The campaign to save Rama’s Bridge
This year, Rama Navami festival falls on 27th March. Coinciding with the festival, several Hindu groups across the world have launched a campaign centering of the heritage of Lord Rama. The Rama Sethu - a thin bride which connects India to Sri Lanka is one of the most important physical landmarks to ancient Hindu heritage, venerated as the bridge that Lord Rama’s armies built to reach Lanka for battle with Ravana. Recently, the Indian government has unleashed plans to destroy the bridge, to improve sea travel, leading to a campaign to reverse the government’s decision. Amongst the groups participating in the campaign to stop the plans for the bridge’s destruction going ahead is the London-based Hindu Human Rights group, whose views are expressed in this guest article.
March 26th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Congress has done more damage to hinduism in last 60 yrs then muslim could do in last 400 yrs and british could in last 200 yrs. Hinduism will finish in next 10 yrs If Hindus don’t wake up. All blem can be put on rich and intellegents as they has sold their soul and body for cash money only. They will soon repend as their children will me marring christians and muslims and soon they will realise but it will be too late and we will see new division of india.
Only way to save india is india should be declared Hindu country like arab has and may be we can recover our salves in next 50 yrs if we are lucky.
Creat a Hindu vote bank and political party see indonatia ,malesia and now bangldesh ar eislmaic sate after being secular soon india will be muslim if hindus don’t care for their vote values.
March 26th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
I would like to see a petition started to stop this from happening. How can the government destroy part of our cultural beliefs… We all should do something significant to stop this from happening…
March 26th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
Ref http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndianCivilization/message/26528 : Temple records seem to say that Rama’s Bridge was complete above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in 1480 AD.
I have scuba dived in the past and I appreciate the beauty of coral reefs. All this heavy dredging to make the ship canal through would raise a massive amount of sediment which would damage the coral and make a route for a new fast sea current to run through. I am against it.
March 27th, 2007 at 4:34 am
If true I am aghast. Western world spends millions of dollars on excavations in South America and Asia (Mayan, Inca, Khmer and other civilizations). Indian government neighter allows foreign money and institutions to do the same in India, nor it does on its own anything proactively to unearth the civilizational glory. Be it Dwarka, Saraswati, or the Setusamudram. If at all a commercial ocean passage is to go through between India and Srilanka, the first caveat should be that extensive underground excavations be done, imporant historical evideces be collected, at least 50% of the “setu” be restored on both ends of the shore, and only then, a passage in the middle be left for commerical use.
March 27th, 2007 at 6:45 am
The government of India is full of idiots who would have studied in western schools bit have learned nothing.
The Bhartiya traditions, culture and ancient knowledge must be preserved.
THIS WEBSITE AND BHARTIYA GROUPS MUST START A CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT THIS.
March 27th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
EVEN THOUGH BEING A BRITISH CITIZEN I AM CLOSE TO MY COUNTRY INDIA AND MY RELIGION…I HAVE BEEN BOUGHT UP IN A RELIGOUS FAMILY TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANT OF THE LAST MEMORIES LEFT IN INDIA OF OUR GODS.. I AM ALSO A LAWYER AND I BELIEVE THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT IS RIDICULOUS..
THEY HAVE NO GOOD LAWS AND WANT TO DESTROY EVERYTHING THAT COMES IN THEIR WAY, JUST TO LOOK GOOD ACROOS THE WORLD BUT DOES THE GOVERNMENT EVER STOP TO THINK THAT THESE TREASURES ARE THE MAIN REASON WHY PEOPLE FROM HERE AND OTHER STATES LOVE COMING TO INDIA??..
IT IS IMPORTANT TO TEACH THE CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE MORE ABOUT OUR RELIGION THEN TO ABOLISH IT..I AM DISGUSTED BY THIS AND INSOLTED…THERE WILL BE ALOT OF CRITISMS IF THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT PLAN TO GO AHEAD WITH THIS DISGUSTING IDEA..
