About my shoes at Rama Sethu

I got into a bit of a skirmish on facebook yesterday when I posted a status about what people have been saying about the fact that I wore shoes while I stepped onto the sacred place at Rama Sethu.

Some people said I should apologize for being offensive and I told them I felt like telling to shut up.  I didn't really explain myself, and I know it was silly to say this but sometimes I'm rebellious.

So here is what I really meant to say.  When I went to Rama Setu I went with a large tour bus, and we all went out to pray near the sea. I don't know everything about Hindu cultures but I did not see other people taking off their shoes.

We were outside and it was wet, there were other westerners on the tour and I am sure we all forgot to take off our shoes.  I was respectful about this as I could be while in India.

I really didn't mean any offense and I am sorry, it was a cultural slip and I will try to be more conscientious about it, I really don't like hurting the sentiments of my brothers and sister.

Anyway this is a good introduction to talking about my trip to Rama Sethu and some other things about this great place. Rama Sethu is at the Southern tip of India right across from SriLanka.

According to the Hindu Epic the Ramayana the hero Rama built a bridge of stone from Rama Sethu to the Island of Lanka in order to defeat the king Ravana who had stolen his bride Sita.

It is Rama's return to his kingdom after defeating Ravana that we celebrate during the festival of Diwali.  We celebrate the trumph of good over evil, of Rama over Ravana, wealth and light over darkness and poverty.

What I remember first is that to get to Rama Sethu we needed to ger out of our car and into a large open air bus.  I could not believe it but we drove this bus through deep water to Rama Sethu, I was shocked how high the water was and how close it was to our feet.

Then we got to a dusty part of the Island that had nothing but a few traditional shops, a path led down a small stone platform with a trident and hooded serpent.

After going down and saying my prayers at the holi spot I came back up to the small temple structure where seated in a small septum of water was a floating stone which we told was part of the bridge that Rama built, there is still remnants of a bridge structure under the water at Rama Sethu.

The Island ended with the ruins of an old church in the sands. Many half domestic gods ran about and it almost felt like the end of the earth.

Again, I am sorry for wearing my shoes and Rama Sethu, it was an innocent mistake.  Thanks for understanding.