Building a Bridge
Rama forgave the Sea-god. The troops collected logs and trunks of trees, boulders and rocks and began to throw under the able guidance of Nala and Neela. All were leaving no stone unturned to make the bridge. For five days they dragged and pushed and pulled till they had built a bridge that was supported by the Sea-god. When the bridge was completed, it was eighty miles wide and eight hundred miles long. The monkeys and the bears celebrated its completion and the movement of troops began across it. Soon, the monkey-army reached the coast of Lanka across the sea shouting ‘Jai Sri Rama’. Rama, Lakshmana, Vibheeshana and Sugreeva along with Hanuman also crossed over the vast ocean. A camp was made for all of them to live in it.
Ravana was taken aback by the message of Rama’s monkey-army reaching Lanka. Ravana’s maternal grandfather, Malyavan, spoke to Ravana thus, “How soon the armies of the monkeys and the bears have built the bridge! Ravana, make peace with your enemy.” But Ravana rejected his sound advice.
