12 Days & 11 Nights
Discover Major Ramayan Places in Sri Lanka
Meeting & Starting Point
Highlight Cities
- Kelaniya
- Galle
- Ussangoda
- Kataragama
- Ella
- Nuwara Eliya
- Kandy
- Matale
- Trincomalee
- Jaffna
- Mannar
- Chilaw
Include
- Transportation by air conditioned vehicle
- English Speaking chauffeur guide
- Water Bottles & All government taxes
Discover Major Ramayan Places in Sri Lanka Tour Itinerary
DAY : 01
Kelaniya Temple / Galle
In the morning, after having breakfast. drive to Kelaniya temple and then drive to Galle.
Colombo to two famous temples that are related to Indian epic Ramayana. They are Anjaneyar Temple and Kelaniya Temple. Dedicated to Lord Hanuman, the Anjaneyar Temple is the first temple in Sri Lanka in his Panchamuga form and it is said to be the only temple in the world to have a chariot for Anjaneyar. The chariot festival of this temple is held annually in December or January and is a popular temple festival in Colombo.
Among the most important and closest sites to Colombo connected to Ramayana is the Kelani Raja Maha Viharaya or the Kelaniya Temple. Kelaniya is believed to be the place where Vibhishana was coroneted as the king of Lanka by Lakshmana after the death of King Ravana. There are also some beautiful murals depicting the crowning of Vibhishana outside the Buddhist temple. Vibhishana is venerated by Sinhalese Buddhists as a god as they believe him to be one of the main protectors of the island. The Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya is a sacred place of worship for Buddhists in Sri Lanka and it is one of the three places in the country where Lord Buddha is supposed to have visited.
Do Galle city tour, then discover Ramayan places in Rumassala; a piece of the Rishabha Mountain from the Himalayas.
Rumassala: a small hill located around near Unawatuna. During the Ramayana war, Indrajit wounded Lord Lakshmana. Noticing how critical the wounds were, Jambavanta, the king of bears, asked Lord Hanuman to fetch four medicinal herbs (Mrita Sanjeevani, Vishalyakarani, Suvarnakarani, and Sandhani) from the Rishabha Mountain in the Himalayas. Hanuman flew all the way to the Himalayas, but could not identify the herbs, so he decided to pick up the entire mountain and fly back with it to Lanka. Along the way, several pieces of the mountain are said to have fallen off at places like Sirumalai (India), Rumassala, Ritigala, Doulkanda and Talladi (Sri Lanka). To this day, medicinal herbs are extracted by traditional healers from each of these locations.
Drive to hotel and relax.
DAY : 02
Ussangoda / Ella
In the morning, after having breakfast drive to Ussangoda; is one of the cities of Ravana’s kingdom that Lord Hanuman burnt down.
Ussangoda: According to legend, Ussangoda is one of the cities of Ravana’s kingdom that Lord Hanuman burnt down. After he found Sita Devi, Lord Hanuman decided to meet Ravana, so he allowed himself to be captured by Indrajit, the most valiant of Ravana’s sons. Ravana wanted to teach Lord Hanuman a lesson so he instructed his demons to set Hanuman’s tail on fire. Things got heated and Lord Hanuman burnt down the city of Lanka. Following the destruction of Lanka, he leaped to Ussangoda, an airport with Vimanas and razed it to the ground as well.
Drive to Ella. On the way visit Kataragama temple; Lord Kartikeya temple.
Drive to Ravana cave temple and Ravana waterfall.
Ella is another significant place to be visited as part of Sri Lankas it boasts two locations linked to the great epic Ramayana. This small picturesque mountain village is known for Ravana Ella Falls & Ravana Caves. Falling from a height of about 25 m, Ravana Ella Falls is named after King Ravana and is believed that Seetha bathed in a pool that accumulated the water falling from this waterfall. Situated at a height of about 1370 m, there is also a small Ravana Ella Cave near the falls and is believed that this cave was used by King Ravana to hide princess Seetha. Because of its natural beauty and gushing waterfalls.
End of the day, relax in the Ella hotel.
DAY : 03
Ella
After having breakfast visit mini Adam’s Peak, Nine Arch Bridge, Ella rock.
End of the day, relax in the Ella hotel.
DAY : 04
Nuwara Eliya
Drive to Nuwara Eliya.
