How was Rama Sethu constructed?

Rama and his army led by Sugreeva had to reach the other side of the ocean to wage a war against Ravana to free Mata Sita, who was held captive by the demon king.

Shri Rama and Ravana. Pic courtesy: Thinkstock image for representation purpose only.

Mumbai: The Ram Sethu which connects the southern tip of India with Sri Lanka is believed to be a marvel that dates back to the times of Lord Rama.

The Lord and his army led by Sugreeva had to reach the other side of the ocean to wage a war against Ravana to free Mata Sita, who was held captive by the demon king.

But crossing the ocean posed a huge challenge for Rama’s army. Ravana’s younger brother Vibhishana, who had volunteered to fight against his sibling by joining Rama’s side, suggested to Rama to pray to the Lord of the Oceans – Varuna - to let them cross the deep waters.

Rama prayed for days but there was no response. He felt dejected and decided to release the Brahmastra (the most destructive weapon) at the ocean. Fearing devastation, the Lord of the oceans appeared and politely explained to Rama why he wouldn’t be able to let the army cross the sea by making way for them. Since it was against the law of nature to let them pass through the waters, Vauna suggested the name of Nala in Sureeva’s army, who could build a sethu (bridge) and help Rama in reaching Lanka.

Nala was Vishwakarma’s son who had inherited his architect father’s skills. The Lord of Oceans said that he would assist in the construction of the bridge by making it conducive during the building period.

With the help of the vanara sena (monkey army) that helped the young architect by collecting all the required material for the construction of the bridge, Nala succeeded in building the sethu in just 5 days. The efforts of the monkeys reaped fruits and thus the mammoth task was completed effectively.