March 27th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Indian Government has done a lot of damage to our ancient civilisation monuments. And they are going to try another one this time. If they destroy this Bridge, we will not be able to convince our future generation of the truth about Ramayan. They will think that it was fictious. We should leave this LANDMARK as it is.
Every country preserves their Landmarks, so why we should not do the same?
March 27th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Sir, India has a very long coastline and it is going to have to be a big maritime nation with responsibility for safeguarding the sea from the Persian Gulf to the Straits of Formosa.. With Chines growing designs to spread their tentacles in this area, I think it would be wise to take the view of the Naval and the politicle experts to see whether it will benefit them if the proposed project goes ahead. We are not concerned with a few commercial ships and the saving in time and money to them. As far as the Hindu sentiments.goes The legendry bridge does not exist, it is only a chain of submerged island that exist. We can worship those island no end but in order to survive in the present poilitical climate there are other imperatives.to consider. Devinder Thakur
March 28th, 2007 at 11:09 am
As has been informed that the Indian government has unleashed plans to destroy the bridge in order to improve sea travel, the concern is the thought level at which this is being proposed. The government must have looked into various factors, but has it given serious interpretation of the project and moral and historical pride in preserving such monuments? Is the government under any pressure to act in thinking, wasting valuable time and money to raise this sort of issues?
There are more serious issues to be looked into and make India more advanced and powerful in the world.
March 29th, 2007 at 9:23 am
I agree with most of the comments. We must initiate a campaign to save this ancient bridge. We are lucky to see the images clicked by satellite. My Great Grandmother, who traveled a place @dhanushyakodi’ near Rameshwaram has written her travel account in 1912. She has mentioned to have seen the initial connection of this bridge to Indian shore.
Please let us know how should we start a campaign to save this heritage!
Namaskar!!
Vishwajit Bhide
March 29th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
It is amazing that the bridge referred to in the Ramayana was discovered by NASA, called Adam’s bridge though there is no connection with the bible, renamed Rama’s bridge, and then targeted for an economic development plan that decides it is now time to destroy it. And yet, we have people arguing for the economic and military interests of India to continue the process.
At what cost is economic development of commercial shipping lanes worthwhile. Will the Vatican abdicate a national highway to be driven through it? Will Mecca ok the free exercise to religion so more traders are willing to come to SA?
Is national defense organized now a days by ships?. Well yes, but wouldn’t it be a far better use of funds to build space weapons as the US and China are doing? The most likely devastating attack on India is much more likely to come from armed nations as the US and China (with air superiority). Pakistan and Bangledesh can only attempt to destabilize India, not conquer it or destroy it and thus the best defense against them is a sharp intelligence system.
got to go more later. hariaum
March 29th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Along with an effective land based military deterrance.
So there is no state urgency to destroy the bridge. Therefore, allowing a land formation to be studied for artifacts, for geologists, etc would be a truly secular approach. If India is secular, this would be what happens. As such, if the bridge is destroyed before it is studied for historical significance, the Indian state becomes Talibanish or like so many christian or communist states that destroy the past culture to promote their own ideology and the appropriate question becomes - whose ideology? To allow a foreign ideology to destroy one’s culture is cowardice (or impotence),
As the destruction, or threat thereof, of a native tradition by political, economic, or otherwise forces by foreign powers is an act of war the people must rise up and defend themselves. Now, any act must be balanced to the consequences (just). So a nuclear attack can only be repelled by mutual assured destruction. An economic attack by public policies to regulate the market for natives, a political act by imposition of the people’s will upon the politicians (sovereignty).
