Places to be covered

Munneswaram & Manavari temple - Negombo

Munneswaram temple is an important regional Hindu temple complex in Sri Lanka. It has been in existence at least since 1000 CE, although myths surrounding the temple associate it with the popular Indian epic Ramayana, and its legendary hero-king Rama. The temple is one of five ancient temples dedicated to Shiva in the region.

Sigiriya Rock  - Sigiriya

Many a noted historians believe Sigiriya to have a connect with Ramayana’s Ravana. It is believed that the plateau top was the site of Ravana’s majestic palace, made of solid gold and crafted by Kubera, the God of Wealth, around 50 centuries ago. One look at the site, and you would know how big an architectural feat this place must have been. With around 1000 stairs to the top, it used to have a lift for Ravana and his visitors to get to the top. Imagine this place with a lift that worked some 50 centuries ago! Would have surely given Tesla a run for money back then.If you look closely towards the bottom of this rock plateau, you will find a number of caves. As believed, one of these caves is where Ravana imprisoned Sita, after abducting her. This story can very well be true for the cave walls have (still) brightly-coloured paintings, depicting scenes from the age of Ramayana. Other than that, you will spot a number of women portraits, believed to be portraits of the many wives of Ravana.

Dambulla Rock Temple - Dambulla

Amidst Sri Lanka’s volatile history, the Dambulla Golden Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a peaceful refuge. During the reign of Anuradha Pura kings, promoting Buddhism was quintessential to their campaign. They built several monasteries with Buddhist murals enshrined inside.

Koneshwaram Temple - Trincomalee

Thirukoneswaram temple is a classical medieval Hindu temple complex located in Trincomalee the Eastern Capital of Sri Lanka which is directly linked to the Ramayana Yatra in Sri Lanka as well. This is also known as the Thirukonamalai Konesar Temple – the temple of the thousand pillars and Daskina, Then Kailasam. This is important Hindu religious pilgrimage center in Eastern Province which is famous Ramayana trail related site in Sri Lanka. According to the Ramayana story in Sri Lanka , this is a wonderful temple located on a rock promontory which is built by Rishi Agastya on the instructions of Lord Shiva who was impressed by the devotion of king Ravana. It is also said in the epic of Ramayana that Lord Rama built the second lingam here to get rid of the Brahmahasthi Dosham which was caused by malediction of killing Ravana who was a Brahmin. It is also believed that Lord Rama has offered his prayers here too to get rid of this Dosham. This temple is respected as one among the Pancha Ishwarams in Sri Lanka and Ramayana related sites in Sri Lanka.

Kinniya hot well spring- Trincomalee

Kanniya Hot Springs is a site with hot water wells located in Eastern Province, Trincomalee District of Sri Lanka. Average temperature of these wells is 42 Celsius and the temperature is slightly different to one another. Kanniya Hot spring is popular tourist destination in Trincomalee district and both local & foreign travelers.

Seetha Kotuwa – Kandy

Seetha Kotuwa, when translated means ‘Sita’s Fort’ – and referred to as one of the most stunning and scenic locations in the legendary tale. It is an important place because it is one of the first places where King Ravana had brought Sita after abducting her. The area was said to be peaceful, with streams and surrounded by a variety of flora and fauna.

Tooth relic temple– Kandy

Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth relic of the Buddha Is the most important temple for the Sri Lankan Buddhists and was built in the 16th Century A.D. by king Wimaladharmasooriya, solely for the purpose of housing the tooth relic.

Opening hours:

• Temple 5.30am-8pm,
• Puja 5.30-6.45am, 9.30-11am & 6.30-8pm
• Dress code: Wear clothes that cover your legs and your shoulders, and remove your shoes outside the temple.

Royal botanical garden– Kandy

Situated in Kandy’s suburb of Peradeniya, the spectacular Peradeniya Botanical Garden dates to 1371. Once enjoyed for pleasure by a Kandyan queen, this spectacular garden is enclosed on three sides by a large bend in the Mahaweli River. A Kandyan prince’s residence during the 18th Century, in the early 1800s the leafy green tangle became one of the greatest Botanical Gardens in the British Empire. For a short spell during the Second World War, it was used as the Allied Forces Headquarters for the Asian region.The gardens display over 4 000 different species of plants, regarded amongst the most superior in Asia. The highlight is the spectacular Orchid collection and a mighty avenue of palm trees. In addition to a plethora of flowering plants, there is also an extensive collection of medicinal plants and spices which can be spotted on your meander across the gardens. Encompassing over 60 hectares of sublimely designed lawns, pavilions and plant houses, the extraordinary array of Sri Lankan, Asian and international flora is a fragrant, colourful view on the eye. Gorgeous avenues lead on to sections exploding in bursts of tropical colour and vast lawns dotted with enormous trees.

