What does a person dream of achieving in his lifetime? Knowledge, wealth, happiness or love? But this was not my dream. My dream was to earn trust, faith, and devotion. Something that I had lost and was desperate to get back. For this very purpose, I have followed the 3000 km journey of Lord Hanuman depicted in the epic Ramayana to Sri Lanka. Decided to experience Ajramar Yatra. Under this, 1200 km from Hampi to Kanyakumari in South India. Completed the journey on foot. After this, the circumference of Sri Lanka, about 2000 km, was completed by motorcycle. And visited many places related to Ramayana in Sri Lanka.
Temples, caves, gardens, mountains and heritage sites, there are about 40 small and big Ramayana related sites spread across Sri Lanka. Visiting most of these places is accessible. There are some places which are extremely difficult to find and reach even with maps and detailed guidelines. There are many travel agencies in Sri Lanka which provide tours to the major places of Sri Lanka related to Ramayana. But if you want to visit all the major and obsolete places related to Ramayana in Sri Lanka, then you will have to make the arrangements yourself.
READ ALSO : Sightseeing in Trincomalee, Eastern Part of Sri Lanka
Ramayana related tourist places in Sri Lanka
Shiva temples of Sri Lanka
The first Ramayana related place in Sri Lanka, which I had the privilege of visiting, was the Munneshwaram Temple located near Chilaw. There are a total of 3 Shiva temples related to Ramayana in Sri Lanka which are connected by a story. After winning the war, Lord Ram started his return journey to Ayodhya. But, after killing Ravana, he was also found guilty of killing a Brahmin. In Munneshwaram, Lord Rama realized that his defect was reducing and he worshiped Lord Shiva to get rid of this defect. Lord Shiva suggested him the way to worship them for the removal of defects by establishing Shivalingas at 4 places – Manavari, Tirukoneshwaram, Tiruketeeshwaram and Rameshwaram.
Munneshwaram Temple of Chilaw
There are many small temples located in the Munneshwaram temple complex, the main temple of which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. There was a festive atmosphere during my visit. The entire temple was decorated with flowers and presented a wonderful sight sparkling in the light of lamps and lights. The entire temple was packed with visitors, yet there was no jostling or commotion anywhere. Despite my disheveled appearance, people were welcoming me with smiles.
I offered prayers at the feet of God. Then a unique custom here attracted my attention. Watermelon, papaya, orange, banana, apple and many other fruits were offered to God. I was told that this is the practice in all temples.
Manavari Shivam Kovil, Chilav
Next day morning I started 10km from Chilaw. Visited Manavari Sivam Kovil situated in the north. The temple is called Kovil in Tamil language. Manavari Sivam Kovil or Easwaran Kovil is a small but very important religious temple. This is the first Shivalinga established by Lord Rama to prevent the crime of killing a Brahmin. Since this Shivalinga was established by Lord Rama himself, it is also called Ramalingam. As it is believed, Lord Rama was born in 5114 BC. Happened in. This means that this Shivalinga is more than 7000 years old.
Ram Setu
After this I left for Talaimannar which is geographically the nearest place to India and is the Indian side end of Ram Sethu. It is also called Adam’s Bridge. Legends say that, after Lord Hanuman discovered Goddess Sita in Lanka, the monkey army marched towards Lanka and reached the sea coast but there was no means to reach Lanka. At that moment, to reach Lanka, the monkey architect Nala prepared a plan to build a bridge from the sea coast to Lanka. It is said that during the construction of the bridge, the stones were sinking into the sea. Then the monkey army wrote the name of Lord Ram on the stones and built this Ram Setu with those stones. We can see some of the floating stones used in the construction of this bridge in the Panchmukhi Hanuman temple of Rameshwaram.
Sri Lanka Naudal provides boat service from the coast near the old lighthouse located in Talaimannar, which is very suitable for visiting this bridge. Where the sea level is shallow the remains of this bridge can still be seen.
