01-18-2008, 07:40 AM
Trace Ram's footsteps on Lanka's Ramayan trail
Ekatmata Sharma | New Delhi
We couldn't have had a better justification for keeping the Ram Setu intact at a better time. Sri Lanka Tourism is now aggressively selling the Ramayan trail, worked mostly around events of the Lankakand in the epic, to attract thousands of pilgrims and believers from India.
And though tourism officials may have consulted experts, scholars and archaeologists to work out 50 top sites for Indians, they flew in cricket icons Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravind de Silva for their sales pitch in Delhi. "Most of my Indian friends like Sachin Tendulkar have had a wonderful time in my country. Indians relate to Lanka because of linkages with Ramayan and their belief in Ram in particular. I too believe in Ramayan and our sites reveal the epic's different episodes," said De Silva.
If the cricketers were the poster boys, there was Swami Sarvarupa, head of Ramakrishna Mission, Sri Lanka, to put a stamp of gravitas on the resurrection of Ram's trail and by extension, the raison-d-etre for its existence: the bridge over the ocean. "We see and believe whatever we have read in Ramayan. The stones used in the bridge, the Sita Ganga river, Ravan's palace, Hanuman's landing spot and other evidence, all point to the descriptions in Ramayan. It's all about spirituality and faith in the epic," he said.
It bears mention that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist-majority country and neither the political nor the religious elite there has any interest in perpetuating the historicity or cultural legacy of Ram. Still they have left the sites associated with Ram untouched. In fact, the Ramayan trail is being rediscovered in areas where 90 per cent of the residents are Sinhalese Buddhists. "Ramayan is a special feature of the bond that we have with India. This circuit aims to offer opportunities to our friends in India to visit, explore, absorb and enjoy places of epic significance. We at Sri Lanka Tourism believe that Ramayan has brought us together through the exploration of its backdrop, which begins with Ayodhya in India and climaxes at Lankapura or Sri Lanka. We want Indians to participate in the Lankan leg of the epic. A massive restoration and maintenance drive is on at these religious sites," said S Kalaiselvam, director-general of Sri Lanka Tourism.
"There are still many caves like Katirgama and the black mountain that have to be identified. This requires good researchers and spiritual scholars but we will not stop our journey of rediscovering the Ramayana," he added.
"People living in and around the historical areas are the most reliable sources of information about the Ramayan in Sri Lanka. They have heard and believed in these stories through generations," said Kalaiselvam.
According to Ramayan, Ravana brought Sita to Sri Lanka by a vehicle called Pushpaka Vimanam by the Hindus and Dandu Monara Yanthraya by the Sinhalese Buddhists. This vehicle is said to have landed at Werangatota, about 10 km from Mahiyangana, east of the hill station of Nuwara Eliya, in central Sri Lanka. In the north-central region of Sri Lanka are Ramboda, Pussellawa, Kondakale and Mankkettather -- towns over which Ravana's air chariot flew with Sita. Interestingly, a clear path runs through the densely forested areas there even today, marking Ravana's trail. There is even a small pond, in the shape of an eye, where the tears of Sita fell. Surprisingly, this pond never dries though others around it do.
Sita was taken to Goorulupota, now known as Sitakotuwa, where Ravana's wife, Mandodari, lived. Sitakotuwa is about 10 km from Mahiyangana on the road to Kandy.
Sita was housed in a cave at Sita Eliya, on the Colombo-Nuwara Eliya road. There is a temple for her there. She is believed to have bathed in the mountain stream flowing beside the temple. Ashok Vatika, where Sita was kept captive and which was later destroyed by Hanumana, is now in ruins but there is a temple with ancient statues that seem to depict images from the epic. Hakgala is the exotic pleasure garden where Ravana insisted Sita should marry him. It was here that Hanumana brought her Rama's ring. Part of the garden still exits.
In Colombo stands Kotte, one of the many places to which Ravana took Sita to confuse Rama. Located in the suburb of Colombo is the Anjaneyar temple dedicated to Hanumana.
