The mesmerizing picture of 'Ram Setu' from space is all you need to see today

The European Space Agency has recently shared an image of what Ram Setu looks like from space. The bridge appears to be connecting the two countries of India and Sri Lanka. Situated atop the vast waters of Gulf of Mannar this bridge has a huge cultural significance in India as well as Sri Lanka. Both the ends are part of protected national parks in their respective countries.
The picture shared by European Space Agency give a breathtaking view of the bridge. The setu, steeped in history looks divine from the sky.
Originally named Nala setu, after Nala-the architect of the bridge, it eventually came to be prominently called Ram Setu, owing to its relation to the revered Hindu God Lord Rama.
The legend goes that Hanuman and his Vanar Sena or Army of monkeys built this bridge with the help of floating stones that had Lord Ram's name engraved on it.
The mystical bridge finds its first mention in Valmiki’s Ramayana, in the Yudha Kaand. It was written in the 8th century BC. The epic poem contains over 24,000 couplet verses, divided into seven Kandas (chapters).
The Ramayana is an epic poem that is based on the themes of ‘Good over Evil’. The Maryada Puroshottam ram was sent to exile 14 days after he was crowned the prince of Ayodhya. Accompanied by his wife Sita and brother Laxman, Lord Rama faced many hardships during his fourteen years of exile. When Sita was kidnapped by Ravan, the king of Lanka, Lord Rama had to fight for the honor of his wife and bring her back. Ram Setu thus is one of the most important parts in the story of Lord Rama and Sita. In the third Kaand Hanuman describes the city of Lanka and the difficulties the army will face. He says:
स्थिता पारे समुद्रस्य दुरा पारस्य राघव |
नौ पठाह च अपि न अस्ति अत्र निरदेशः च सर्वत
("Lanka is situated on the other side of the ocean, which is difficult of access, Oh Rama! It offers no passage for vehicles either and there is no proper communication from all sides.")
Lord Rama replies to Hanuman,
येन केन तु मार्गेना तारामा वरुना आलयं ||
हता इति नारी ल.ंकं वानरैर् अवधार्यताम्
("By some way or other, let us cross the ocean. The city of Lanka should be assumed then as destroyed by the monkeys.")
Faced by the difficulty of crossing the river, Lord Ram suggests drying the ocean up. Sagara, the Ocean King hearing this is terrified and presents Lord Rama with another plan and promises that he will hold the bridge in position to assure safe passage of Rama’s army to Lanka. Under Nala, a monkey in the Vanara Sena, the bridge was built in 5 days with the help of millions of monkeys.
दण्डनन्ये प्रगृह्णन्ति विचिन्वन्ति तथापरे ||
वानरैः शतशस्तत्र रामस्यज्ञापुरःसरैः |
मेघाभैः पर्वताभश्च तृणैः काष्ठैर्बबन्धरे ||
(Some monkeys were holding poles for measuring the bridge and some others collected the material. Reeds and logs resembling clouds and mountains, brought by hundreds of monkeys, lead by the command of Rama, fastened some parts of the bridge.)
The bridge, as described by Valmiki shone brightly like a milky way of stars in the sky(शुशुभे सुभगः श्रीमान् स्वाती पथ इव अम्बरे). The majestic bridge amazed even the celestials and Gandharvas came and stood up in the sky with wonder.
Thumb Image Courtesy: European Space Agency