Here’s a phrase I wouldn’t have ever expected to hear in my lifetime: “Hindu hardliners say the project will destroy what they say is a bridge built by Ram and his army of monkeys.” An army of monkeys? I’m always a bit surprised by the kinds of things Hindus believe. Anyway, that was a phrase I heard on the news tonight – part of a news report that mentioned protests and several deaths over a project in India that would destroy “Adam’s Bridge”. I couldn’t help but think these stories mirrored the “Paul Bunyan” explanations of American geography. I also can’t figure out why Ram would build a 30 mile bridge over water instead of just building a boat.
Links:
BBC: Report on Hindu god Ram withdrawn
TimesOnline: Can the monkey god save Rama’s underwater bridge? (Be sure to check out the comments on this link. They remind me a lot of something a fundamentalist Christian would say.)
The space was limited by the site, but I posted a comment to take on the Hindu fundies:
“It is amazing to see so many educated and intelligent Indians take on the belief in ancient mythology to be literally true.
I am especially ashamed of the diaspora of Indians living in secular Western countries recycling the tripe that you would expect hear from someone who has spent their entire life in India being inculcated in mythology. You’d think that at least you guys, who most of you I would assume are much above average in intellect and educational qualifications, would understand the concept of coincidence.
Yes, I can understand your protests in saving the Ram-Sethu bridge as a piece of cultural heritage with some sentimental value to Hindus. But to claim it as being the literal proof of some unsubstantiated mythology from thousands of years ago is simply not an option for educated people.
We sound no better than fundamentalist Chrisitians who claim the Earth is only 4500 years old and that God created everything in one shot at around that time in six days.
pksp, Atlanta, Georgia / USA”