"Rama-Setu": The Wonder of the Marine Archaeology In India.

Legal challenges- The Archaeological Survey of India, in an affidavit in court, rejected the existence of the "Ram-Setu".  Later, the affidavit was withdrawn and two ASI officials were suspended. This reflects the poor state of quality of the Marine Archaeological Wing of the ASI. The ASI needs to improve this state of affairs. Here a perspective of the "Ram-Setu" is given. This is the height  of the Marine Archaeological Science, where the Satellite data in specific band frequency examines the composition of the Ram-Setu. This has been detected that in between Dhanushkoti (India ) and Tallaimannar, there has been several natural islands. That natural islands were connected with artificial "Plug Fastener". All the images produced here from the Satellite, shall not be used without proper written permission from the author.   

* Birendra K Jha                                                

Email: birendrajha03@yahoo.com

The "Ram-Setu" is subject of the Marine Archaeology.  The Marine Archaeology in India is extremely poor. This is the reason Dwarka at Gujarat, Kavatapuram  at Tamil Nadu and Ram-Setu, linking Dhanushkoti (India)  and Tallaimannar (Sri Lanka) are still not detected  by the ASI. This speaks the poor quality of people, looking the Marine Archaeology in India. I shall touch here the "Ram-Setu" issue, purely from the "Marine Archaeological" point of view and citing some Archeological materials like the ancient copper plate and coins  to put a new light on the "Rama-Setu".  

Satellite Data: 

The Ram-Setu has been examined in satellite in three  different band frequency. The satellite band frequency as shown in the first image has ability to penetrate sea water and look the surface structure. This clearly segregates the product composition in two different colors. The "Plug Fastener" is the specific Archaeological interest. This "Plug Fastener" is the real bridge from India to Sri-Lanka.  

Satellite looks here  clearly natural islands spread in between  Dhanushkoti and Tallaimannar (Sri Lanka). These Further, individual island platform detected in white color  are joint together with a dense packed  "Plug Fastener" of different material composition. This entire "Plug Fastener" is detected by Satellite in black color. This is major breakthrough.    These human made "Plug Fastener", links the entire natural islands. This feature discovery is the  material interest of Archaeology. 

The satellite at band frequency in ratio  (B8-B4) / (B8+B4) has been used here to examine the "Ram-Setu", material composition.  The band frequency (B8-B4) / (B8+B4) segregated two different mineral composition in two different colors. This color difference is  of Archaeological interest. The natural island  in white color is same in different lime shoal natural island chain. This chain of lime shoal is interlinked with "Plug Fastener" in black color from Dhanushkoti to Talaimannar. This black color speaks different composition other than the mainland mineral composition. Further the feature of "Plug Fastener"  is completely Civil Engineering features. The "Plug Fastener" is used in dense quantities at both the two ends ( Dhanushkoti and Tallaimannar ). The white natural island mineral composition is of lime rock,  but the "Plug Fastener"  component is made with "dead coral". 

The satellite band frequency specific structure examination,  changes so far the poor perception about Bhagwan Ram and His Ram-Setu. Look the following image taken in the band frequency (B8-B4) / (B8+B4). This shows clearly two different colors. The two different colors, exhibit two different mineral composition. Before looking this photograph Image One, the reader  is advised to examine first Image Three and Image Four.     

Image One.

As stated, the frequency band  (B8-B4) / (B8+B4) ratio in satellite has been used to examine the product composition difference. In band  frequency 8-4-3 and 12-11-4 also both the product composition are segregated in two different colors. The natural island  platform, which mineral composition is of lime appears here in white. But the fastener component, which is made with  "dead coral" is entirely ARTIFICIAL STRUCTURE  in dense packed condition. This is appearing in  blue color in frequency  8-4-3 , dark blue color in frequency  12-11-4  and dark black color in band frequency (B8-B4) / (B8+B4). This is advised to  refer  first Image Three. The Image Three shall give idea how "Plug Fastener" is created and linked with the island and mainland. The "Plug Fastener" is entirely a floating structure. 

