Ram Setu was built naturally or was man-made - ICHR's pilot project to 'ascertain'

New Delhi: Indian Council Of Historical Research (ICHR) on Friday announced to conduct pilot project in October-November to "ascertain" if Ram Setu was built naturally or was man-made.

The development was confirmed by ICHR chairman Y Sudershan Rao.

ICHR is a flagship research-based institution that functions under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

"One of the major projects that we are going to initiate is the Ram Setu pilot project which will seek to ascertain or find out if these structures were results of natural phenomenon or man-made," Rao said.

Ram Setu is a continuous stretch of limestone shoals that runs from Pamban Island near Rameshwaram in South India to Mannar Island off the northern coast of Sri Lanka. Encyclopaedia Britannica says that geological evidence suggests that in the Ice Age, the stretch used to be a land connection between India and Sri Lanka.

There are different geological theories behind the origin of the ridge, one of which even says that Sri Lanka was a part of Indian landmass and that the calcareous rectangular blocks are testimony of Lanka breaking away from the mainland about 1,25,000 years ago.

Hindu believers hold it as the structure that Lord Rama and his army of apes and monkeys built to reach demon king Ravana`s Lanka.Ravana`s Lanka.