An attack on a cultural item must first be by publication, protests, petitions, letters etc. If that fails, a culture is obligated to protect itself by adapting to the reality on the ground and using it to their advantage - infiltration of government, economic regulatory centers, media, etc. The christo-islmic group has been very succesful in this throughout history and are ideologically motivated to be good at this. But we Hindus, with truth and ahmisa as motivation, can be even better. This is to acquire jobs in high positions, to acquire economic wealth, etc. Over time this can be turned into a force for SatCitAnada. In this each of us is Kshatriya, Brhamin, Vaisya, and Shudra as each of us must be the laborer, the businessperson, the intellectual, and the warrior devoting action and the fruits of that action to Brhaman.
It boils down to pursuing excellence in our daily life to build a greater world.
hariaum
March 30th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Hindus are treated as a door mat by our votes hungry politicians. Any one can come and wipe their feet on this mat. Its because Hindus are not united. Its a time of awakening for the Hindus.
March 31st, 2007 at 1:21 pm
It is a disgrace for the congress government to try distroy the bridge which has religious and cultural significance. I bet they will not even think about distroying any structures of christians or muslim. The time has come for Hindus to wake up to protect their Dharma.
April 2nd, 2007 at 4:27 am
With all due respect, I may not be a very learned person, but very much in search to find more of my culture Hinduism. To go and destroy a structure built during the time of our supreme Lord, and then the Indian Government heads needs to be checked. There is no money that will buy memories, to destroy something that is tangible, and will never again be built to its original stance people must think about it!!!!!!!
April 2nd, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Please do not do it. do not distroy this bridge. If the lord got it built there was a reason. what the almightly created always was for a reason. man is not god. and therefore his requirements are only materilistic, therefore what ever he does has only a selfish reson. no matter what all we to improve our business sector, we ar doing more harm then good. there is every thing in abandance and yet we are running, fighting for more. stop stop now. enjoy what there is already.
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:11 am
Congress, which calls itself ’secular’ but in fact is blatantly anti-Hindu and anti ancient Hindu Culture and traditions (the traditions of the land), has done everything in its power to systematically destroy Hindu Dharma and ancient Hindu culture during its juggler-rule after the so called independence. How is Bhagawan Rama’s bridge legendary? When we say so, aren’t we playing into the hands of these foreigners and anti-Hindu forces? We all ought to stand united against it and save ourselves, our traditions, history and culture.
April 9th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
ref to Shri Antony’s msg above, tried to go to indiancivilization,but the site does not allow us to read that msg since i am not a member and cannot even try to register as that home site is also not available. Can Shri Antony copy and paste that information for the benefit of us readers please??/please???
thanks
April 9th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Sanatan Dharma: the law of the creator is eternal, unbowing to time. Through the utterance of OM emanated the most beautiful, perfect, powerful, fragrant and vibrant: creation. Embodiement of vital breath, by his infinite mercy he places his energy in all life and invites us to become his friend.
Our sanatan dharma is
– The belief in one god:
– There are many divine beings who submit themselves to him who we venerate accordingly
– His dharma the most compassionate delivers us from illusion and liberates us to befriend and journey to him
– He came to this earth in two forms: Rama & Krsna.
If we accept this how are we so weak in our faith, when other faiths whose prophets speak of God, for us God came and lived amongst us gave us the one truth. How are we lost in ritruals, dogma and miss the essence of his beauty and compassion.
He came to our planet to give us his dharma personally, We need to submit ourselves to the creators dharma, know the dharma, follow the dharma, propagate the dharma to create the sangha of God (umma, kingdom of god on earth) and defend the dharma for the benefit of our personal liberation and mankind’s.
Hindus today are bereft of knowledge without knowledge we are weak, when we are weak we are vulnerable and defenceless. We need to recognise our faith as that derived from the creator himself gain strength from this, present out faith in todays terms and understanding, be martial, know our history. History has shown many hordes who tried to destroy us but the courageous rajputs, Sikhs, marathis and others saved us. At all times we need to be strong for our faith to be there for the future of mankind and defend the lords law.
