However, the construction of the temple was a result of the Indian Tamil plantation workers who were brought to Sri Lanka in the 19th century for tea plucking mistakenly interpreting the Sinhala village name Seetha Eliya(Cold Light) as associated with Goddess Sita, and linking it to the Ramayana tradition.
In the Ramayana, Ravana offered Sita a place in his palace, but she refused, choosing instead to remain in exile for 14 years, waiting for Rama to rescue her. Ravana then created a natural garden, now known as Hakgala Botanical Garden, near the temple where Sita could wait. The nearby river is said to be the place where Sita bathed under the guard of Asura women and meditated until Rama's arrival. It is also believed to be the site where Hanuman first met Sita and gave her Rama's wedding ring as a sign of hope.This temple is believed to be the only Sita temple in the world.[2]
Initially, this site featured a simple temple with stones representing Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita. When Indian Tamils arrived as indentured workers brought by the British, they constructed the current temple. To this day, the temple is maintained by the Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka, rather than the native Sri Lankan Tamils. It is primarily visited by Indians as a pilgrimage to one of the Ramayana Sthalas.[3]
Tamil is written in a non-Latin script. Tamil text used in this article is transliterated into the Latin script according to the ISO 15919 standard.
Location
Sita Eliya Sita Temple is located 8km (5.0mi) southeast of the main town of Nuwara Eliya, along the Peradeniya-Badulla-Chenkaladi Highway. Approximately 1.7km (1.1mi) southeast of the temple lies Hakgala Botanical Garden, believed to be the garden created by Ravana for Sita according to the Ramayana.[4]
Legend
Seetha Eliya Seethai Amman Thirukkovil, also known as Ashok Vatika Sita Temple, is believed to be the site where Sita was held captive by the Rakshasa king Ravana, according to the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Sita prayed daily for her husband Rama to rescue her from this place. The temple is located in the Nuwara Eliya District of Central Sri Lanka and is surrounded by significant mythological landmarks.[citation needed]
Near the temple runs a stream, said to have been formed to meet the needs of Sita Devi during her captivity at Ashok Vatika. It is believed that Sita bathed in this stream. On the rock face across the stream are circular depressions, which are regarded as the footprints of Hanuman. According to the Ramayana, Hanuman met Sita at this location and gave her Rama's wedding ring as a sign of hope. Additionally, Ravana had created a natural garden, now known as Hakgala Botanical Garden, for Sita to wait for Rama's arrival. This site, rich in mythological significance, continues to attract devotees and tourists who revere the story of Sita's devotion and endurance.[5]
Places in Sri Lanka that have been named by India in association with the fictional narrative of the Ramayana (That list has been rejected by the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka and by archaeologists of Sri Lanka[6]).
Temple Construction
“Seetha Eliya” in the Sinhala language means ‘light associated with cold’. However, during the 19th century, the Indian Tamil plantation workers who were brought from South India to pluck tea leaves mistakenly associated the village name Seetha Eliya with Goddess Sita. As a result of this misunderstanding, the related legend was created.
The temple at this site was initially constructed on a small scale by the plantation Tamil community around the 20th century. Later, through various tourism projects connected to the Ramayana and with patronage from India, large-scale developments were carried out in more recent times. During this period, political analysts and historians accused India of unnecessarily interfering in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs through these activities.[7]
At the same time, archaeologists and the Department of Archaeology also expressed serious concern over these projects, pointing out that they could lead to the construction of a distorted, mythical version of history, and emphasizing that the Ramayana narrative remains an unverified and fictional story rather than an established historical account.[8]
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