s army constructed a bridge over the sea |
| In India it is every fathers dream to have a son like | | | | between Rameswaram and Sri Lanka. Valmiki has |
| Rama every brothers dream to have a brother like | | | | narrated in detail that originally Shri Rama's army |
| Lakshman, every wife's dream to have a husband like | | | | camped in Kodikarai but found that place unsuitable for |
| Rama. This epic or the Legend has a profound effect | | | | constructing the bridge. Therefore, the entire army was |
| in the Indian psyche. The other great epic is | | | | shifted to Rameswaram. Research was carried out |
| Mahabharata,( about which I have written in my earlier | | | | by Shri Ram for three days to find out a suitable |
| article titled "Dwarka and Mahabharata" ) where there | | | | location in the sea for constructing the land route so |
| is a mention about Ramayana. Mahabharata was an | | | | that the army could cross over to Sri Lanka. Finally, the |
| event that had occurred about 5300 years BC which | | | | suitable location was identified. Shri Nal was a famous |
| means about 7000years before present. Therefore | | | | shilpakar, who had the expertise similar to that of |
| Ramayana is an event which precedes Mahabharata | | | | Vishwakarma in constructing the bridges, was |
| and that would also mean that Ramayana is 7000 | | | | requested to construct the bridge. ( 6/22/45). |
| years before present. | | | | After carrying out the survey, Nal declared that a |
| Rich in its descriptions and poetic language, it consists | | | | bridge can indeed be constructed. The armymen of |
| of seven books or Kandas and 24,000 couplets and | | | | Shri Ram utilized various tools and implements for |
| has been translated into many languages. The seven | | | | uprooting trees like Taar, coconut, mango, ashoka, |
| "kandas" of Ramayana are: "Bal Kanda", the boyhood | | | | bakul etc., and with the help of various yantras |
| section; "Ayodhya Kanda", Rama's life in Ayodhya, until | | | | transported these trees, stones, and rocks to the |
| his banishment; "Aranya Kanda", Rama's life in the | | | | seashore. Shilpakar Nal directed the armymen to stand |
| forest and Sita's abduction by Ravana; "Kishkindha | | | | with long ropes/chains on either side and filled the |
| Kanda", Rama's stay at Kishkindha, the capital of his | | | | space in between with creepers, trees, stones and |
| monkey ally, Sugriva; "Sundara Kanda", Rama's | | | | rocks and bound them together. The construction of |
| passage to Sri Lanka; "Yuddha Kanda" or "Lanka | | | | Ramsetu was completed in five days by connecting |
| Kanda", Rama's battle with Ravana, the recovery of | | | | the existing land route consisting of islands, rocks and |
| Sita, and return to Ayodhya; and "Uttara Kanda", the | | | | shoals. This bridge was being used as land route |
| section narrating Rama's life in Ayodhya as king, the | | | | between India and Sri Lanka for thousands of years, |
| birth of his two sons, Sita's test of innocence and | | | | though sometimes part of it was submerged under the |
| return to her mother, and Rama's demise or "jala | | | | seawater. King Asoka' s son Mahendra and daughter |
| samadhi". The Ramayana tells of the birth and | | | | Sanghamitra had used this bridge to go to Sri Lanka |
| education of RAMA, (q.v.), a prince and the seventh | | | | more than 2,300 years back. |
| incarnation of the god VISHNU, (q.v.), and recounts his | | | | The ancient Indians had an accurate method of time |
| winning of the hand of Sita in marriage. Displaced as | | | | measurement. They regularly and systematically |
| rightful heir to his father's throne, Rama goes into exile, | | | | recorded the `tithis', days marked according to the |
| accompanied by Sita and by his brother Lakshmana. | | | | phases of the Moon, the months, the seasons, |
| Sita is carried off by the demon king Ravana. With the | | | | solstices, equinoxes and the positions of astrologically |
| aid of the monkey general Hanuman and an army of | | | | relevant luminaries like the Sun, the Jupiter, the Venus, |
| monkeys and bears, Rama, after a long search, slays | | | | and so on. In other words, the timings of events were |
| Ravana and rescues Sita. Rama regains his throne | | | | recorded in the astronomical format. To convert this |
| and rules wisely. In the probable addition, Sita is | | | | coded information on heavenly positions into a simple |
| accused in rumors of adultery during her captivity. | | | | calendrical timeline, all that is needed is a database of |
| Although innocent, she bears Rama's twin sons in exile, | | | | ephemeris. Sage Valmiki, the celebrated composer of |
| sheltered by the hermit Valmiki, said to be the author | | | | the Ramayana records the birth of Rama in |