After visiting Ram Setu, I turned towards the city for dinner. I entered a small eatery and obtained information from its owner regarding the route to Thiruketishwaram. As soon as he came to know about my being an Indian and the purpose of my visit, he told all the customers present in the restaurant. Soon everyone gathered around my table and started discussing cricket, politics, corruption and religious places. All the strangers came closer and started shaking hands with me and greeted me with smiles and wished me good luck for my journey. All this was wonderful to me. So many people were thrilled by my visit. He showered me with advice and help.
Tiruketeeswaram Temple, Mannar
The next morning I left for Tiruketishwara temple. This temple is about 10 km from Mannar city. Located off the Mannar Highway. This is the second Shivalinga among the three Shivalingas of Sri Lanka. Legends say that this temple was built by Ravana’s father-in-law Maya or Mayasura. He was a skilled architect who also built the Maya Sabha of Indraprastha.
After its destruction by the Portuguese, it was reinstalled in the early 1900s after the original Shivalinga was excavated. Before its destruction, it was considered the largest Shiva temple among all the Shiva temples in Sri Lanka. It is said that the Mannar Fort, all the churches of Mannar and the Hammershield Fort of Keats were built from the stones of this destroyed Shiva temple. You can imagine from this fact how huge the original Shiva temple must have been!
This temple had many Sabhamandapas in which various idols of God were kept. The entrances of these Sabhamandaps were built completely in one line. I could see the Shivalinga located in the main temple, across all the Sabhamandapams, from the entrance of the first Sabhamandapam. Seeing this unprecedented scene, I felt a wonderful peace in my mind.
motorcycle trouble
While coming back to the city from Tiruketeeshwaram temple, my motorcycle did not miss the opportunity to trouble me. While talking on my mobile phone, I switched off the engine of the motorcycle but forgot to switch off the headlights. outcome! The battery of the motorcycle went dead. Due to it being a deserted place, no one was available to help even after looking around. He also tried unsuccessfully to run and start the motorcycle. During this, my breathing became so labored that I felt like I might have a heart attack! By the grace of God, some kind-hearted college students appeared there and helped me start the motorcycle. The way I was getting support and support from people, I was feeling like trusting people. But that probably wasn’t enough to change my mind.
Koneshwaram Kovil
A few days later, after visiting Anuradhapuram and some other heritage sites, I visited Koneshwaram Kovil in Trincomalee. This is the third and last Shivalinga where Lord Rama offered prayers to get rid of the crime of killing a Brahmin. This temple was built by Agastya Muni. It is also called Kailash of the South. Along with this, it is also a superpower. This temple is built on a hill from where a panoramic view of the port can be seen.
*South Kailash in Sri Lanka is situated at the same longitude on which Mount Kailash is situated.
legend
It is said that Ravana’s mother used to worship Shivalinga every day. One day he could not find Shivalinga for worship. To help him complete his worship, Ravana went to South Kailash and performed severe penance to obtain Shivalinga. When Lord Shiva did not appear, Ravana became angry and tried to lift Mount South Kailash. But Lord Shiva overpowered him. Even then Ravana did not learn the lesson and took out his sword and made a big incision on the mountain which is called Ravana Chira. Saddened by this action of Ravana, Shiva punished him severely. Ravana got scared and started trying to convince Lord Shiva. Making his head and arms like a veena, he started singing praises of God. Pleased with this, Shiva forgave him and gave him a Shivalinga.
Ancient Koneshwaram Temple
As an ancient temple, Koneshwar Kovil has been mentioned in both the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Under the patronage of the Cholavanshi kings, the temple developed rapidly and became a temple with a huge gopuram and a thousand pillars. At the peak of its fame its complex encompassed the entire hill. As it is said, every rise is followed by a fall. It was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1622. After excavation, this temple was rebuilt after the discovery of idols of Lord Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha.
