Invigorating 'Pamban Bridge' – an undying story

To those who have visited Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, the story of 'Pamban Bridge' is very uncommon and unfading.

Ruminating on the life of Jesus and the 'Cross', several times, this factual story has come out with great relevance and inspiration in the lives of many, including me.

Referred as one of the longest sea bridge in India, at a length of about 2.3 km, the Pamban Bridge on the Palk Strait connects Rameshwaram to mainland India.

The bridge has a unique feature of containing both the road bridge and the cantilver railway bridge.

At the entrance of the bridge even today, an unusual picture of a man holding his sons corpse captivates you into a world of total subjugation.

The picture has a story and this story dates back to the British rule in India, when the bridge served both ships and trains passing through the sea.

The center portion of the bridge is built in such a way that it could be lifted with the help of huge wheels, so that ships passing under the bridge can cross trouble free, and it is again rolled back, for the easy passage of trains. Always somebody would be appointed to roll the wheels up, when the ships arrive.

A midle–aged man was once appointed to roll the wheels when the ships arrived. On one fine morning, the man saw an unreported train approaching the bridge, after a ship quietly passed beneath. While the man was busy rolling the wheels to avoid a fatal accident, which might render thousands dead, his nine years old son comes to the scene.

With a lunch packet for his father, the little son saw his father struggling with the wheels, in need of dire help. Deciding to help his father, the besotted son offers a hand, with great love.

Unfortunately, the kid's finger gets trapped inside the wheels that yield drastic pain, forcing the boy cry aloud for help from his lone father.

Totally befuddled, it is now a seriously perplexing question in the father's mind, if he needs to save his son whose finger is trapped and is calling for help or the train, which carries thousands of passengers.

Opting to save the life of the innocent people, the man chooses to roll the wheels to descend the bridge. With all his strength, while the father whose son is right in front of his eyes bleeding and whose hands slowly have started entering the huge machine, continued rolling, heard his son cry in loud voice, "Save me father, don't you love me? I am your only son. Please Save me.."

While tears rolled down the father's cheeks, he could only ignore his son's plea to save the train otherwise which might render thousands dead.

Slowly while the boy's whole body fell into the machine, his father could only hear his son's disintegrating bones, until he heard the sound of his son's rifting head.

The train from Chennai to Rameswaram with thousands of passengers slowly rolled on the rails, without knowing what had happened there.

Though the man performed his duty honestly, he lost his only loving son. With extreme lamentation, he pulled out his son's remains, holding them closely to his chest and crying bitterly.

"My dear son, you were the only child I had, and I still can hear your cry in my ears. I loved you so much and I could not save you, not because I did not love you. If I had tried to save you, thousands dead would have been floating in the sea."

British Government honored him greatly and in memory of this incident placed a picture of the man holding his son's remains, at the entrance of the bridge.

In similar and more sacrificial way, two thousand years ago, God let his only son Jesus Christ, be crucified on the cross for us. Jesus truly became a bridge in all our lives, redeeming the whole mankind from their sins and rendering the eternal peace and happiness.

Love was the only reason, why God simply ignored his son's cry on the cross and chose to save us. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me." (Matt.27:46)

The Bible says: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

This salvation is not only for Christians, but also for all who believe in Jesus, irrespective of whatever religion, a Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist or Sikh.

Christ Jesus paid it all! He has made the way for our fellowship back to God. On the cross Jesus did not just reveal or practice humility; he created it too. True Christian humility consists in participating in Christ's inner state on the cross.

So let us imitate Christ in our life and seek the peace that he gives. Jesus said: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)