Palk Bay, Kilinochchi District, Northern Province, Sri Lanka
Palk Bay is a semi-enclosed shallow sea basin between India’s southeast coast and Sri Lanka, having a maximum depth of 13 meters. Palk Bay, together with the Gulf of Mannar, is regarded as a major sediment sink. This sink collects sediments discharged by rivers and transported by surf currents as coastal drift. Palk Bay is linked with the Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic famous throughout the Indian Subcontinent that depicts Prince Rama’s attempt to rescue his beloved wife Sita from Ravana’s clutches with the help of an army of Vaanaras (monkeys). It is typically assigned to the sage Valmiki and is dated between 500 and 100 BCE. The epic narrates how Prince Rama and his troops crossed the Palk Bay to reach Lanka (Sri Lanka) in order to save Sita.