Editing Adam's Bridge (section)

== Controversy over origin claims ==
Religious beliefs that the geological structure was constructed by Rama have caused some controversy as believers reject the natural provenance of Adam's Bridge. S. Badrinarayanan, a former director of the [[Geological Survey of India]],<ref name="Rediff">{{Cite web|url=http://specials.rediff.com/news/2007/jul/31slid3.htm|title=rediff.com: Adam's Bridge is a man-made structure|website=specials.rediff.com}}</ref> a spokesman for the Indian government in a 2008 court case,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ram-himself-destroyed-Setu-govt-tells-SC/articleshow/3271270.cms|title=Ram himself destroyed Setu, govt tells SC - Times Of India|date=23 October 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023143410/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-07-23/india/27940951_1_ram-setu-lord-rama-ram-sethu |archive-date=23 October 2012 }}</ref> the [[Madras High Court]],<ref>{{cite web | last=Gohain | first=Manash Pratim | title=Indian Council of Historical Research to look for material evidence of Rama Setu - India News | website=The Times of India | date=2017-03-24 | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indian-council-of-historical-research-to-look-for-material-evidence-of-rama-setu/articleshow/57817237.cms | access-date=2022-10-29}}</ref> and an episode from the [[Science Channel]] series ''[[What on Earth? (American TV program)|What on Earth?]]'' have claimed that the structure is man-made.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shahane |first=Girish |title=Raptures over Ram Setu video underline what's wrong with our government and sections of the media |url=https://scroll.in/article/862059/response-to-ram-setu-video-underlines-what-is-wrong-with-sections-of-our-government-and-media |access-date=2021-04-08 |website=Scroll.in |date=20 December 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In the ''What on Earth?'' episode, those claiming that Adam's Bridge was constructed based their arguments on vague speculation, false implications, and the point that – as with many geological formations – not every detail of its formation has been incontrovertibly settled.<ref>{{cite web |title=A bridge that Lord Ram built - myth or reality? |url=https://www.dw.com/en/a-bridge-that-lord-ram-built-myth-or-reality/a-41797300 |access-date=10 April 2019 |work=DW |publisher=Deutsche Welle}}</ref> Indian Geologist [[C. P. Rajendran]] described the ensuing media controversy as an "abhorrent" example of the "[[post-truth]] era, where debates are largely focused on appeals to emotions rather than factual realities".<ref>{{cite web |author=C.P. Rajendran |title=A Post-Truth Take on the Ram Setu |url=https://thewire.in/media/post-truth-take-ram-setu |access-date=10 April 2019 |work=The Wire}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-05-06 |title='Place faith in science, and not in faith-based culture' |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/place-faith-in-science-and-not-in-faith-based-culture/article27042083.ece |access-date=2021-03-07 |issn=0971-751X |quote=popular hegemonic culture had so successfully been able to impress upon many people that even scientific organisations were not ready to explore the myth around Ram Setu}}</ref>

[[NASA]] said that its satellite photos had been egregiously misinterpreted to make this point during the protests against [[Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project]]. NASA noted: "The images reproduced on the websites may well be ours, but their interpretation is certainly not ours. [[Remote sensing]] images or photographs from orbit cannot provide direct information about the origin or age of a chain of islands, and certainly, cannot determine whether humans were involved in producing any of the patterns seen."<ref name="HT">{{cite news |last=Kumar |first=Arun |date=14 September 2007 |title=Space photos no proof of Ram Setu: NASA |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=d9c8dd88-500b-4953-8a53-2c820ddcc169& |url-status=dead |access-date=18 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080122044530/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=d9c8dd88-500b-4953-8a53-2c820ddcc169& |archive-date=22 January 2008 |quote="The mysterious bridge was nothing more than a 30&nbsp;km long, naturally occurring chain of sandbanks called Adam's bridge", [NASA official Mark] Hess had added. "NASA had been taking pictures of these shoals for years. Its images had never resulted in any scientific discovery in the area.}}</ref>

A report from the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] found no evidence for the structure being anything but a natural formation.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=5 October 2007 |title=Myth vs Science |language=en |work=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]] |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/cover-story/article30192957.ece |access-date=12 April 2020}}</ref> The Archaeological Survey of India and the government of India informed the [[Supreme Court of India]] in a 2007 affidavit that there was no historical proof of the bridge being built by Rama.<ref>{{cite news |title=No evidence to prove existence of Ram |work=[[Rediff.com]] |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2007/sep/12ram.htm |access-date=12 April 2020}}</ref> In 2017 the [[Indian Council of Historical Research]] (ICHR) announced a pilot study into the origins of the structure,<ref>{{cite news |date=25 March 2017 |title=Twenty research scholars to get training to find 'truth' of Ram Sethu |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/scholars-to-get-training-to-find-truth-of-ram-sethu-4584407/ |access-date=12 April 2020}}</ref> but went on to shelve it.<ref>{{cite news |date=8 April 2018 |title=ICHR not to conduct study whether Ram Setu man made, natural |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ichr-not-to-conduct-study-whether-ram-setu-man-made-natural-head/articleshow/63666280.cms |access-date=11 February 2020}}</ref>

In 2007, the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority sought to promote religious tourism from Hindu pilgrims in India by including the phenomenon as one of the points on its "Ramayana Trail", celebrating the legend of Prince Rama. Some Sri Lankan historians have condemned the undertaking as "a gross distortion of Sri Lankan history".<ref>{{cite news |last=Kumarage |first=Achalie |date=23 July 2010 |title=Selling off the history via the 'Ramayana Trail' |work=Daily Mirror |publisher=Wijeya Newspapers Ltd |location=Colombo |url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/opinion1/16407.html |url-status=dead |access-date=23 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725000526/http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/opinion1/16407.html |archive-date=25 July 2010 |quote=the Tourism Authority is imposing an artificial [history] targeting a small segment of Indian travellers, specifically Hindu fundamentalists...}}</ref> The idea of Rama Setu as a sacred symbol to be appropriated for political purposes strengthened in the aftermath of protests against the [[Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jaffrelot |first=Christophe |date=2008 |title=Hindu Nationalism and the (Not So Easy) Art of Being Outraged: The Ram Setu Controversy |url=http://journals.openedition.org/samaj/1372 |journal=South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal |issue=2 |doi=10.4000/samaj.1372 |issn=1960-6060 |doi-access=free}}</ref>