“In 1956, the famous author Arthur C. Clarke, while diving, discovered this Swayambhu Linga, which was once established by Ravana. ,
At present, an army contingent is kept at the bottom of the hill which carefully inspects the tourists. There were many shops on the road leading to the temple which were selling puja items, clothes, toys, food items etc.
Like the places I had visited before, here too the people welcomed me. Everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly and eager to invite us to dine at their homes. I was wondering whether his good behavior towards me was due to his own good nature or whether some of my words or actions had won his heart. Whatever it was, I was enjoying this journey a lot and perhaps that is why there was a constant smile on my face. Far from the irritation of driving on a busy road, in a hurry to get to work, the joy of leisurely riding a motorcycle in this beautiful state brought out all the good qualities in me.
Sigiriya
The Cobra Hood Cave of Sigiriya was my next stop. 15km from Dambulla city. It is a World Heritage Site. Legends say that after kidnapping Sita, Ravana feared that the well-wishers or allies of Lord Rama would find Goddess Sita. Therefore, he continued to relocate Goddess Sita to many places like Ishtipura, Sita Pokuna, Usangoda, Sita Kotuwa and Ashok Vatika. Cobra Hood Cave located in Sigiriya i.e. a cave resembling snake head is also one such place where Ravana had imprisoned Sita.
Lion Rock
Sigiriya means lion-shaped rock. It was the capital of ancient Sri Lanka. Unique in itself, it is surrounded by other rocks, 180m. Situated on a high huge rock. It was established as the capital during the reign of King Kashyap when he wrested it from his brother Moggallana, the rightful heir to the kingdom, after killing his father. Kashyap had constructed it as a defensive fort and Amod Mahal. Ironically, after some time, Kashyap was defeated in battle by his brother Magallana in this fort itself. Thereafter it was handed over to the monks and thus both the objectives of its construction failed.
Since Sigiriya was a citadel, it had all the essential defensive structures present such as ramparts, pillars, main gates and moats which once housed crocodiles. Their objective was to protect the residents of the fort from spies, enemies and traitors. Within the walls of the citadel, water, rock and meander gardens were created on the approach to Sigiriya Rock.
mirror wall
Halfway up the hill there was a mirror wall, that is, a plastered wall which at one time was so shining that it acted as a mirror for Kashyap. This mirror has been visited by so many tourists, the ancient frescoes written on it prove this. But with time, profanity and obscenity started getting associated with art and started becoming an integral part of it. One wonders whether the slogans like “Raju loves Rani”, “Mera Baap Chor Hai” or “It is forbidden to urinate here” which are written on these tourist places, will these also be considered a part of our heritage in future?
Bhakta Hanuman, Ramboda
Bhakta Hanuman Temple, 50km from Kandy. Located away, near Ramboda on the way to Nuwara Eliya. It is believed that devotee Hanuman also came here in search of Goddess Sita. Nearby here is the Sita Ashru Kund, which according to legends is made of the tears of Goddess Sita. This is the same place where both the armies came face to face for the first time. Lord Ram’s army was standing on one side of Ramboda hill and Ravana’s army on the other side was standing on both sides of Ramboda lake.
an experience
The Bhakta Hanuman Temple of Ramboda was established by the Chinmaya Mission on top of a hill overlooking the Ramboda Lake. It was near this temple that I had the most unpleasant experience of this trip so far. While I was driving my motorcycle, I saw a puppy waiting for someone in the middle of the highway. I parked the motorcycle on the side of the road, picked it up and kept it on the side of the road. Bought some food for him from a nearby shop and as I turned, I saw that the evil puppy was again sitting in the middle of the road. I once again moved towards him but this time he ran away. I also ran after him but in my haste I narrowly missed getting hit by a truck.
By the time the truck passed me in those few moments, he had disappeared. I was scared that he would come under the truck. But a passerby signaled that he had entered a nearby house. I was so angry at him that perhaps if he had been in front of me, I would have definitely taught him a lesson.
