After completing his tours to Thailand and Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now on a mission in Tamil Nadu. Upon his arrival in Rameswaram, he inaugurated the state-of-the-art Pamban Bridge. Following this, he visited the sacred Ramanathaswamy Temple to offer his prayers. In a gesture of tradition, a priest applied a tilak on PM's forehead.
Before this, PM Modi flagged off a train and a ship from a road bridge, observing the bridge's operations and gathering insights. On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, the nation received this high-tech sea bridge.
Inaugurating the new Pamban Rail Bridge, PM Modi has connected Mandapam to Rameswaram via the first-ever vertical lift bridge in the nation. He performed a puja at the Ramanathaswamy Temple and laid the foundation for various rail and road projects worth over 8,300 crores in Tamil Nadu, dedicating them to the nation. In his address, he emphasized that the bridge will spur new employment opportunities; the Pamban Bridge is a seamless blend of tradition and modern technology. Construction across the country is moving at a rapid pace with the economy doubling in ten years.
While returning from Sri Lanka, PM Modi shared a video of the glorious Ram Setu. He wrote, 'On this holy occasion of Ram Navami, I witnessed the divine Ram Setu while returning from Sri Lanka. By divine coincidence, while witnessing the Ram Setu, I was fortunate to witness the Surya Tilak on Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. May Lord Ram's blessings remain with all of us.'
The Bridge in a New Avatar
The construction of the new Pamban Railway Bridge was completed last November. The original Pamban Bridge connected Rameswaram to the mainland of South India, built in 1914, and was India's first sea bridge. Now, after 111 years, the bridge stands revitalized in a brand-new avatar.
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The country's first vertical lift railway bridge connects not just shores but also dreams and possibilities. The new bridge retains ties with the original 1914 Pamban Bridge, which stood as India's first sea railway bridge during the British era and served for over a century before closing in 2022 due to aging. The new bridge runs parallel to the historic 111-year-old structure.
The bridge has been designed for smooth maritime navigation, allowing a section of the railway track to rise 17 meters so ships may pass beneath. It takes 5 minutes and 30 seconds for the new Pamban Bridge's lift to open, significantly faster than the 35-40 minutes required for the older swing bridge. Trains will be halted if wind speeds exceed 58 kilometers per hour, ensuring safety.
