Bridge to Lanka
After learning that Sita had been taken to Lanka by Ravana, Rama, accompanied by his brother Lakshmana and the (monkey)Vanara army led by Sugriva, journeyed southward in search of a way to reach her. When they arrived at the seashore near Rameswaram, they were confronted by the vast ocean that separated them from Lanka. Rama, devoted to righteousness and respectful of nature’s laws, prayed to the ocean god, Samudra Deva, asking for a clear path. He waited for three days with patience and humility, but when no response came, Rama prepared to release his celestial weapons to dry up the sea and force a passage. At this moment, Samudra Deva rose from the waters, pleading for forgiveness and suggesting a peaceful solution. He told Rama that the ocean could not part, but a bridge could be built across it, and revealed that Nala, the son of the divine architect Vishwakarma, had the skill to construct such a bridge.
With Nala leading the efforts, the Vanaras began gathering huge stones, rocks, and trees. Miraculously, when they wrote Rama’s name on the stones and threw them into the ocean, the stones floated on the water instead of sinking. This divine phenomenon filled the army with awe and renewed determination. Thousands of monkeys and bears worked tirelessly, forming long chains, carrying and placing the stones to slowly build a bridge across the sea. Their unity, strength, and devotion turned an impossible task into a reality. The construction of the bridge, later known as Rama Setu, stretched approximately 100 yojanas (over 100 kilometers) and was completed in just five days. As Rama stepped onto the bridge with Lakshmana, Hanuman, and the entire Vanara army, it was not merely a journey across the ocean—it was a march toward justice, the rescue of Sita, and the restoration of dharma.
The bridge to Lanka is remembered not only as a great engineering feat but as a symbol of unwavering faith, teamwork, and divine grace. It showed how, when one walks the path of truth and righteousness, even the elements of nature respond. This moment in the Ramayana stands as a powerful lesson: no obstacle is too great when there is purpose, unity, and devotion.
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