Ramboda falls & Hanuman temple– Nuwara Eliya

Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple is one of the important Hanuman Temples in Sri Lanka located on summit of the very beautiful picturesque mountain in Ramboda 30 KM north to Nuwara Eliya, the gateway to the tea country hill station of Sri Lanka. This Hanuman Temple in Ramboda was constructed by Chinmaya Mission of Sri Lanka. Shri Bhakta Hanuman temple is dedicated to the God Hanuman and this is one of important sites of Ramayana Tour in Sri Lanka. Visitors can witness the 18 feet Hanuman statue which is the tallest Hanuman statue in Sri Lanka established inside the Shri Bhakta Hanuman Temple in Ramboda.This Hanuman Temple was constructed in 1999 and it is believed that Hanuman was searching for Sita Devi and still there are some Ramayana facts available in this area e.g. a village called “Ravana Goda” close to this Bhakta Hanuman Temple. The Tamil word for Ramboda, Rampadai, means “Rama’s force”, this is why Ramboda is believed to be the area where Rama collected his troops. Also its is believed this was the place where Lord Hanuman took rest while on his way to search Sita as per the Ramayana yatra Sri Lanka. Traditionally, Hanuman was not much popular among Sri Lankan Tamil devotees as he indeed is in India, because he devastated parts of the island with his burning tail. But in recent times Hindu missionaries and local Tamil spiritual leaders began building shrines for worshipping Hanuman in Sri Lanka also.

Seetha Amman temple– Nuwara Eliya

Sita Amman temple is the only Hindu Temple which dedicated to Princess Sita in Sri Lanka. This is one of the important Ramayana related places of Sri Lanka. Sita Amman Temple is located in Nuwara Eliya. Sita Eliya area (10 Min drive from Nuwara Eliya Town) close to Ashoka Vatika (This Ashoka Vatika has converted as a Hakgala Botanic Gardens Sri Lank). Sita Amman temple is one of the important Sri Lanka Ramayana Sites Which we can find when travelling along the Ramayana Trail Tour Sri Lanka from Kandy towards Ella via Nuwara Eliya.With reference to the Ramayana proof of Sri Lanka it is believed that the Sita devi was kept captive at this site by King Ravana. There is a stream by the side of the temple where that runs from the hill, catered to the needs of Sita Devi during her stay at Ashok Vatika. She is also said to have bathed in this stream. About a century ago of three idols were discovered in the stream.

Hagkala garden– Nuwara Eliya

Hakgala Botanical Garden is the second largest garden among the five botanical gardens in Sri Lanka and is contiguous to Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve, which is the home to a variety of wild life, including bears, monkeys and birds. Situated some 5 kilometers South of Nuwara Eliya, the road to Hakgala along the Badulla road is a pleasant downhill drive, mostly through pine forests. The comfortable cool weather that prevails throughout the year compliments the exotic flora and fauna, creating a true paradise. It boasts thousands of flora species.The main sections of the garden are the rock garden, water garden, fern garden, Japanese garden and the seed room. Hakgala is a temperate hill-country garden, where the lovely low-country lotus and water lily mingles in their serene simplicity with sophisticated English roses, pre-historic looking ferns, and endemic orchids. The intimidating Hakgala rock provides an awe inspiring backdrop to the garden, rising 450 meters over it. According to the legends, the history of Hakgala Gardens dates back to the time of Ramayanaya; an epic love story of the east. Queen Sita, captured and brought to Sri Lanka, is said to have been hidden in this vicinity and the Hakgala Gardens is said to be one of the pleasure gardens of King Ravana called Ashok Vatika.Originally used for the cultivation of cinchona and tea, the present day Hakgala Gardens was established in 1861 under the patronage of Dr. G H W Thawaites. The development of Hakgala Gardens as a botanic garden was initiated by Mr William Nock in 1884 and since then many varieties of flowers and trees, both local and foreign, have been introduced.A network of small creeks, complete with wooden bridges, is seen throughout the garden, creating a magical atmosphere for the magnificent rose garden, conifers, cedars, cypresses, variety of pines and English oaks that make their home in the garden. The flora of the garden include Old tea trials, Eucalyptus, Camphor, Pinus, Melaleuca, Casuarina, Cupressusmacrocarpa, Cinnamomumcamphora, Syncarpiaglomulifera, Rhodoleiachampioni, Michelianilagirica, Rhododendron zeylandicum, Streptosolenjamesonii, and Santolinachamaecyparissus.

Kelaniya Temple – Colombo

Kelaniya Temple built on the banks of the Kelaniya River is one of the most sacred sites of Sri Lanka. It is believed Buddha together with 500 Arahats (Supremely enlightened beings) visited Kelaniya on the Wesek day of the Buddhist Era 2531 and expounding of the Dhamma, the Buddhist doctrine to the inhabitants of the island. Buddha’s timely visit to the island resulted in quelling an imminent war between two kings named Chulodara and Mahodara over a jewel–encrusted throne. Buddha having preached the doctrine on the disputed throne offered to him ensued lasting peace between the two kings. The great stupa built upon the site enshrining the throne was since then called Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara.Kelaniya Temple believed to had been built in the era prior to the chronologically recorded history of   Sri Lanka (since 543 B.C) was renovated by Prince Uttiya, brother of King Devanampiyatissa following the arrival Arahat Mahinda in 307 BC. According to the Mahawansa, King Devanampiyatissa’s brother Uttiya renovated the vihara for the first time. Prince Uttiya also built the first ever residential quarters of the Buddhist monks (Sanghawasa) there. The ancient temple was destroyed time and again by the Dravidian invaders from Southern India. Each time the temple had been reconstructed. The medieval temple was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1510 yet reconstructed by King Kirthi Sri Rajasingha in the year 1967. New Temple was initiated in 1927 and completed in 1946 under the patronage of philanthropist Mrs. Helena Wijewardene.