Adam's Bridge

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This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.

Adam's Bridge

A ridge of sand and rocks, about 17 miles in length, stretching from north-west to south-east from the island of Rameswaram on the coast of Madura District, Madras, to the island of Manaar off Ceylon, and nearly closing the northern end of the Gulf of Manaar. The centre of the bridge is in 9 degree 5' N. and 79 degree 34' E. At high tide three or four feet of water cover it in places.

Hindu tradition says that the bridge was made by Hanuman, the monkey-god, and his army of monkeys, to convey Rama across to Ceylon in his expedition to recover his wife Sita, whom Ravana, the ten-headed demon-king of that island, had carried off.

It is under consideration to carry the railway, which now runs as far as Mandapam, on the mainland opposite the island of Pamban, across to the island and thence over this ridge to Ceylon, thus linking up the Ceylon and Indian railways and establish- ing direct and unbroken communication between the port of Colombo and India generally.