The ancient airports -- Ussangoda, Wariyapola and Kurunegala -- are where the magical flying chariots landed and took off.
North of Nuwara Eliya, in Matale district, is Yudhaganapitiya, where the Rama-Ravana battle took place. The destination is now a wildlife sanctuary but not cultivable. Locals believe it's the curse of the soldiers who fell there during the war. A tunnel network leading to palaces and battle fields was created by Ravana, who was an expert in underground transport system. Locals claim some of these tunnels still exist in parts of Sri Lanka.
According to a Sinhalese legend, Dunuwila is the place from where Rama shot the Bramhashira arrow that killed Ravana. The Sri Lankan king was chalking out his battle plans in a place called Lakgala when the killer arrow struck him. Lakgala is a rock from the top of which Ravana could see north Sri Lanka clearly. It served as a watch tower following the expectation that Rama would invade the island to rescue his consort.
Since Ravana was a Brahmin, it was considered a sin to kill him, even in battle. To wash off the sin, Rama performed puja at the Munneswaram temple at Chilaw, 80 km north of Colombo. Legend has it that the Koneswaram temple, in the eastern district of Trincomalee, was gifted by Lord Shiva to Ravana, as he was an ardent devotee.
Yahangala, meaning rock bed, is believed to be the site where Ravana's body was laid to rest for his country men to pay their last respect.
According to another legend from the southern part of Sri Lanka, Sita was actually detained in the mountainous forest area of Rumassala near Galle. When she fell ill, Hanumana wanted to bring some medicinal plants from the Himalayas to cure her. Since he could not find the plants, he brought the whole mountain and dropped it at Unawatuna, which is near the present Galle harbour. Unawatuna means "here it fell." Indeed, the area is known for its medicinal plants.
In the famous Buddha Vihara at Kelani, near Colombo, there is a representation of Rama handing over captured Sri Lanka to Ravana's brother, Vibheeshana, who sided with him in his conflict with Ravana.
Diwaurumpola is the place where Sita performed her Agni Pariksha (fire test) to return to Rama. Continuing the practice, the villagers there still pledge their fidelity by walking over burning coals.
Ekatmata Sharma | New Delhi
We couldn't have had a better justification for keeping the Ram Setu intact at a better time. Sri Lanka Tourism is now aggressively selling the Ramayan trail, worked mostly around events of the Lankakand in the epic, to attract thousands of pilgrims and believers from India.
And though tourism officials may have consulted experts, scholars and archaeologists to work out 50 top sites for Indians, they flew in cricket icons Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravind de Silva for their sales pitch in Delhi. "Most of my Indian friends like Sachin Tendulkar have had a wonderful time in my country. Indians relate to Lanka because of linkages with Ramayan and their belief in Ram in particular. I too believe in Ramayan and our sites reveal the epic's different episodes," said De Silva.
If the cricketers were the poster boys, there was Swami Sarvarupa, head of Ramakrishna Mission, Sri Lanka, to put a stamp of gravitas on the resurrection of Ram's trail and by extension, the raison-d-etre for its existence: the bridge over the ocean. "We see and believe whatever we have read in Ramayan. The stones used in the bridge, the Sita Ganga river, Ravan's palace, Hanuman's landing spot and other evidence, all point to the descriptions in Ramayan. It's all about spirituality and faith in the epic," he said.
It bears mention that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist-majority country and neither the political nor the religious elite there has any interest in perpetuating the historicity or cultural legacy of Ram. Still they have left the sites associated with Ram untouched. In fact, the Ramayan trail is being rediscovered in areas where 90 per cent of the residents are Sinhalese Buddhists. "Ramayan is a special feature of the bond that we have with India. This circuit aims to offer opportunities to our friends in India to visit, explore, absorb and enjoy places of epic significance. We at Sri Lanka Tourism believe that Ramayan has brought us together through the exploration of its backdrop, which begins with Ayodhya in India and climaxes at Lankapura or Sri Lanka. We want Indians to participate in the Lankan leg of the epic. A massive restoration and maintenance drive is on at these religious sites," said S Kalaiselvam, director-general of Sri Lanka Tourism.
