Seen from Space 2003
| Seven Islands between India and Sri Lanka |
In the Palk Strait between southern India and Sri Lanka, seven small islands called Adam's Bridge span the 30km from Rameswaram in southern India to Tarai Mannar in Sri Lanka. The right image is a close up of Palk Strait in the left image. In the image on the right, small brown islands just like the connecting tips of peninsulas can be seen. This area provided the backdrop for the lyric "Ramayana" based on the legend of ancient Indian hero Lord Rama. To save Princess Sita from Satan living in Lanka island, present Sri Lanka, Prince Rama made a bridge to Lanka island with the help of the monkey King. He then destroyed Satan and returned to his home country to ascend the throne. It is said that the Prince held a ceremony of purification in Rameswaram. In the image, southern India appears light brown, and Sri Lanka, green. Large areas of India suffer from desertification caused by monoculture, slash-and-burn agriculture, and over pasturage from the past. In contrast, Sri Lanka has varied landforms, such as seacoast, jungle, mountains reaching above 1000m, and rich vegetation. Arthur C. Clarke, who was born in England in 1917 and wrote the series "2001: A space odyssey," was attracted to Sri Lanka and settled there, where he still continues to write. |
