Adam's Bridge

About Adam's Bridge:

• The Adam’s Bridge, also known as the Ram Sethu Bridge, connects Rameswaram Island,off the southeast coast of India,to Mannar Island, off the northwest coast of Sri Lanka.
• It separates the Gulf of Mannar (southwest) from the Palk Strait (northeast). 
• The bridge is a 48 km long chain of natural limestone shoals.
• Some of the sandbanks are dry, and the sea in the area is very shallow, being only 1 to 10 metres deep in places, whichhinders navigation.
• Geologic evidence suggests that Adam’s Bridge represents a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka. 
• Ram Setu is mentioned in the epic Ramayana, as the bridge constructed by Lord Rama and his vanara (monkey) army.
  • The bridge was constructed to cross over to Lanka to rescue Goddess Sita from the clutches of the demon king Ravana.
  • In Valmiki’s Ramayana, the bridge is described as Sethubanthan. 
• As per Islamic legend, Adam used this bridge to reach Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka.
• The Rameshwaram temple records suggest that Adam’s bridge was completely above sea level till 1480. It was submerged in the shallow sea due to natural calamities. 

Q1: What is a Strait?

A strait is a narrow waterway between two pieces of land that connects two large bodies of water. Well-known straits include the Bering Strait, which links the Arctic Ocean with the Bering Sea and separates the continents of Asia and North America at their closest point. The Strait of Gibraltar, located between Spain and Africa, connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. The Strait of Magellan lies between the southern tip of South America and the islands of Tierra del Fuego and links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Source: ISRO Scientists Create First Undersea Mapping of Ram Setu Using NASA Satellite