“If you’re claiming that there was a bridge, go and excavate it, get the scientific data, put it through scientific analysis and see what it is,” said Romila Thapar, an Indian historian. “But don’t just say something was there.”

She added: “Let’s face it, the pilgrimage places have a dual role. They always have a role for religion and for commerce.”

Some 2,000 years ago (the date is the subject of debate), the sage Valmiki wrote a highly regarded version of the Ramayana, a reflection on Rama’s life, as a poem. But multiple renditions of the narrative exist in Buddhism, Jainism and across Southeast Asia. Details of Rama’s rescue mission vary, depending on which source is consulted.

Meenakshi Jain, the author of a book examining the story of Rama, said many ordinary Indians viewed Hindu epics as itihas, or a record of history. She said it was important for scholars “not to belittle or ridicule” different streams of belief.

“The epics may or may not have a historical kernel,” she said. “Rational minds can distinguish what is a historical fact and what may not be. But they are conscious that myths convey a message that we should try to grasp.”