I seek those who wish to try to defend the dharma by submitting to it and creating a force for the future. Email me on amish@infohealth.co.uk
Why do we let anti-dharma secularists tell us not to build ram mandir, first we need to bring Rama in our hearts like hanuman and become Rama’s disciple, then we will build the biggest rama mandir nearest to where rama came to this earth, that all corners of India will see the mandir and hear prayers to god.
May 10th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
Dear Admin, I wonder if you could explain to me why my post has failed to be recognised on this thread. Many thanks.
May 17th, 2007 at 8:40 am
I WONDER WHAT WE ARE DOING TO STOP IT , MAY BE THE DREDGING WORK HAS ALREADY STARTED ,JUST A PETITION OR CAMPAIGN WOULDNT DOÂ .. LET US UNITE AT LEAST THIS TIME ..PLEASE LETS DO SOMETHING
June 1st, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I am in full agreement. I am raising up this issue through my books and trying to take it to the masses.
September 20th, 2007 at 8:50 am
dear brothers ,
we keep arguing for nothing , when the whole youth generation is giong to dust due to aids , tb , lust , prostitution , ciema craze , drug addicts , broken marraige . wil you hindu brothers teach the wrong doings in your temple by the fat priest who simply tell slogams not understood by ordinary human. need of the hour is saving the youth and children
not saving the sethu bridge - not used by any one - let the contry devolop . will you hindu fanatics stop working for multi nationals and the hindu fanatics abroad come back to india . what the damage the computers and call centeres are doing to the nation is more of concern than to the coral and reefs and the imaginary ram bridge . if you all have brain think and act - dont get carried away by the hindu fanatic crowd . i will not be botherd if jerusalem ( birth place of jesus ) and
mecca is destroyed . god does not dwell in man made structures . he dwels only in a pure and sinless heart . during the jugement day whole world will be destoyed and only the righteouness will be saved - and only jesus can give the righteousness
September 20th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Brother E Ed
Welcome to the family of Hindus. If you have control over your fellow chirstian brothers, could you tell them to stop hiding money in real estate property, divest the churches and donate that wealth to the needy of the world? Why do the christian churches need so much real estate, so much savings plans. Why to priests and ministers get gauranteed salaries - they only need the basics of 900 calories/day. Could you get them to stop destroying the world with gluttany of over consumption of the earths resources? Please help us to remind them that when they overconsume they are causing death disease and starvation. Perhaps, one day, we can even get them to understand that their colonial ancestors that raped and pillaged won’t get into heaven, nor will the obese americans and europeans. Then they could learn that it is ego glorification that rules in all the problems you are describing above, that same ego glorification that is the heart of the heaven search. Then we could teach them about the gita and how we should serve selflessly. Then, even, teach them that the Supreme does not lie in a book or a man 2000 years ago, but in the heart of EVERY person and being that the supremely righteous being righteously created.
You’re quite right, if we could take all the wealth out of the vatican the anglican chruches, the evangelical churches… we could solve all the worlds problems in 5 years. someday, perhaps your christian brethren will mature spiritually and come to the conclusion you have that 2000 year old books, myths of resurrection, stone buildings, bank accounts, etc are not God. I hope you will join us in funding those that need it, not the churches that hoard it.
hariaum
September 20th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
Edward, no one gives a damn about that dead jesus, he didn’t even exist, keep following that dead corpse nailed to plywood cult and ur final destination will be ur local mental asylum.
Why don’t u xtians let the country develop by not acting as a 5th column, how about that before you advice us?
you cowards were british lackeys as long as they ruled while Hindus were fighting for independence, so you have no right to tell us anything.
September 21st, 2007 at 12:02 am
you have to click on my name to visit my website.
September 21st, 2007 at 12:10 am
only a demented moron like “e.edward” can construe a valid hindu sentiment held by millions of concerned Hindus to be “fanaticism”.
it is important to understand their tactics. they label anything and everything Hindu as being “fanatic”.
you are expected to be a mute witness to the slow destruction of your culture by the combined abrahamic forces. voice your concern, and you’re immediately a dreaded hindoo fanatic.