The Palk Strait separates Sri Lanka from India.
This strait lies between India’s Tamil Nadu coast and Sri Lanka’s Northern Province. It links Palk Bay, an extension of the Bay of Bengal, with the Gulf of Mannar. Because the waters are shallow and interrupted by shoals, the passage is difficult for large ships, although fishing boats and smaller craft use the area.
The strait is named after Robert Palk, who served as governor of Madras from 1755 to 1763 during the British East India Company period. Its northern and southern waters also connect with a chain of reefs and low islands known as Adam’s Bridge or Ram Setu.
Readers sometimes confuse the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar because both lie between India and Sri Lanka. The key distinction is that the strait is the narrow waterway separating the two countries, while the Gulf of Mannar is the larger body of water to its south. A proposed bridge or tunnel has also drawn attention to the region.