India and Sri Lanka are bound by similar traditions, which involve a 2500 years of common heritage of cultural, political and colloquial synergy. Sri Lanka is one of the earliest democracies in South Asia. Before regaining independence in 1948, it was a British colony (similar to India). However, it is not just the colonial history of division. What unites these two countries arbitrarily is the mythical ring of the epic Ramayana. The Ramayana epic written in Sanskrit is one of the two legends of ancient India. (The Mahabharata is another one!)
Ramayana originated in India and Sri Lanka, these two legendary kingdoms together constituted Ceylon and Itihasa of Hinduism. India and Sri Lanka were struck by the essence of art, values, literature, culture and religious rituals taught by Ramayana. In Lanka, the Sinhalese Buddhist Order followed this holy war. While in India, we continued to burn the Ravana statue on Dussehra and honor Lord Ram’s victorious return by lighting Diyas on Diwali. But in all adaptations, Sita is still the protagonist, and the only Sita temple in Asia, “Seetha Amman Kovil”, is a tribute and testimony to her waiting during her conviction and imprisonment by Lobona.
During my recent visit to Sri Lanka, I visited the foggy hill station of Nuwara Eliya for the second time. Nuwara Eliya is a sweet nostalgia, and Seetha Amman Kovil is a reminder of the past culture. The local market on Queen Elizabeth Street. Among the bustling crowd were masked crowds, cheerful street stalls, street vendors selling colorful woolen products, and coffee shops crowded with young people. The entire mountain station was shrouded in a layer of faint clouds, and the two times I was here, it rained drizzle. From the market to the azure Gregory Lake to Seetha Amman Kovil, this is a straight road.
Gregory Lake Looking at the reflection of the clouds on your knees is always pleasing to the eye! But Seetha Amman Temple shone under the rain. The gate of the temple is dark orange with shiny golden trim, while the plain interior is characterized by metallic carvings, and the gold and blue are very conspicuous. The domes and walls are colored, and each hemispherical crown is decorated with colorful mythological statues. This temple brings to life the chronicles of the late Middle Ages. A visit to Seetha Amman Kovil awakens the ancient influence of Ramayana on contemporary South Asian lifestyles.
Setubandhanam-proof!
The epic of Ramayana described Ceylon as an ancient Lanka and Lord Rama’s related mission, the most important of which was the rescue of his wife Sita from the captivity of the then Lankan king Robona. The discoveries of Ramayana and scientific organizations even confirmed the bridge between the two countries. Valmiki was the first person to mention Setubandhanam in the Sanskrit Ramayana.
According to the ancient chronology, the 30-kilometer-long Setubandhanam artificial bridge was built from a series of limestone reefs and was specifically used to rescue Sita from Sri Lanka. Valmiki further pointed out that Ram’s ape army set up this bridge to connect Rameswaram in TN with Mannar in Sri Lanka. Ancient records from the Rameshwaram Temple in India indicate that Setubandhanam was destroyed by a cyclone in the 14th century. These narratives indicate that Sita was indeed fascinated and detained in a place inaccessible to the border.
Seetha Amman Temple and Ashok Vatika
Located in the small village of Seetha Eliya in Nuwara Eliya; Seetha Kovil is a simple temple, very important to Hindus. The kidnapping of Sita raised a corresponding motion, and Ram led Hanuman to Lanka. Soon, Hanuman found the place where Sita was captured by King Robona, but there she begged Lord Rama to rescue her every little hope. Walk around the temple and you will be excited to find the footprints of the ape god Hanuman etched on the rocks of the stream. It is said that this tributary of water flows down from the mountain, which once provided the basic water source for Sita to cross the Ashokwatika Forest Garden.
Ashok Vatika is a famous garden in the Kingdom of King Ravana. As quoted, Vishwakarma himself built garden houses around Ashok Vatika and Sundar Kand in the “Past Life of Vishnu.” Later, Sita was taken to this place because she refused to live in Lopna Palace and instead asked to live under the Ashoka tree in Vatica. Sita stayed here until the battle ended with the doom of Ravana and his clan. The epic mentions that Mandari (Robo Na’s wife) often visits Ashoka’s Sita in Vatika. This is her first meeting with Hanuman, who later destroyed most of Vatika’s and Planta truck in the center. Ashoka is now called Sita-Ashok because of its connection with Ramayana.
Seetha Amman Kovil-in the present
Seetha Kovil is near the Hakgala Botanical Garden and is the current site of the former Ashok Vatika. The garden is at the bottom of Hakgala Rock. And Sita Amman Kovil is located on the indomitable area of Hakgala Rock Jungle (now known as Sita Pokuna). The place where Sita bathes is called Sita Jharna. About 100 years ago, three esoteric idols were discovered in the provincial water stream. Today, these idols sit in a small shrine near the river bank. Revisit the rock with Hanuman’s footprints with the temple staff. They will tell you that this is the place where Sita prays, but from this exact place, she also cursed a precise part of the current. Don’t drink the water here, drink it downstream.
The priest of the temple will also tell you the story of Hanuman who gave the kingdom aura and reminded Ram to pay attention to his pure gold design. He seemed to be firmly grasped by the suspension bridge surrounded by strong golden walls and golden pillars. Outside the golden walls are hidden treasures of expensive corals, gems and pearls. Hanuman believes that if he ignites the entire capital with his long tail, it may be difficult to cope with the surrounding environment. But he did it anyway! There are rumors that since Hanuman set fire to the entire kingdom, the village of Seetha Eliya turned into black land.
The temple staff will kindly explain the relevance of the location. They will show you where Sita sits, washes and prays. After the battle, Lord Ram released Sita, and they flew back to their home in Ayodhya, in Pushpakwiman, which was the magnificent golden chariot of King Robona. Seetha Amman Kovil is one of the most important attractions on the Ramayana Trail. With more than 5,000 years of history, this is a must-visit landmark when you are in Nuwara Eliya. Ironically, I named my Veidehi after Sita. I am here, the modern Veidehi pays tribute to the Vedic goddess Sita in the Bible.
The temple is open 365 days a year. Pooja in the morning takes place between 8 am and 1 pm, and Arti in the evening is scheduled between 2 pm and 6.30 pm. There is no entrance fee to visit the temple, but tickets are required to participate in Pooja.