Experience and learning while traveling
As soon as the puppy disappeared, I realized my foolishness when I saw some people standing on the roadside laughing and rolling at me. In an attempt to save what was left of my honour, I entered a restaurant. When we go to do some good work and even then people laugh at us, it hurts us a lot. But when the big hotel owner laughed loudly and explained to me, I realized that people were not laughing at me but at the entire incident. He had seen that entire scene with his own eyes. Taking pity on me, he also offered to open the kitchen again. When given money for food, he refused to accept it. Then I learned that kindness, sympathy and the desire to help have not yet disappeared.
Adam braid
Over the next few days I visited Kandy, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Adam’s Peak and many other places. It is said that the footprints of Lord Shiva are imprinted on Adam Peak. Eventually I reached about 30km from Nuwara Eliya. Far away we reached Horton Plains National Park, which is also known as Patal Lok or the last place of the world. This is the same place where Ahiravana had kept Ram and Lakshman captive. Lord Hanuman in his Panchmukhi form freed them later.
“Lord Hanuman in his Panchmukhi form freed Ram and Lakshman from Ahiravana.”
Ashok Vatika
Near Horton Plains National Park is Hakgala Vatika or Ashoka Vatika where Ravana held Goddess Sita hostage because Queen Mandodari did not allow her to be brought to the palace. It was here that Hanuman met Goddess Sita for the first time and gave her the ring of Lord Rama.
It was an incredibly beautiful garden. There were thousands of species of plants here on which hundreds of butterflies were hovering. It is said that this garden looks most beautiful in spring when the plants are filled with flowers. Unfortunately spring was still far away.
Sita Amma Temple
After visiting Hakgala Vatika, I headed towards Sita Amma Temple which was just across the road. Legends say that Goddess Sita used to bathe in the river located near the temple. There were many stones near the river which had footprints on them. It is believed that these are the footprints of Lord Hanuman.
Was the life-changing experience I had here my destiny or my good fortune? Even now, sometimes I get amazed thinking about it.
Some more travel experiences
After offering prayers, I sat peacefully in a corner of the temple. A little girl came to me and placed some of her prasad in my hand with a big smile. Her smile melted my heart. I realized how innocent and trusting children are. But then some misanthropic corner of my heart raised its head and warned me of the danger and dire consequences that had so often provoked my mind. I felt like scolding that girl that this world is not a safe place. There are so many demonic people outside that he should remain safe in the company of his family members. But I did not do anything like that. Why? Don’t know!
Attacking the innocence of that innocent girl by accepting her kindness is tantamount to cruelty and selfishness. I wanted to keep looking at that image of purity and faith in humanity continuously. Her innocent gesture made me forget my fear and disbelief. I had given up trusting people long ago and that is why my inner self remained dirty and tired. How could I do this atrocities on that innocent girl?
humanity
I felt as if I did not exist at that time. If anything existed at that time, it was my doubt. The doubt that hovers over every human being, the doubt that forces us to think before smiling at a stranger, the doubt that forces us to say a few words of sympathy to someone. That doubt that stops you from speaking or helping someone should end today. I have to kill this doubt right now.
Although it was a trivial incident, which I would not have paid attention to on any other day. But in that situation that incident left a big impact on me. It is difficult to explain but this is how some experiences come in life which become very important because of happening at the right time and right place. These events can be trivial like a line from a book, a dialogue from a movie or they can be big like an accident. But these events change our lives. This incident in my life rekindled my faith in humanity.
Divurumpola Temple, Nuwara Eliya
The next day I visited the Divurumpola Temple, 20 km from Nuwara Eliya on the way to Welimada. It is situated far away. Mythology says that Sita Devi had given her Agni Pariksha at this place and this temple is dedicated to her. ‘Divurumpola’ means land of promise in Sinhala language. This temple is famous for the oath to Goddess Sita. Local people come to this temple to take oath to resolve disputes. The Bodhi tree situated in this complex is a descendant of the same Shri Mahabodhi tree of Bodh Gaya under which Lord Buddha attained supreme enlightenment. Was.
Ravana Temple and Caves
About 2km from Ella. Ravana temple and caves are situated far away. The Ravana temple is very small and surprisingly there is no idol of Ravana here. 500mm up the hill from the entrance of this temple. After climbing Ravana reaches caves.
It is believed that Ravana had built these networks of caves spread across Sri Lanka. Ravana’s intention behind this network of tunnels was to connect different locations of his kingdom and use it for secret espionage, military survey and escape. Both the main entrance and main chamber of the caves were huge. There were 3 tunnels coming out of the main chamber. The first tunnel was the longest, ending after 20 feet. The second was 10 feet long and the third, the shortest, had its other end closed.
Ussanagod city – which was burnt to ashes by Hanuman
I reached Ussangoda on the last leg of my journey. Legends say that Ussangoda was one of the cities of Ravana’s kingdom that was burnt by Lord Hanuman. After finding Goddess Sita, Lord Hanuman decided to meet Ravana. So he got himself captured by Ravana’s most powerful son, Indrajit. In order to teach Hanuman a lesson, Ravana ordered his demons to set his tail on fire. Hanuman, to demonstrate his power to Ravana, made his tail very long and danced across Lanka and burnt the entire Lanka with his burning tail. After destroying Lanka, he jumped on Ussangoda, which was an airport full of planes, and destroyed it.
Difficult location determination
Like many places related to Ramayana, Ussangoda was also very difficult to find. The location was clearly marked on the map, 30 km from Hambantota on the Hambantota-Tangalle highway. away. But when I reached the designated place, I did not see any information board, nor did I see any person with knowledge of that place. Eventually, a generous heart took pity on me and showed me the right direction. “Turn left from the factory on the highway and go straight to the steep cliff, then walk.” I followed his guidelines for some time but once again lost my way. My own intuition or insight had also become dull so I could not even reach that rock.
After wandering for an hour, I met a small boy with whose help I reached Ussangoda. 3km The flat area of the circle was surrounded by dense bushes but there were no bushes inside the circle. Perhaps the fire set by Hanuman had destroyed everything here!
To Rumsal
The last stop of this journey I had included was the darshan of Rumassala. It is a small hill located near Unwantuna. Indrajit had injured Lakshman in Lanka during the war of Ramayana. Seeing Lakshman’s deep fatal wounds, Jambavan, the king of bears, asked Hanuman to bring 4 types of herbs for his treatment. These herbal medicines, Mrit Sanjivani, Vishalyakarani, Suvarnakarani and Sandhani, were available only on the Rishabh mountain of the Himalayas. Hanuman flew to the Himalayas, but was unable to identify the herbal medicines. Without getting into any confusion, he lifted the entire Rishabh mountain and flew and reached Lanka. Pieces of this mountain fell at many places on the way. These places are Sirumalai(India), Rumassala, Ritigala, Daulakanda, and Talladi. Even today, traditional healers collect herbs from these places and make medicines.
Other Ramayana Places
Apart from these, there are many Ramayana related places in Lanka which I had visited. Some of them are Nagdeep (where Surasa Devi, the mother of serpents tested Hanuman), Kataragama (temple of Lord Kartikeya), Sita Kotuva (where Goddess Sita was kept captive), Naggala (the hill from where Lord Kartikeya was born). Ram’s army was seen.), Yehangala (where Ravana’s mortal remains were kept for viewing), Kelaniya temple (Vibhishana temple), Kanniya (underground water source built by Ravana) etc. Since this memoir is already very long, I am not mentioning them in this article.
In the end, if you ask me the question that all the hardships I endured and the hard work I put in on this journey, was a journey of this size and magnitude worth it? My answer would be, 100% yes! Throughout the journey, I experienced signs that showed me my inner self, brought me closer to my soul, and helped me develop faith and belief. My trip to Sri Lanka rekindled my faith in humanity and helped me become a better person. Isn’t this the only ultimate truth in life?