"There are still many caves like Katirgama and the black mountain that have to be identified. This requires good researchers and spiritual scholars but we will not stop our journey of rediscovering the Ramayana," he added.
"People living in and around the historical areas are the most reliable sources of information about the Ramayan in Sri Lanka. They have heard and believed in these stories through generations," said Kalaiselvam.
According to Ramayan, Ravana brought Sita to Sri Lanka by a vehicle called Pushpaka Vimanam by the Hindus and Dandu Monara Yanthraya by the Sinhalese Buddhists. This vehicle is said to have landed at Werangatota, about 10 km from Mahiyangana, east of the hill station of Nuwara Eliya, in central Sri Lanka. In the north-central region of Sri Lanka are Ramboda, Pussellawa, Kondakale and Mankkettather -- towns over which Ravana's air chariot flew with Sita. Interestingly, a clear path runs through the densely forested areas there even today, marking Ravana's trail. There is even a small pond, in the shape of an eye, where the tears of Sita fell. Surprisingly, this pond never dries though others around it do.
Sita was taken to Goorulupota, now known as Sitakotuwa, where Ravana's wife, Mandodari, lived. Sitakotuwa is about 10 km from Mahiyangana on the road to Kandy.
Sita was housed in a cave at Sita Eliya, on the Colombo-Nuwara Eliya road. There is a temple for her there. She is believed to have bathed in the mountain stream flowing beside the temple. Ashok Vatika, where Sita was kept captive and which was later destroyed by Hanumana, is now in ruins but there is a temple with ancient statues that seem to depict images from the epic. Hakgala is the exotic pleasure garden where Ravana insisted Sita should marry him. It was here that Hanumana brought her Rama's ring. Part of the garden still exits.
In Colombo stands Kotte, one of the many places to which Ravana took Sita to confuse Rama. Located in the suburb of Colombo is the Anjaneyar temple dedicated to Hanumana.
The ancient airports -- Ussangoda, Wariyapola and Kurunegala -- are where the magical flying chariots landed and took off.
North of Nuwara Eliya, in Matale district, is Yudhaganapitiya, where the Rama-Ravana battle took place. The destination is now a wildlife sanctuary but not cultivable. Locals believe it's the curse of the soldiers who fell there during the war. A tunnel network leading to palaces and battle fields was created by Ravana, who was an expert in underground transport system. Locals claim some of these tunnels still exist in parts of Sri Lanka.
According to a Sinhalese legend, Dunuwila is the place from where Rama shot the Bramhashira arrow that killed Ravana. The Sri Lankan king was chalking out his battle plans in a place called Lakgala when the killer arrow struck him. Lakgala is a rock from the top of which Ravana could see north Sri Lanka clearly. It served as a watch tower following the expectation that Rama would invade the island to rescue his consort.
Since Ravana was a Brahmin, it was considered a sin to kill him, even in battle. To wash off the sin, Rama performed puja at the Munneswaram temple at Chilaw, 80 km north of Colombo. Legend has it that the Koneswaram temple, in the eastern district of Trincomalee, was gifted by Lord Shiva to Ravana, as he was an ardent devotee.
Yahangala, meaning rock bed, is believed to be the site where Ravana's body was laid to rest for his country men to pay their last respect.
According to another legend from the southern part of Sri Lanka, Sita was actually detained in the mountainous forest area of Rumassala near Galle. When she fell ill, Hanumana wanted to bring some medicinal plants from the Himalayas to cure her. Since he could not find the plants, he brought the whole mountain and dropped it at Unawatuna, which is near the present Galle harbour. Unawatuna means "here it fell." Indeed, the area is known for its medicinal plants.
In the famous Buddha Vihara at Kelani, near Colombo, there is a representation of Rama handing over captured Sri Lanka to Ravana's brother, Vibheeshana, who sided with him in his conflict with Ravana.
Diwaurumpola is the place where Sita performed her Agni Pariksha (fire test) to return to Rama. Continuing the practice, the villagers there still pledge their fidelity by walking over burning coals.