On the way visit Hakgala garden: Located close to Horton’s Plains is the Hakgala Gardens or AshokaVatika, the place where Ravana kept Sita Devi prisoner, as Queen Mandodari would not allow her to be brought into the royal palace.
Divurumpola temple which is located 20 kilometers from Nuwara Eliya on the road to Welimada. Legend has it that Sita Devi performed the Agni Pariksha at this place and there is a temple there to mark the spot. The word ‘Divurumpola’, itself meant ‘place of oath’ in Sinhala. The temple is very famous for Sita Devi’s oath and the locals accept oaths made at this temple as a means to settle disputes! The Bodhi tree present in the complex is a descendant of the sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi at Bodh Gaya – the tree under which Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment.
Relax with the scenic beauty in Nuwara Eliya.
End of the day, relax in the Nuwara Eliya hotel.
DAY : 05
Kandy
Drive to Kandy. On the way visit Visit Sri Bhakta hanuman temple: Located around 50 kilometers from Kandy, near Ramboda on the route to Nuwara Eliya is the Sri Bhakta Hanuman Temple. According to legend, this is one of the locations where Lord Hanuman searched for Sita Devi. The ‘Sita Tear Pond’ is located nearby, which is said to be formed from Sita Devi’s tears. This was also the place where the two armies faced each other for the first time, Lord Rama’s army on the Ramboda hillside and Ravana’s on the other side, separated by the Ramboda Lake.
Also visit Ramboda waterfall and Ramboda Seetha Temple. On the way, visit tea plantation and tea factory (optional).
End of the day, relax in the Kandy hotel.
DAY : 06
Seetha Kotuwa / Sigiriya
In the morning after having breakfast visit to Seetha Kotuwa: This is the first place where Sita was held captive by King Ravana after kidnapping her. Surrounded by waterfalls and streams, this was the place once the city of Lanakapura stood and Seetha Devi was kept at queen Mandodhari’s palace at Lankapura until she was moved to Ashoka Vatika. Seetha Kotuwa means Seetha’s Fort and got its name because of Seetha Devi was stayed here.
Drive to Sigiriya via Matale.
If like, on the way visit spice garden (optional) and discover Sigiriya. Also if like you can have Sri Lankan Ayurvedic body massage around Sigiriya.
End of the day, relax in the Sigiriya hotel.
DAY : 07
Trincomalee
Drive to Trincomalee.
Visit Koneshvaram temple: he KoneswaramKovil is the last of the three sites where Lord Ram performed Puja to get rid of the Brahmana Hatya Dosham. It was built by Sage Agastya and is referred to as Dakshina Kailasam (Kailash of the south). In addition, it is also a Maha Shakti Peetha. The temple is located on a hill, which overlooks the harbor and the views it offers are simply brilliant.
Also visit Fort Fredrick in Trincomalee.
End of the day, relax in the Trincomalee hotel.
DAY : 08
Jaffna
Drive to Jaffna. Discover all the Ramayan places in Jaffna and Nagadeepa.
End of the day, relax in the Jaffna hotel.
DAY : 09
Mannar
Drive to Mannar: Overlooking the Gulf of Mannar, Mannar is an island in the north western part of Sri Lanka and is home to the historic Ketheeswaram Temple, one of the five Sivan temples in Sri Lanka. Built by Mayan, father-in-law of Ravana, Thiru Ketheeswaram is also closely associated with Ramayana as it is one of the three Shivalingas installed by Lord Rama in Sri Lanka. Thiru Ketheeswaram is also believed to be the birth place of Ravana’s queen Mandodhari. One can also visit Adam’s Bridge or Rama Sethu in Talaimannar which is considered as an essential part of the Ramayana. According to legend, Rama Sethu is a legendary bridge supposed to be built by Rama with the help of Hanuman and his army in order to reach Lanka.
Visit Kethisvaram temple and discover Mannar.
End of the day, relax in the Mannar hotel.
DAY : 10
Chillaw
Drive to Chilaw.
Visit Munnesvaram Temple: the Munneswaram temple complex consisted of several smaller temples, with the chief one dedicated to Lord Siva. During my visit, the temple had a festive atmosphere to it. It was decorated with flowers and completely lit up with lamps and lights making for an amazing sight. Though it was filled with devotees, there was no pushing or shoving and despite my shabby appearance, people welcomed me with smiles.
Safely drive back to Airport and fly back home.