Table of Contents
- Sri Lanka’s Ramayana Tour in 2023: A Look at the Island Nation’s Religious Path
- Ten places you must visit in Sri Lanka on the Ramayana tour
- Chilaw
- Munneswaram Temple
- Trincomalee
- Ramboda
- Ella
- Anjanyar temple
- Hasalaka: Kothmale and Gurulupotha Village are some other places of interest.
- Jaffna
- Planing for the Ramayana Trail Tour
Sri Lanka’s Ramayana Tour in 2023: A Look at the Island Nation’s Religious Path
The Ramayana story is one of the most important parts of Hindu mythology. There are many places in India that fit the story of Hinduism, but these are the main ones. Actually, people who live in and visit the island nation love going on the Ramayana trip in Sri Lanka.
Because of the epic of the Ramayana in Sri Lanka, we have often wondered about the beauty of the Ashok Vatika, where the fight between the two armies took place, and other things. There are many holy places in Sri Lanka, as well as other beautiful sights. The Sri Lanka Ramayana trip is the perfect mix of a vacation and a pilgrimage.
Before we get into the specifics of the Sri Lankan Ramayana tour itinerary, we’d like to tell you about the main tourist spots that are part of the trip. Look around.
Ten places you must visit in Sri Lanka on the Ramayana tour
Here is a list of some of the most famous and beautiful places in Sri Lanka that are linked to the Ramayana and that you will be seeing on the tour. If you want to see every famous site, you should put these places on your list of things to do in Sri Lanka.
Chilaw
Trincomalee, Jaffna, Chilaw, Ramboda, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Colombo, Hasalaka, and Kothmale are the places involved.
Chilaw is a big town in Sri Lanka’s North Western Province. It is in the Puttalam District. The area is famous for three things: coconuts, crabs, and the Coreas, who were freedom fighters Charles Edgar and Victor Corea. With Mahatma Gandhi’s help, they started the Chilaw Association and the Ceylon National Congress. But the reason it’s so famous with tourists is because of its religious side.
The Manavari and Munneswaram temples are well-known in this area. They are part of Sri Lanka’s Ramayana tour.
Munneswaram Temple
Myth says that when Lord Rama was on his way to Ayodhya in the Pushpak Viman after defeating King Ravana, he could feel that Brahmahathi Dosham, the punishment for killing a Brahmin, was following him. But he stopped here because he didn’t think Dosham was following him. To get rid of the dosham, he prayed to Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva told him to put up four lingams in Manavari, Thiru Koneswaram, Thiruketheeswaram, and Rameshwaram and pray at them.
Manavari Temple, also called Ramalinga Shivan: According to a story, this is where Lord Rama first built a Shiva lingam. Besides Rameshwaram, it is the only other lingam in the world that is named after Lord Rama.
Trincomalee
The QuinceIt is famous for its white sand beaches and the beautiful Thiru Koneswaram Temple, which is perched dangerously on a rock. According to the legend, Lord Shiva requested that Agastya Rishi build the temple after feeling King Ravana’s passion. An old story says that Lord Rama built the second lingam here to destroy the Brahmahathi Dosham.
Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is a peaceful hill country town. Even though it’s not a Ramayana site, it is just as sacred. It is the Temple of the Tooth Relic, which holds the Buddha relic, that people come to see the most. You will feel better after being in this temple and seeing the huge golden figure of Buddha and the tooth relic that is kept there.
Ramboda
Ramboda is a village in Sri Lanka’s Central area that is known for its 109-meter-tall waterfalls and Sri Baktha Hanuman Temple. Chinmaya Mission built a temple on the hills where people believe Lord Hanuman began his search for Goddess Sita.
Nuwara Eliya comes in fifth.Some people call Nuwara Eliya “The City of Lights.” It is a vacation town in Sri Lanka’s Central Mountain area. The city is known for the Divurumpola, Gayathri Pedam, and Seetha Amman Temples. All of these are part of the Sri Lankan Ramayana tour. You can move back in time by visiting these well-known temples, which were also important sites for important events in the Ramayana.
Gayathri Pedam is one of Sri Lanka’s most well-known Ramayana sites.
The Seetha Amman Temple is thought to be Ashok Vatika, the place where King Ravana locked up Goddess Sita.
Divurumpola: Goddess Seetha is said to have been made to go through the fire test here after being freed from King Ravana’s prison to show how devoted she was to her husband, Lord Rama.
Ella
Ella is a small city in Sri Lanka’s Badulla District, which is in the Uva Province. The Ravana waterfalls and the Ravana Caves in Sri Lanka make this place famous, and it’s a big part of the Ramayana tour of Sri Lanka. The 1,080-foot-tall waterfalls get their name from the limestone caves above them that are thought to have been home to King Ravana. This place is so beautiful that it attracts adventurers and people who love the outdoors. It is also one of Sri Lanka’s Ramayana sites.
Anjanyar temple
There are two well-known temples in Colombo, which is Sri Lanka’s main city. The Anjaneyar temple is the only one in the world that has a chariot raced by Anjaneya. On the other hand, it is thought that Vibheeshana was crowned King of Lanka at the Kelaniya Temple after his brother King Ravana died. Independence Square, the Dutch Church of Wolfendhal, the Avukana Buddha copy at the BMICH, and the Dewatagaha Mosque are some other places to see.