Image Two 

 

The Satellite band at ratio (B8-B4) / (B8+B4) again was used at the extreme right hand side near Tallaimannar, to examine the "Plug Fastener" feature. This revealed again sensitive data of Archaeological importance. In Image Three, red circle broken mark pocket  and yellow circle marked pocket has been marked in original satellite picture. This reveals several human made plugs linking the island with the main land. The red circle marked "Plug" is placed in between the gap of the natural island. Similarly in top and bottom of this red circle marked area two more artificial plugs are seen. The yellow circle area is also features here plug formation. The main land is working here as plug inside the "black color fasteners".  Here, the entire load of the whole bridge has been distributed here. Similar load is also distributed at the Dhanushkoti side. This human created "Plug Fastener" is never exposed so far in any Archaeological study on the "Ram-Setu". The "Plug Fastener" is human created. Nature can't create this type of engineering features.  Just look the below Image - Three,  where "Plug Fastener " feature is seen. This is  marked in red and yellow color. I am surprised why this important engineering feature was not traced in earlier study.       

 Image Three: The hidden bridge is here. This is the "Real Bridge of the Ramayan Era". We identify this Real Bridge as "Plug Fastener". We call it Plug Fastener, because it creates a property to join with other structures. The red circle is marked in lime stone island shoal. See clearly here, a plug is made with black color materials. Two other plugs are also created. One above this red circle and one down side the red circle. This time, black color materials were pasted on top and bottom side of the natural lime stone shoal. This entire structure of "Plug Fastener" is the "Real Bridge" made in U shape and linked with the main land, again forming plug feature marked here in yellow color. Some parts in this black color structure are seen  broken, showing ash color ( water ). The Rameshwaram Temple exhibited floating stone are the parts of such broken black structure.   

Image Four: The Satellite band frequency at ratio (B8-B4) / (B8+B4) again examined the Dhanushkoti side. Here mainland has been used as "Plug". This "Plug" is inserted between the 'Plug Fastener" in black color. The "Plug Fastener" which is the real bridge. This is completely human made "Civil Engineering" features. In this fastener some area is showing  hole where ocean water is visible in "ash color". This is broken area where fastener material has been removed by sea current. This visibility of ash color demonstrates that the fastener has no base, but this is completely hanging or floating structure.  

Image Five: The Satellite in High Resolution looks the site at Dhanushkoti. The top image is shown here without label. The second image is shown with label. The natural lime shoal is visible in High Resolution but the "Plug Fastener" is very dim here. This is not visible. A broken line is marked around the Plug Fastener structure. This dim appearance of Plug Fastener demonstrates that this structure is deeply seated. This is the "Real Bridge" of the Ramayan era.  This also demonstrates that in the Ramayan age, the water level was not so much high as now. The lime shoal as  appearing now as   various chain of lime shoal islands, must have been small mountain, when water level was low. These mountains are  widely described in the Valmiki Ramayan.  

Image Six: In yellow round circle area ( second photo ) a hole is seen on surface of the floating structure bridge in black color ( what we call here Plug Fastener ). Packed material is removed from this area. This area is now showing clear sea water in ash color. This demonstrates that this floating structure has no base or pillar under it.  Now again look here the red arrow marked area. See brilliantly how floating structure has been packed here brilliantly with the main land in bright white color. Top picture in high resolution shows the same place where floating structure is not visible. 

Image Seven: In Image Six floating structure has been shown. The natural color of this floating structure is demonstrated above. In large quantities during tide at Rameshwaram the stone removed from the  floating structure floats to the shore.The second stone is clearly coral stone as the coral rib is clearly marked here. This is matter of Science and further research how coral has been mixed with other minerals to allow a floating property. Indians have lost this science.  Ordinarily coral never floats on water.  

