𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐮.

One of the most potent pieces of evidence from the Ramayana is the Ram Setu, sometimes called Adam's Bridge. It is a revered icon that has helped millions of people remember Lord Ram's narrative. The ruins of this fabled bridge are well known, and many people have even had the opportunity to view it from afar. You will see something new today, though, a visual epiphany that has never been seen or explained before.

The remains of Ram Setu are a group of sandbanks or islands that lie between India and Sri Lanka, roughly 20 km from Rameswaram close to Dhanushkodi. The majority of people only see these places from a distance since access to them is extremely limited.
Few people have taken a close look at these islets or ventured beneath the surface of the ocean to examine the ancient stones that are said to be the Ram Setu's foundation. That's just half the tale, though. This is the starting point for the quest to discover the hidden gem of this magnificent legacy.

Local fisherman assert that there are yet more bridge remnants located far from Dhanushkodi, deep in the Indian Ocean, which few people have ever seen. They claim that one of these stones even has the footprints of Lord Ram's feet, which were left there as he crossed the bridge to Lanka for the first time.

 
Our journey started at the holy town of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, which is home to the well-known Ramanathaswamy Temple, one of India's four sacred dhams and one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The sand-crafted Shiva Linga, supposedly built by Lord Ram himself, is located inside the temple.

One question often occupies the minds of devotees who travel to Rameswaram: "Where exactly is the Ram Setu?" We were led to Dhanushkodi by locals, who said that the ancient bridge stones are located five feet below the sea.

 
Once a bustling town, Dhanushkodi is now a hauntingly beautiful location in the southernmost coast of India, where the Indian Ocean meets the Bay of Bengal. From where you stand, you can see the two waters blending together, one serene, the other furious. Many people think that the bridge's ruins rest here, on the narrow area between the seas.

We boarded a boat with local fisherman who knew the waterways to get to the real location. We left the Indian beach behind and travelled many kilometres out into the water with special clearance. Although only around 48 km of the original bridge may still be seen today as sporadic islands, the Ramayana claims that it was over 150 kilometres long.

 
We reached a location where the sea was shockingly shallow after sailing for several km; the water was just knee-deep. We were now on top of the old Ram Setu, the fisherman affirmed. Walking on sandy ground in the middle of the wide ocean in a location thought to have been constructed by the Vanara army under Lord Ram's leadership seemed almost unbelievable.

Standing where god previously walked was an incredible experience. The waves softly crashed around us, yet we could walk and even run on the surface with ease. This sandbank felt sacrosanct, unlike any other.
We arrived to the fifth of the eight major islands that are visible between India and Sri Lanka; it is the only one that is not submerged at high tide. The Mannar shore of Sri Lanka is about eight km distant from here. According to locals, depending on the tide, there are over eighteen little islands visible, not just eight.

The question arose: how could there be such a high road in the middle of the ocean? Geological research conducted over the years indicates that this structure is not entirely natural but rather exhibits evidence of human building, supporting the myth that the Ram Setu was not produced solely by nature but rather was constructed.

 
According to old tales, the surface was previously hard, but now it is simply covered with sand. Although many of the stones are still intact beneath the seabed, they were buried deeper under silt over ages by changes in the temperature and ocean currents.

We had more work to do. We investigate the surface remnants before attempting to discover what is underneath. We got ready for an undersea dive the following morning, armed with cameras and scuba equipment to record something few had ever seen.
The ocean floor became visible as we sank into the crystal-clear blue waters: a row of old stones arranged in a clear line. Historians and local divers claim that these were the same stones that originally made up the Ram Setu.

 
It was enthralling to see them underwater: rows of worn rocks peacefully laying beneath the waves, telling stories from a bygone era. The dive verified the existence of the Ram Setu, in some form, beneath the water, as described in stories and scriptures for thousands of years.