Indian Railways Ramayana Yatra offers devotees the chance to visit various places in Sri Lanka associated with the old Ramayana tradition. The island is associated with many stories about Lord Rama, Sita, Lord Hanuman and King Ravana.
IRCTC Tourism has announced a six-day Sri Lanka Ramayana Yatra package covering some religious and cultural places. The itinerary includes Manavari, Muneeshwaram, Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple, Sita Amman Temple, and Ashoka Vatika and sights in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Colombo.
Sri Lanka Tourism also promotes a Ramayana trail with more than 50 locations associated with the epic. These relationships are based on traditional beliefs and legends surrounding the Ramayana.
On this spiritual journey, there are five places that travellers must visit.
1. Manavari Temple
Manavari is one of the prime stops on the Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka. According to legend, Lord Rama installed a Shiva Lingam at this place after his battle with King Ravana.
The lingam is traditionally known as the Ramalingam. Sri Lanka Tourism says Manavari is the first place where Rama installed a Shiva Lingam and offered prayers after the war.
The temple is located around Chilaw and forms part of the opening section of the current IRCTC itinerary. Travelers on the Ramayana Yatra will visit Manavari along with Muneeshwaram and continue to Dambulla.
2. Muneeshwaram Temple
Muneeshwaram is another important Hindu temple associated with the Ramayana tradition. It is located near Chilaw and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
According to Sri Lanka Tourism, Lord Rama stopped at this place after the battle with Ravana. He was probably seeking some relief from the spiritual consequences of killing Ravana, who was a Brahmin. According to the story, Lord Shiva told Rama to install and worship Shiva Lingams at a number of places.
The temple has a long history and was rebuilt after it was destroyed in the Portuguese period. The present temple complex is therefore important from a religious point of view and from the historical and cultural point of view as well.
3. Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple
The Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple at Ramboda is another major stop for devotees following the Ramayana trail.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman and is situated in the hills near Nuwara Eliya. It is traditionally associated with Hanuman's search for Sita after she was taken to Lanka by Ravana.
The temple is included in the IRCTC Ramayana Yatra itinerary during the journey from Kandy towards Nuwara Eliya.
The mountainous setting makes the destination an important part of the journey and visitors can link pilgrimage to the natural landscapes in central Sri Lanka.
4. Sita Amman Temple
Sita Amman Temple is one of Sri Lanka’s most famous Ramayana-based places. It is in Seetha Eliya near Nuwara Eliya.
According to the belief, this is associated with the place where Sita lived in Lanka during her captivity. Sri Lanka Tourism notes that a stream beside the temple is believed to be a place where Sita bathed. Rocks near the stream are also traditionally associated with Lord Hanuman.
The present temple is dedicated to Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman. The location is surrounded by green landscapes and hills of the Nuwara Eliya region.
The current IRCTC itinerary includes Sita Amman Temple and Ashoka Vatika during the Nuwara Eliya portion of the journey.
5. Ashoka Vatika
Ashoka Vatika is another important place that is connected with the story of Sita in Lanka. As the Ramayana tells it, Sita was kept in the Ashoka grove after being kidnapped by Ravana.
The location is also closely connected with Hanuman finding Sita and delivering Lord Rama's message to her. The site is therefore an important part of the traditional Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka.
The IRCTC itinerary places Ashoka Vatika alongside the Sita Amman Temple during the Nuwara Eliya leg of the journey.
Sri Lanka Tourism also lists several other locations related to the Ramayana, including Divurumpola, where Sita is traditionally believed to have undergone the Agni test, and Rumassala, which is associated with the legend of Hanuman carrying the Sanjeevani-bearing mountain.
The Sri Lanka Ramayana Yatra provides devotees an opportunity to visit these places and to see the country's temples, hill towns and cultural venues for the Ramayana Yatra as well. The current IRCTC package is a five-night, six-day trip from Bengaluru to Sri Lanka, which includes flights, accommodation, meals, transfers and sightseeing depending on the package selection.
While the links between these places and the Ramayana are religious traditions and legends rather than historical records and are not based on a single historical record, they are part of Sri Lanka’s religious tourism and cultural landscape.
