The Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project will allow ships to cut across the Palk Strait instead of having to go around Srilanka. This is expected to reduce travel time (by about 30 hours) for ships traveling from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea or vice versa. While I have great respect for the Indian epics, a secular government cannot afford to make decisions based on religious beliefs. Otherwise, the India cannot survive as a secular nation and the country will be torn apart by religious wars. Besides, Lord Rama had the bridge constructed to get to Lanka and back. I am sure he has no use for it now and wouldn't mind having a piece of it destroyed to speed up 21st century shipping. Congrats to the Archaeological Survey of India for coming out with a reasonable opinion.