Hasalaka: Kothmale and Gurulupotha Village are some other places of interest.
SaladThe town of Hasalaka is one of the most famous places in Sri Lanka where the Ramayana takes place. Seetha Kotuwa says that this spot is on the Ramayana trail. At this site, Seetha Devi was held before she was moved to Ashok Vatika. In addition, legend says that this is where Lankapura city used to be. It was here that Queen Mandothri’s beautiful castle stood, which was surrounded by waterfalls.
In Sri Lanka, Kothmale is one of the places connected to the Ramayana where Seetha Devi is said to have dropped rice balls. Ravana is said to have given them to her as a snack, but she didn’t eat them; instead, she used them to help Lord Rama chase after him. If you go to the town, you can still find these rice balls in local stores. People now call these “Sitha goli” and eat them to help with stomach problems. Devon Falls, Kadiyanlena Falls, and Kotmale Dam are some other places to see.
Jaffna
Another place in Sri Lanka linked to the Ramayana is Nilavarai, a small town in Jaffna. This well-known town is where Lord Rama built the water spring that never runs dry. Since no one knows how deep the underground tank goes, it is called a “bottomless well.” It is said that Lord Rama shot an arrow into the ground, making a spring, so that his troops could get water during their fight with Ravana. This is one of the places where it is said that Lord Hanuman started a fire with his tail.
Lord Hanuman brought a piece of the hill called Rumassala, which is near Galle, to Lanka from the Himalayas. He may have dropped the mountain along the way, which is how several pieces of Sri Lanka’s Sanjeevni mountain were formed.
The 70-cavern Ritigala Caves are in Sri Lanka, in one of the drop areas on the Sanjeevni Mountain.
People believe that Sugreeva’s fight with Ravana’s army began at the Seenigama Temple in Hikkaduwa.
People believe that the Cobra Hooded Cave in Sigiriya is linked to the place where Goddess Sita was held captive.
Planing for the Ramayana Trail Tour
Sri Lankan Ramayana tours may be different in terms of time, schedule, and places seen. A four-night, five-day Sri Lanka Ramayana tour, on the other hand, is the best way to see the most important parts of the route.
This is the plan for a trip to Sri Lanka that lasts five days. Look around!
Day 1:
Arrive in Colombo and transfer to Kandy. Visit the Munneswaram Temple and the Manavari Temple in the Chilaw area.
The first place you should visit on your Sri Lanka Ramayana tour is Kanady. From the Colombo airport, the drive to Kandy takes you through some beautiful scenery. The temples of Manavari and Munneswaram are on the way. There are many places to visit in Kandy. So, make sure you give yourself enough time.
There are 130 km between Colombo and Kandy the journey lasts about three and a half hours.
Tip for travellers: Plan your road trip so that you have time to see the two sites in Sri Lanka.
Day 2: A Day in Kandy
Kandy Lake and the Temple of the Tooth Relic are two of the sites that are covered.
Kandy is beautiful on her own. As was already said, Sri Lanka doesn’t have many Ramayana sites. However, since you’ll be in the Chilaw area, Kandy is the best place to go. There are also many places to stay in Kandy.
Travel tips: You should spend a day in Kandy either exploring the area or shopping at the market.
Day 3: Kandy to Nuwara Eliya
Sri Baktha Hanuman Temple, Ramboda waterfalls, Gayathri Pedam, and Seetha Amman Temple are some of the places that are covered.
Your next stop should be Nuwara Eliya, which is what you should do. The Ramboda waterfalls and the Sri Baktha Hanuman Temple are on the route, which is also great for scenery. Take in the beautiful views of the rolling tea fields along the way; they will wake you up. Visit the beautiful churches in Nuwara Eliya for a spiritual trip as well.
It takes 80 km to get from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya and the journey lasts about 3 hours.
Day 4: go to Colombo.
Your next stop should be Nuwara Eliya, which is what you should do. The Ramboda waterfalls and the Sri Baktha Hanuman Temple are on the route, which is also great for scenery. Take in the beautiful views of the rolling tea fields in Sri Lanka; they will wake you up. Visit the beautiful churches in Nuwara Eliya for a spiritual trip as well. It takes 80 km to get from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya.
Day 5:
Travel to Colombo Sights seen include the Independence Square, the Panchamuga Anjaneyar Temple, the Dutch Church of Wolfendhal, the Dewatagaha Mosque, and the Avukana Buddha at the BMICH.
After seeing Nuwara Eliya, go to Colombo to see the Panchamuga Anjaneyar Temple and other places. As far as I know, the Panchamuga Anjaneyar temple is the first Anjaneyar temple and the only one with five faces (Panchamuga).
It takes 170 kilometres to get from Nuwara Eliya to Colombo and the drive takes arond 4 hours.
Sri Lanka travel Tip: We advise you to depart extremely early in the morning due to the longer journey duration.
Sri Lanka’s Ramayana tour ends on Day 5.
You can choose to have a leisurely supper outside or spend some time at the local markets, depending on when your return flight is scheduled. If you have extra time, you can also include Ramayana excursions in Negombo, Sri Lanka, in your schedule.