Rama Setu: evidences for human activity (NASA clarification, Aug 2, 2007)

At the outset, I thank the Earthweb team of NASA for the prompt clarification which should set right the misinterpretation and misreporting of their opinion.

I reproduce below the response dated Aug. 2, 2007 received from JSC-Earthweb, NASA in my query of July 28, 2007 (attached). In reference to the report attributed to Chairman, Setusamudram project (now on 2 months’ leave), the response states: “To interpret our response as a scientifically rigorous conclusion as to the nature of the Palk Strait islands is both a misinterpretation and misreporting of our response, and is inappropriate considering the limitations of our data.”

Having stated the facts, let me add my comments: those who claim that there is no human activity in the bridge should clarify what structure are they looking for. Setubandha is a ‘bund’ (the English word ‘bund’ comes from the word in bharatiya languages: bandha). Unlike the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Rama Setu has always been referred to as a bridge, even when it was given a new name, ‘Adam’s bridge’. If this feature is a collapsed canyon, there are clear indications that there are layers of boulders of rocks between sediments. Such a layer of boulders of rocks could have been the result of a building of the setu structure on the geological feature. For a geologist’s view, see the latest interview in Rediff of Dr. S. Badrinarayanan whose conclusions are based on bathymetry studies and analyses of bore-well lithologs. Please see the interview. http://specials.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/31slid1.htm  

It is clear that without etailed surface and subsurface geological and collection of geological, anthropological evidence, analysis and review, the ancient Rama Setu as a bridge between Bharatam and Srilanka, as a monument of national and international importance CANNOT be denied.

kalyan

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: JSC-Earthweb <jsc-earthweb@mail.nasa.gov>
Date: Aug 2, 2007 3:24 AM
Subject: RE: Evidences for human activity in Rama Setu (Adam’s bridge)
To: kalyan97 <kalyan97@gmail.com>

Thank you for contacting us regarding this issue. Our response to inquiries regarding Adam’s Bridge is based solely on the information captured in the astronaut photography dataset.  Astronaut photography does not provide information on the age of islands in the Palk Strait, nor can it provide information on the subsurface structure or composition of the islands. We therefore cannot speculate on the validity of other origin narratives for the Palk Strait islands.

Chains of islands typically form from a variety of natural geological processes and their occurrence, by themselves, is not evidence of any human activity. We offer no conclusion regarding the ultimate origin of the Palk Strait islands in the response that has been widely quoted, we simply state that island chains form by natural processes. Based on the vast majority of scientifically rigorous, published studies of island chains around the world this statement is valid. To interpret our response as a scientifically rigorous conclusion as to the nature of the Palk Strait islands is both a misinterpretation and misreporting of our response, and is inappropriate considering the limitations of our data.

Thank you for your interest in astronaut photography of Earth!
Earthweb
The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
NASA Johnson Space Center
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

From: kalyan97 [mailto:kalyan97@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2007 5:37 AM
To: JSC-Earthweb; earthweb@ems.jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: Evidences for human activity in Rama Setu (Adam’s bridge)

For evidence of human activity from prehistoric times, there is a large body of resourcs (appended below). What does EarthWeb know about this? I am writing this in the context of a Press note released citing Earthweb (NASA) opinion.

I would like a clarification from Earthweb inquiring about the basis on which NASA pictures lead to a conclusion that there was no human activity in the area? The matter should be clarified so that there is no misreporting of Earthweb opinions as ‘scientific fact’ from NASA.

Please clarify. Thanks and regards,

S. Kalyanaraman, Ph.D.

Director, Sarasvati Research Centre,

Chennai 600015 kalyan97@gmail.com

Saturday, July 28, 2007 (Indian Express)

‘Ramar Sethu not a man made structure’

Agencies

Chennai, July 28: EarthWeb, a division of NASA that hosts astronaut photography of the Earth, has said that the ‘Ramar Sethu’ or Adams Bridge was not a man made structure and that their occurrence was not evidence of any human activity.

This was in reply to an e-mail sent by the Sethusamudram Corporation on July 26, 2007, to clarify whether it was a man made structure or not.

“Our office supports only astronaut photography of the Earth. The chain of small islets connecting India and Sri Lanka are real geographical features that have been mapped for centuries. Chains of islands form a variety of natural geological processes and their occurrence is not evidence of any human activity,” EarthWeb said.

An official of the Sethusamudram Corporation had mailed Earthweb on the satellite image of Adams Bridge. “In India a burning question is going on whether this bridge is man made or not. Religious fundamentalists insist that the bridge was once constructed by human beings in order to invade Sri Lanka long ago. Some say it is not man made and the area is covered by shallow water and the sediments under the water appear like a narrow bridge.”

“The third group say that the Adams Bridge is nothing but a peak of a large mountain that has submerged,” the Email said and asked for a clarification on the issue.

A copy of the Email was circulated to the media during a press conference addressed by N K Reghupathy, Chairman, Tuticorin Port Trust and Chairman and Managing Director, Sethusamudram Corporation Ltd on Saturday.

Subject: Evidences for declaring Rama Setu as national monument and world heritage

The following documents (over 2000 pages) provide justification for declaring Rama Setu as a national monument, world heritage and underwater cultural heritage monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904 (Act No. VII of 1904), Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 and UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001).  I will be happy to provide any additional information and details including authoritative sources, e.g., Schwarzbert South Asia Atlas (Univ. of Chicago) and Map of Hindoostan and Mughal Empire (1788) in the Sarasvati Mahal Library,Thanjavur, as needed.

The UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001) The Declaration supports cultural diversity, cultural rights and the role of culture in development, reaffirmed in Article 5 “Cultural rights as an enabling environment for cultural diversity”:
“Cultural rights are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible and inter-dependent. The flourishing of creative diversity requires the full implementation of cultural rights as defined in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in Articles 13 and 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. All persons have therefore the right to express themselves and to create and disseminate their work in the language of their choice, and particularly in their mother tongue; all persons are entitled to quality education and training that fully respect their cultural identity; and all persons have the right to participate in the cultural life of their choice and conduct their own cultural practices, subject to respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” http://tinyurl.com/2f937m

Thanking you for your consideration and with the best regards,

S. Kalyanaraman, Ph.D.,

Director, Sarasvati Research Centre,

Former Sr. Exec., Asian Development Bank,

3 Temple Avenue, Chennai 600015

Kalyan97@gmail.com 26 July 2007

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetu20-july2007/ Rama Setu: perspectives

scientific, oceanography (tsunami), historical, cartographic, literary, archaeological, heritage, geopolitical, society, environment, religious, cultural, project, nautical, legal

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetu-53582/

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetu/ Rama Setu: 300 page book including scientific aspects considered in an intl. Seminar (Including an archaeological report by Satyamurty, Ex-Director, Archaeology, Kerala, on Mantai (Mantota) related to Mandodari and Tiruketeeswaram across Talaimannar, Srilanka as an archaeological site earlier than Roman times)

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/setubandhanam/

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetu-tamil/Rama Setu in Tamil literature from Sangam day texts

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetu-valmiki/ Rama Setu: Valmiki Ramayanam

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetu-tulasidas-hindi/ Rama Setu: Tulsidas Ramacharita Maanas

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetuworldheritage/ Rama Setu world heritage

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetuscwrit/

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/response5june2007/

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/countertocounter2/

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/countertocounterannexes2/ Documents, evidence submitted by petitions to Madras HC

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/annexures/ Evidences (about 1000 pages) submitted tto Madras High Court and cited by HC in their judgement declaring Rama Setu as national monument under 1958 Act. See 11 pages of Madras HC order at:

http://tinyurl.com/28umzq

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/response16june2007/ http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/govt-counter-and-points-to-refute-false-claims/ Company’s response

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetuinliteratureandancienttexts/ Rama Setu in ancient texts See also: http://bridgeofram.com/ https://kalyan97.wordpress.com http://hinduthought.googlepages.com

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/rama-setu-marine-bioreserve-and-setu-canal/ Marine bio-reserve

http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/ramasetu-thuglak-may-2007-1/ Interview in Tughlak

http://blip.tv/file/get/Prpoint-GreenpeaceIsToInternationaliseSetuCanalProject926.flv

Friday, June 8, 2007 Greenpeace to internationalise Setu issue (Gulf of Mannar)

PodUniversal – Edition 10 – June 07
Greenpeace, an International organisation for environment protection will internationalise the Sethu Canal project issue. In an exclusive and fist podcast interview, Mr Sanjiv Gopal, Oceans Campaign Manager, Greenpeace India says that Sethu Samudram Canal project will not be viable and would damage the ecology. He also says that Greenpeace would internationalise the issue, if it is required. They would also take up with UNESCO for declaring the site as ‘ World heritage‘. Please listen to the full interview. (14 m 50 s)
If you want to download the file in wmv format (can be played in your windows media player), right click this link and save in your desktop. ( 6 mb) http://blip.tv/file/get/Prpoint-GreenpeaceIsToInternationaliseSetuCanalProject926.wmv

Tamil Podcast: http:// poduniversal.blogspot.com/2007/05/world-heritage-adams-bridge-ramar-sethu.html
If you want to download (Tamil version) the wmv file ( 11.6 mb) (can be played through windows media player)
Right click on this link and save into your computer
We had already released the English version of the same podcast, that can be accessed from
http:// poduniversal .blogspot.com/2007/05/adams-bridge-also-known-as-ramar-bridge.html

Kumudam webtv interview.

http://www. kumudam.com/interviews.php?id=2&strid=1510 http://www.kumudam.com/interviews.php?id=2&strid=1510&stream=2

http://www. kumudam.com/interviews.php?id=2&strid=1510&stream=3

http://www. kumudam.com/interviews.php?id=2&strid=1510&stream=4

http://www. kumudam.com/interviews.php?id=2&strid=1510&stream=5

http://www. kumudam.com/interviews.php?id=2&strid=1510&stream=6

http://www. kumudam.com/interviews.php?id=2&strid=1510&stream=7

International awareness programs:

http://www.sanatanadharmafoundation.com/images/audios/International%20Seminar%20on%20Ram%20Sethu%20May%2015%202007.mp3 May 12, 2007 Houston Radio interview

http://www.sanatanadharmafoundation.com/images/audios/Part%202%20-%20Experts%20Talk%20-%20Ram%20Sethu%20Bridge.mp3 May 4, 2007 Houston radio interview

http://www.sanatanadharmafoundation.com/images/audios/Part%201%20-%20Experts%20Talk%20-%20Ram%20Sethu%20Bridge.mp3 April 28, 2007 Houston radio interview