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

Chilaw
Found 65 km from the Bandaranayake International Airport and a just 100 km away from the commercial capital of Colombo, the coastal city of Chilaw ranks as one of the more peaceful getaways in the Puttalam District. Known for its diverse cultural background, the main livelihood of the area is fishing. Bearing features of the European influence, Chilaw remains as one of the leading towns that boasts of a large Roman Catholic community. Those entering the city limits will be greeted by a beautiful statuette of Mother Mary built as a means of warding off all evil.

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.

       

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants located at Pinnawala village, 13 km (8.1 mi) northwest of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. Pinnawala is notable for having the largest herd of captive elephants in the world. In 2011, there were 88 elephants, including 37 males and 51 females from 3 generations, living in Pinnawala.

The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to many of the orphaned unweaned wild elephants found wandering in and near the forests of Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).

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.

       

Divurumpola

Divurumpola is said to be the location where Sita underwent the famous fire ordeal Agni Pariksha, in order to prove her chastity. From the flames arose the fire god Agni who was invoked by Sita. He lifted her from the flames unharmed and presented her to Lord Rama who explained this test was only necessary to prove the truth of her purity and innocence to everybody. Divurumpola is said to have been the location of this episode, because the Sinhalese name means a ‘marketplace of oath’. Today the temple is respected as a suitable place for oaths that can be helpful settling disputes between parties.

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.

       

Gem Museum

Sri Lanka, the island known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean lives up to its nickname as a hotbed for a variety of gems. Sri Lanka is home to 40 varieties of Gems out of 85 varieties available in the whole world. Gems of Sri Lanka have found there way to many a court all over the world since time immemorial. At the gem museum visit you can have a better special knowledge about valuable gems in srilanka.

Wood Carving Center

The factory is an open workshop were you are shown how the items are carved and painted. You are then free to visit the shop where you can purchase items or order any furniture made to order. Prices are higher than the norm, but items are of a high quality.

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.

       

Ravanna Ella Caves

These tunnels prove beyond doubt the architectural brilliance of King Ravana. These tunnels served as a quick means of transport through the hills and also as a secret passage. These tunnels networked all the important cities, airport and dairy farms. A close look at these tunnels indicates that they are palace and a tunnel existed. Existing tunnels mouths are situated  Ishtripura at Welimada, Ravana cave at Bandarawela, Senapitiya at Halagala, Ramboda, Labokelle, Wariyapola, Matale and Sitakotuwa Hasalaka. In addition there are many more tunnels.

Ravana Fall

The Ravana Ella Falls and the Rawana Ella Cave are located close to the Wellawaya mainroad in the famous valley called Ella gap, only about 6 kms away from the town of Ella well known for its splendid views to the Ella gap. The cascading waterfall measures about 25 metres. It is believed that Sita bathed in a pool that accumulated the water falling from this waterfall. The nearby Rawana Ella cave is quite small, only 50 metres long. As in the case of Ishthripura Cave in Welimada, legend has it that it was used by King Rawana to hide princess Sita. It is believed to belong to a network of tunnels also connecting it to the Dova temple and to all the palaces and airports and dairy farms of king Ravana. Archaeological findings in the Rawana Cace include a human skull dating back to 20,000 BC.

       

Kataragama

Kataragama, the domain of God Skanda (Lord Murugan Katirkaman, Kadirkamam, Subrahmanya, Kandasamy, Kadiradeva, Katiradeva, Katiravel, Kartikeya, and Tarakajith) located in the Deep South of Sri Lanka, adjoining the popular Ruhuna Yala National Park and ancient Sithulpawwa Buddhist Monastery, is a multi-religious sacred city that contains a Buddhist temple, Hindu shrine and Islamic Mosque. Kataragama, one of the Solosmasthana (Sinhala: 16 principal sites of Buddhist pilgrimage), features in the history since the era of King Dutugamunu (161-137 BC), the Hero of the Nation. Mahawamsa, the great historical chronicle of Sri Lanka reveals the participation of warriors of Kshatriyas clan from Kataragama on the occasion of the arrival of the Bo sapling of Bodhi Tree, under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya (Gaya district of the modern Bihar state of India) was brought to the city of Anuradhapura 2,300 years ago.

       

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.

Ussangoda

Ussangoda is a place of natural beauty and a designated archaeological site, situated on the Colombo - Kataragama road near Ambalantota - Nonagama Junction in Hambantota District of Sri Lanka. It is also a nature reserve and is located in the southern turtle breeding zones. Ussangoda is a patch of high ground by the sea and spreads over a significant area. But unlike the reset of the land surrounding, it is only covered with grasses and a few smalls pockets of pigmy forests. The summit of Ussangoda area pans like a plateau for a significant length.

According to Ramayana, after meeting Seetha Devi Lord Hanuman decided to test the strength of the mighty King Ravana and his army of Rakshasas. In the event that unfolded Lord Hanuman's tail was set on fire by the Rakshasas, who in turn went on to torch some parts of King Ravana's empire. Ussangoda is one of the torched areas, which is said to have been an airport used by King Ravana.

       

Rumassala

At various times during the war, both Lords Rama and Lakshmana were hit by powerful arrows, and had fallen unconscious. At these times, Lord Hanuman had been instructed to fetch the life saving herbs from the jungles of Himalaya to bring them back to life. Mighty Hanuman had gone to the Himalayan hills and lifted the whole hill and brought it back, as he was unable to identify the life saving herbs by himself. Parts of the hill is said to have fallen in five places in Sri Lanka, namely, Rumasala in Galle, Dolukanda near Heripitiya, Ritigala near Habarana , Thalladi in Mannar and Kachchativu in the north.

       

Seenigama Temple

The Seenigama Temple, Halle is a popular name among the Hikkaduwa Tourist Attractions. The Seenigama Temple, Hikkaduwa is known as the Seenigama Devalaya in the colloquial Sinhalese. As is evident, Devalaya is the term for temple. The Seenigama Temple in Hikkaduwa is situated on the coast of the sea, beyond the 96 km post on the Colombo Galle highway. Thought to be over a millennia old, the Hikkaduwa Seenigama Temple is approximately 1300 ears old. However, there is no evidence to provide evidence to this speculation. Whatever historical records have been exhumed, structural evidence states that the Seenigama Temple is above 300 years old.

       

God Ganesh Temple

Ganesh is the elephant-headed god, Ganesha (or Ganesh) is known (by various names in different parts of India and Sri Lanka and on different occasions) as the Remover of Obstacles, the god of domestic harmony and of success. He is the most beloved and revered of all the Hindu gods, and is always invoked first in any Hindu ceremony or festival. He is the son of Parvati (the wife of Shiva, the Destroyer, the most powerful of the Hindu trinity of principal gods). There are many stories about how Ganesha got his elephant head, and about his exploits and antics. He was created as an ordinary boy, but was decapitated in battle. Shiva's emissaries were sent into the forest and told to get the head of the first animal they found and to fit that head onto the boy's neck. They found a little elephant, and it worked!

       

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.

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.