Copper Plate & Coin Data: 

In the lineage of Bhagwan Rama, Tamil Nadu has seen King Chola. The Chola dynasty is the  descendent of Bhagwan Ram. The Chola inscriptions mention the names given by sage Vasishtha at the time of Shri Ram-Janaki marriage. This is the genealogies of Bhagwan Ram. The names appearing in this genealogies, are same in both Chola and Ikshvaku genealogies till King Mandhata. 

Chola's were great protector of the Sanatan Dharma in India. This is reflected in their architecture.  A prime example of the Chola architecture is the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, built by Rajaraja I in 1010 AD. Chola has issued copper plates. These plates are valuable records from the Archaeology side. This is  set of  31 plates, with the first nine inscribed in Sanskrit and the remaining 22 in Tamil. The tenth plate is detached and has one side inscribed in Sanskrit and the other in Tamil. K.V. Subrahmanya of Coimbatore published the copper plates in Epigraphia Indica in the mid-1930s. Rajendra Chola I, who ruled from Thanjavur in South India, between 1018-1048 CE,  had recorded  "Ram-Setu"  on copper plates which are now known as the  “Tiruvalangadu plates”. On one such plate, in verse no.80, Rajendra Chola inscribes about Bhagwan Rama building a bridge over the seas. This he has written after gaining control over Lanka. The inscription says: 

"Bhagwan Ram, constructing a bridge across the water of the ocean, with vanara. He   killed with great difficulty the king of Lanka with sharp edged arrows.  The terrible general of Bhagwan Ram  crossed the ocean by ships and burnt the King of Lanka. Hence Rama is remembered here by this Chola General" ( Refer Epigraphia Indica Volume 1 1892, Pg. 363 – 366 ).  

This matches with the word "Nala-Setu" mentioned in the  Mahabharatha 3.267.45. Mahabharat says: 

“Even today, popular on Earth is  Nala’s bridge, constructed with respect on Bhagwan Rama’s command.” 

This entire historical documents matches with the Valmiki Ramayan Yuddhkand Chapt 22.74 as  "Nal constructed bridge". 

On the Sri Lankan side, one Hindu King was ruling at  Jaffna,  in between 1284 and 1597 CE.  He  issued a series of coins with the word "Setu"  on it in Tamil. The Hindu King indicated that he is the custodian of the "Ram-Setu"  bridge from the Lankan side. In Sri Lankan Coins the reverse side is seen  in Tamil, as  ‘Se-Tu-Pa-Ti’. This is exactly the "Nal-Setu". See following image from the Sri-Lankan Coins: 

                                                              Image Eight.
 

Conclusion: 

The Satellite data has clearly revealed the human constructed bridge with "Plug Fastener" feature, joining the main land to different natural islands. This is the "Nala-constructed" bridge. Indians have forgotten this  ancient science. The "Plug Fastener" is entirely water floating structure. A sample has been tested by me minutely, which reveals mineral composition of "dead coral". Badrinarayan in 2007 also identified it coral. This is the artificial floating stone, identified in satellite in black colors. Some pieces are exhibited at the Rameshwaram Temple. This is part of this entire floating structure, interlinked with the natural lime shoal islands. The source of coral to this site has been supplied from the nearby submerged Kavatapuram site. At Kavatapuram a blank pocket of corals are seen. This gives an inference that the large quantities of dead corals have been supplied for the Ram-Setu from the site of Kavatapuram, now submerged in the sea.    Hence, the Ram-Setu is required to be protected by the ASI at any cost. 

The ASI should refrain from filing any wrong affidavits in the Hon'ble Court, as done previously. Rather it should enhance the capability of the "Marine Archaeology". The quality of the present state is extremely poor. The present Director General of the ASI, Sri Yaduveer Singh Rawat has immense responsibility to improve the quality of the Marine Archaeology. No doubt he is under pressure. He has inherited from his past predecessors poor quality of Marine Archaeological wing.  

This article is dedicated to Swami Chinmayakrishna of ISKCON who is courageously facing a very difficult situation in Bangladesh today.