| of the poem. After many years Rama and Sita are | | | | Uttarayana (the Divine Half-year), in the Chaitra month, |
| reunited. | | | | in the bright fortnight, on the ninth day, in the Punarvasu |
| The first thing that sets us thinking about the legend | | | | nakshatra, on a Monday, and under Karka lagna. |
| ,not being a legend but could be a true story is the fact | | | | Valmiki further details the birth with various planetary |
| that Ravana abducts sita and takes her in an aerial | | | | positions in the zodiac : Sun in Mesha at 10 deg., Mars |
| vehicle called the pushpak rath. Question is if we all | | | | in Capricorn at 28 degree, Jupiter in Cancer at 5 deg., |
| say that this was a figment of Valmiki's imagination | | | | Venus in Pisces at 27 deg. and Saturn in Libra at 20 |
| then how did Valmiki imagine a flying object which | | | | deg. These starry configurations are so unique that |
| could transport humans over great distance? Imagining | | | | they have occurred only once so far in measurable |
| something which you have never seen before is | | | | history and this helps us to fix the important date, the |
| impossible, and cannot happen. Let us say that you are | | | | birthday of Rama, as the 4th of December, 7323 BC. |
| told to imagine a very ferocious and blood thirsty beast | | | | Due to the slow yet continuous precession of the |
| then we would probably put a face of a fire | | | | Earth, Rama's birthday anniversary, celebrated as |
| emanating dragon, as we have seen visuals of a | | | | Ram Navami, has since shifted by about four months |
| dragon, then we would probably put a body of a | | | | over a period of about 9300 years. |
| tyrannosaurus as we know and have seen | | | | Valmiki further has beautifully described the sky |
| tyrannosaurus. In short we have seen everything and | | | | (Ayodhya 41/10), when Rama left for forest exile. He |
| we have taken parts of those to create a new thing. | | | | states, "Crux (Trishankhu), Mars, Jupiter and Mercury |
| So Puspak rath was a type of an aerial vehicle and its | | | | have cornered the Moon. Vaishakha and Milky Way |
| mention in the epic, makes the epic somewhat of a | | | | are shining in the sky". Crux is on line with Hasta |
| reality. | | | | (Corvus) on the southern side. On the eastern side of |
| The second thing that comes to my mind is the very | | | | Hasta, there are Chitra, Swati and Vishakha. As seen |
| fact that the monkey soldiers had to built a bridge to | | | | earlier, Mars was at 303 deg. in Dhanishta. Calculations |
| connect the southern India with Lanka ( In Ramayana | | | | show that Jupiter was in Poorvashadha at 251 deg. |
| Sri Lanka was known as Lanka ) which means Sri | | | | Pushya was at the western horizon with the setting |
| Lanka was separated from the Indian subcontinent. Dr | | | | Moon. On the southern side, from the west to the east, |
| Glen Milne of Durham University is one of the world's | | | | all the other planets were situated. So poetically Valmiki |
| leading expert in the cutting edge science of "inundation | | | | describes the sketch as if the Moon was cornered by |
| mapping". They use a very powerful computer | | | | the planets. The description of the sky, 17 years after |
| program to calculate the complex variables to produce | | | | the birth-date of Rama, is perfect astronomically. By |
| accurate models of ancient shorelines at a chosen | | | | doing such astronomical calculations backwards |
| date and a chosen locality. He has done a fantastic | | | | following are the dates of few events from the |
| work on the Indian shoreline from 21300 years ago to | | | | Ramayana: |
| 4800 years BC. One can see the comparative | | | | Rama's Birth Date 4th December 7323 B.C |
| pictures in the book titled Underworld by Graham | | | | Rama-Seeta Married 7th April 7307 B.C |
| Hancock. Sri Lanka was attached with the Indian | | | | Rama Exiled 29th November 7306 B.C. |
| subcontinent till 10600 years before present. It | | | | Hanuman enters Lanka 1st September 7292 B.C |
| completely separated from the Indian subcontinent by | | | | Hanuman meets Seeta 2nd September 7292 B.C. |
| 4800 years BC. We know that Mahabharata was an | | | | Seetu (Bridge) built 26-30th Oct. 7292 B.C on the |
| event some 5300 BC ie 7000 Before present and | | | | ocean |
| Ramayana precedes Mahabharata therefore | | | | The War begins 3rd November 7292 B.C |
| Ramayana could have occurred before 7000 years | | | | Kumbhakarna is killed 7th November 7292 B.C. |
| before present. Also to make a land bridge between | | | | Ravana is killed by Rama 15th November 7292 B.C. |
| India and Sri Lanka ( between Gulf of Mannar and Palk | | | | Rama returns to Ayodhya 6th December 7272 B.C. |
| Straight ) was a daunting task as the length was 48 | | | | |