This Temple In Sri Lanka Is Believed To Be The Real-Life Ashoka Vatika From The Ramayana - News18

Sri Lanka’s Nuwara Eliya might be famed for its rolling tea estates and hairpin bends, but it also holds a small town that most visitors haven’t heard about, unless they need to plan a trip to it. Almost a blur, Seetha Eliya carries a claim few other places on earth can make. Here, locals believe this is where Sita spent her days in captivity after Ravana brought her to Lanka, in the story told across the Ramayana. The timing couldn’t be better for renewed interest. Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited Ramayana, with Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, releases this year, and it’s already pulling public attention back toward the epic’s landmarks, this one included. Sita Amman Temple/Seetha Amman Most people arrive at Sita Amman Temple first, since it sits right along the main road and is the easiest landmark to find. Inside, worship continues the way it likely has for generations — idols of Sita, Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman sit at the center of daily prayer, drawing devotees from both Sri Lanka and across India. Step outside and the mythology continues in the landscape itself. A stream called Sita Jharna runs nearby, said to be where Sita bathed during her captivity, while a cluster of rocks close to the water is believed to carry the impressions of Hanuman’s footprints, marks that locals will happily point out if you ask. A short drive from the temple leads to Hakgala Botanical Garden, set against the base of Hakgala Rock. This is the spot most locals believe resembles closest to what really was the Ashoka Vatika, the garden where Sita is believed to have been held. It’s also the setting for one of the epic’s most emotional parts. This garden is where Lord Hanuman finally tracked her down after searching all of Lanka, and handed over Lord Rama’s ring as proof that help had arrived. Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited Ramayana, with Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, releases this year, and it’s already pulling public attention back toward the epic’s landmarks, this one included. Today it’s known more for roses and cool-climate blooms than for mythology, but ask any guide and they’ll walk you straight to the older story underneath the flowers. How To Reach Sita Amman Temple Seetha Amman Temple sits close enough to Nuwara Eliya that reaching it doesn’t take much planning. From Colombo, it’s roughly a five-hour drive of about 137 km, most travellers routing through Kandy on the way up into the hills. Once you’re in Nuwara Eliya itself, the temple is barely a few kilometres from the town centre — a quick 10 to 15 minute ride by taxi or tuk-tuk, both of which are easy to flag down locally.