Ramayana Tours in Sri Lanka

The Ramayana, one of the great epics of South Asia, tells of Rama’s journey to rescue Sita from Ravana, king of Lanka. For many Hindus and people across South Asia, Sri Lanka is closely bound up with the story, and a number of temples and landscapes on the island are associated with events in the epic.

Tradition, belief and history

It is important to distinguish between different kinds of connection:

• Religious tradition — temples where the association with the Ramayana is part of worship and ritual, such as Munneswaram and the Seetha Amman Temple.
• Local belief and storytelling — landscapes named after or linked to the epic in local lore, such as Ravana Falls, Ravana Cave and Ussangoda.
• Literary association — places identified with locations described in the text.
• Archaeological fact — the historical and archaeological record of the sites themselves, which does not prove the events of the epic.

We present each site honestly in these terms. For many visitors the meaning lies in faith and tradition, and that deserves respect without overstatement.

Key places

West coast

Munneswaram, near Chilaw, is an ancient Shiva temple that tradition links to Rama’s worship after the war. Nearby Manavari is where local belief holds that Rama installed a lingam.

Hill country

Seetha Amman Temple at Seetha Eliya, near Nuwara Eliya, is traditionally identified with Ashok Vatika, the garden where Sita was held. Divurumpola is regarded by tradition as the place of Sita’s trial by fire. Ravana Falls and Ravana Cave near Ella carry Ravana’s name in local lore. The Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple at Ramboda is dedicated to Hanuman.

East and south

Koneswaram in Trincomalee, a major Hindu temple on a clifftop, is associated in local tradition with Ravana. On the south coast, Rumassala near Unawatuna is traditionally said to be part of the herb-bearing mountain carried by Hanuman.

Planning a Ramayana tour

Most travellers combine the west-coast and hill-country sites in about eight days; adding Trincomalee and the south makes a twelve-day journey, best between May and September for the east coast. Vegetarian meals are easy to arrange, and we plan around temple timings and festivals.