Ramayana Tour (Trincomalee) of 5 Nights (6 Days)

Muneswaram Temple

The Munneshwaram Kovil close to Chilaw is one of the 5 major Shiva temples of Sri Lanka and Ra-meshwaram islands, called Ishvarams. According to a Tamil legend, the temple is situated at a place where king Rama prayed to Shiva after committing the worst crime according to Hindu Dharma, namely Brahmahasti, the killing of a priest, because Ravana who had to be killed by Rama in order to liberate Sita, was of Brahmin caste. Rama stopped the Vimana vehicle at Munneshvaram because of his impression the Doshana sin was not following him at this place. So he ascended from the vimana and prayed to God Shiva asking for aremedy.Shiva advised Rama to install four lingams at Manavari, Trinco, Mannar and Rameshwaram for this purpose.

       

Manavari Temple

Manavari, about 6 kms north of Chilaw, is the first place where Lord Rama installed a Lingam, as a remedy to Lord Shiva after commiting Brahmincide by killing the king Ravana who was a Brahmin. This Shiva Lingam in Manavari is called Ramalingam because it was made by Lord Rama. There are only two Lingams in the world named after Lord Rama, the other one being that of Rameshvaram in India.

       

Koneshwaram Temple

Koneswaram temple of Trincomalee or Thirukonamalai Konesar Temple – The Temple of the Thousand Pillars and Dakshina - Then Kailasam is a classical-medieval Hindu temple complex in Trincomalee, a Hindu religious pilgrimage centre in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Built significantly during the reign of the early Cholas and the Five Dravidians of the Early Pandyan Kingdom atop Konesar Malai, a promontory overlooking Trincomalee District, Gokarna bay and the Indian Ocean, its Pallava, Chola, Pandyan and Jaffna design reflect a continual Tamil Saivite influence in the Vannimai region from the classical period.

Shankari Devi Temple

The present Shiva temple which is quite well known locally than the Shankari Temple was a recent construction. The Shiva is called as TRIKONESHVARA (Probably because it is in Trincomalee which is truly TRI CONA MALAI- meaning triangle shaped hill). There is a small Devi Shrine built adjacent the Shiva temple. Sri Swamiji worshipped in both the shrines and then visited the famed Bilva tree which is perched right on the edge of the hill some hundred meters above the Indian ocean. It is a exhilarating and spectacular sight to behold. Sri Swamiji sat at the edge and prayed for a while. The all round silence reflected what is needed most in this war torn nation rightfully called as a paradise. The priests poured their heart about the difficult times they encountered and how the coped with it.

From there, Sri Swamiji visited the more famous Kali temple in the heart of the town. Later, Sri Swamiji inquired about the Tsunami disaster and the rehabilitation efforts.

       

Temple of the Tooth Relic

The Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a temple in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. It was built within the royal palace complex which houses the one of the two surviving relic of the tooth of Buddha, an object of veneration for Buddhists.

The Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, the temple which houses the Sacred Tooth Relic of The Buddha, is possibly the most sacred Buddhist shrine in the world. It is venerated not only by Buddhists in Sri Lanka but by Buddhists all over the world.

Bhakta Hanuman Temple

The Sri Lanka branch of the Chinmaya mission, commited to promoting the Ramayana philosophy as well as Ramayana Trail pilgrimages, has built a temple with Hanuman as a presiding deity in Ramboda at the Kandy to Nuwara Eliya mainroad. There is a new five metres tall granite statue of Rama's devote supporter. Hanuman is believed to have started his searching for Sita in the Baroda hills. Hanuman traditionally was not as 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, too. The Tamil word for Ramboda, Rampadai, means "Rama's force", this is why Ramboda is believed the area where Rama collected his troops.

       

Gayathri Peedam

Gayathri Pitam, also spelled Gayaththri Peedam, inside Nuwara Eliya town is the first and foremost temple built for Gayathri Amman in Sri Lanka, Gayatri being an aspect of Saraswati and the Universal Mother. The temple was founded by the Gayathri Siddhar Swami Murusegu. The Shiva Lingam for this Tamil temple was brought from the Holy River Narmada. Gayathri Pitam is said to be the place from where King Ravana's son Meghanath propitiated Lord Shiva with penance and worship and in turn was granted super natural powers by the mighty god.

       

Sita Amman Temple and Ashoka Vatica

The Sita Amman Temple, located halfway between the highland village Sita Eliya and the Hakgala Botanical Gardens, has become the most venerated of all Ramayana Trail sites in Sri Lanka, because it is believed to be the place where Sita lived most of the time of her captivity on the island of Lanka. After she refused to stay in Ravana's magnificent palace she was transferred to Ashoka Vatika or Ashoka Vana where she lived under Ashoka trees. It was here that Ravana's wife Mandodarim visited her and that Hanuman met her for the first time, identifying himself with the finger ring of Rama. Sita is said to have bathed in the nearby stream. There are remarkable holes in the rocks at the river bank believed to be footprints of Lord Hamunan.

       

Panchamuga Anjaneyar Temple

Hanuman is often called Anjaneyar by Tamils, as his mother's name is Anjan. This kovil is the first Anjaneyar temple in Sri Lanka and the only one on the island dedicated to Lord Hanuman in his Panchamuga form, this means with five faces. And it is said to be the only temple in the world to have a chariot for Anjaneyar. Its chariot festival is held annually end of December or begin of January, it is one of the most popular processions in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo. Visitors are advised to wash hands and feet before entering temple and not to cross hands inside the temple.

Gangarama Temple

What was once a swamp adjoining the famous Beira Lake, a landmark in the capital city, is today a vibrant complex comprising the Gangaramaya temple, the ‘seema malaka’ – an assembly hall for monks – in the picturesque Beira Lake and a vocational training institute. The temple has been in existence for over 120 years having being established by one of the most famous scholar monks, Venerable Hikkaduwe Sri Sumanagala Nayaka Thera, founder of the Vidyodaya Pirivena, originally an institute of oriental learning for monks, now a State University – Sri Jayewardenapura University.

He appointed his chief pupil, Devundera Sri Jinaratana Nayake Thera to administer the temple. He laid the foundation to convert the small temple to what it is today – an institution of international reckoning. He made Buddhist texts available to the masses, collected Buddhist artifacts, in addition to the normal facilities for devotees to worship.

Kalani Temple

Kelaniya is a Buddhist sanctuary in the first place, because it is believed to be visited by the Buddha himself. Within the temple premises there is Hindu shrine, too. It is dedicated to Lord Vibhishana who was the younger brother of Ravana but during the legendary war on Lanka a supporter of Lord Rama, because he disapproved Ravana's tresspass of Sita's abduction. After Ravana's death Rama appointed Vibhishana as the new king of Lanka. Vibhishana is venerated by Sinhalese Buddhists as a god, they believe him to be one of the main protectors of the island, especially in its western territories.

       

Colombo

Colombo is the commercial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka, with a population of 5.36 million metropolitan area, [dubious – discuss] with 555,031 in the city limits, and a popular tourist destination. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is within the urban area of, and a satellite city of, Colombo. It is also the administrative capital of Western Province, Sri Lanka and the district capital of Colombo District. Colombo is a busy and vibrant place with a mixture of modern life and colonial buildings and ruins. It was the legislative capital of Sri Lanka until 1982.

Due to its large harbour and its strategic position along the East-West sea trade routes, Colombo was known to ancient traders 2,000 years ago. It was made the capital of the island when Sri Lanka was ceded to the British Empire in 1815, and its status as capital was retained when the nation became independent in 1948. In 1978, when administrative functions were moved to Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Colombo was designated as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka.