Spirituality

The greatest symbol of Love, Dharma, and friendship: Rama Setu

History is not at the mercy of old books and the experts who write it. History echoes through traditions, folklores, songs, scriptures, and ancient ruins. But sometimes, due to sheer ignorance, arrogance, or a sceptical mind, we refer to our history as mythology. And, if you search across the globe, you will encounter very few structures which have the power to weld history, geography, and mythology together.

For the western world, a particular structure was discovered in 1823 by Sir Arthur Cotton when he was surveying the Pamban Channel, passing through the gap between India and Sri Lanka. Later on, in 2002, one NASA satellite was able to take a photograph of that mysterious structure. They called it- Adam’s bridge. But for the last two thousand years, people living in the Indian subcontinent have known this structure. They call it -The Rama Setu.

The second-largest epic of the world, Ramayana, tells how righteous King Lord Rama fought a war with Demon King Ravana to bring his abducted wife Maa Sita back. Ravana abducted Maa Sita and kept her under a tree near his palace. Lord Rama and his Vanara (monkey or forest dwellers) army built a bridge joining India and Sri Lanka thousands of years ago to reach her. Even today, traces of the structure remain known as Rama Setu or Adam’s bridge. 

Rameshwaram is where Lord Rama installed a Shiva-Lingam and did penance of Lord Shiva for five days before his Lanka campaign. It is the exact place from where the bridge was built to reach Sri Lanka. Why? Because considering the aerial distance, this place is closest to Sri Lanka. After the war, Lord Rama came back here and asked for forgiveness for every sin he might have committed during the war. The temple with thousand pillars has been built around the Shiva-Lingam, known as Ramanathaswamy temple. 

Another important temple in the area is known as Kodanda Ramaswamy Temple. The unique temple has five Vigrahas (consecrated Idol) in the sanctum sanctorum- Lord Rama, Maa Sita, Lord Lakshmana, Lord Hanuman, and Lord Vibhishan. This is where Vibhishana, the younger brother of Ravana, asked Rama and his army for refuge. Every day, thousands of devotees arrive here, on the island of Dhanushkodi and Rameshwaram, to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and Lord Rama.

Why is Rama Setu so sacred?

During those times, there was a tradition to wed multiple times. When Maa Sita disappeared without a trace, Lord Rama could have married again, and yet, he searched for her everywhere, despite being on the verge of losing his mind. As he learned about Mama Sita’s abduction, his sorrows were unbearable. His brother Lakshmana held it together and assured him that they should reunite again, reminding Lord Rama about his powers. That’s considered the epitome of brotherly love and duties.

Along with the Vanara army, Lord Rama reached the ocean and started wondering how they could cross this vast sea to bring Maa Sita back. With his powers, Lord Rama could have dried the entire sea in a single arrow. But being a noble warrior, he refused to do that out of respect for the sea, earth, and the world’s ecological balance.

Instead, Lord meditated for three days to ask for a passage from the sea. Sea suggested he build a bridge connecting the two countries. Without losing his hope and patience, Lord Rama built a Setu (bridge) with the help of Vanaras, wild animals, birds, and even insects. Even a tiny squirrel got inspired and helped Lord in his gigantic task of building the bridge that would sustain mighty Vanara worriers’ weight. Thus, Rama Setu became a symbol of man’s true determination, ready to overcome any obstacle he faced.

With the help of the army, the bridge was built in five days, which lasted for thousands of years. This is one of the most outstanding examples of teamwork, guided and inspired by the collective efforts to uphold the Dharma (duty). It was such a marvel of engineering that all the Gods, celestials, and Rishis came down from the heavens to witness this miracle, carried out by a mortal man and his Vanara friends. 

The part where the bridge is connected with mainland India is called Dhanush Kodi. Dhanush means a bow, and Kodi implies an end or a point. Lord drew a line with his bow, marking a place from where the construction of the Setu shall begin. And hence this place is called Dhanushkodi. But have you ever wondered why some part of that sea bridge is missing in Dhanushkodi?

This is due to a promise made by a true friend. Lord Rama became friends with Vibhishana, brother of Ravana. Vibhishana helped him end the tormenting rule of Ravana, and as a result, Lord Rama bestowed his protection over Vibhishana and his Lanka. After winning a war, Lord crowned Vibhishana as king of Lanka, and while returning to India, he broke some part of the bridge with his mighty bow so that no one would attack Lanka ever again. That’s why some part of the bridge at the beginning is broken, not by the natural disaster, but for keeping a promise.

दृष्टमात्रेरामसेतौमुक्ति: संसार-सागरात् |हरे हरौचभक्ति: स्यात्तथापुण्यसमृद्धिता ||  

Drushta Matre Ramasetaumuktihi Sansaar Sagarat| Hare Harouch Bhakthi Syattatha Punyasamrusshi Tathaa|| -Skanda Purana

Ancient scripture of Skanda Purana says that the mere sight of Ram Setu leads to liberation from the materialistic world. Devotion and virtue increase like Lord Vishnu and Shiva. That’s why this bridge is supremely revered by everyone. 

If you visit the state of Tamil Nadu, we request you to visit this magical place at least once in your lifetime. We hope you enjoyed reading about the legendary Rama Setu. Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay connected and receive information about spirituality. In case of any queries, please write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com. You can check out our YouTube channel Chamunda Swamiji where you can learn Tantra, Mantra, Yantra, and Meditation from His Holiness Shri Chamunda Swamiji.