High-resolution image of ‘Ram Setu’ shared by European Space Agency

The European Space Agency recently shared a high-resolution image of the Ram Setu or Adam’s Bridge, a chain of shoals linking India and Sri Lanka. The image has been taken by satellites under the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. The satellites carry an innovative wide swath high-resolution multispectral imager with 13 spectral bands and provide a new perspective of land and vegetation.

The European Space Agency on Monday shared a high-resolution image of the Ram Setu or Adam’s Bridge, a chain of shoals linking India and Sri Lanka.(European Space Agency)

The Ram Setu stretches 48 km between Rameswaram Island, off the southeast coast of India, and Mannar Island, off the northwest coast of Sri Lanka. It separates the Gulf of Mannar (south), an inlet of the Indian Ocean, from the Palk Strait (north), an inlet of the Bay of Bengal.

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One end of the bridge is part of the Mannar Island. The island covers about 130 sq km and is connected to mainland Sri Lanka by a road bridge and a railway bridge, both visible at the southern end of the island.

The other end of the bridge is part of Rameswaram Island, also known as Pamban Island. The island can be accessed from the Indian mainland by the 2-km-long Pamban Bridge. The two main towns on the island are Pamban, on the western edge, and Rameswaram, around 10 km east of Pamban.

Sand dunes, which are part of the bridge, act as breeding grounds for birds such as the brown noddy.

According to Hindu mythology, Ram Setu was created by the army of Lord Ram to cross the ocean and reach Lanka( present-day Sri Lanka). Lord Ram reached Lanka and freed his wife, Sita, who was held captive by Ravan, the king of Lanka.

However, there are many theories about how the bridge came into existence. According to geologic evidence, the bridge is part of land that once connected India and Sri Lanka. Records suggest it is a natural bridge and was traversable until the 15th century, after which it got eroded due to storms over the years.