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Sri Lanka lures tourists with Ramayana trail




Sita Eliya Temple, Sri Lanka. A temple to Rama's wife which is thought to mark the spot where she was kept prisoner by King Ravana.

A Sri Lankan tourism package called the 'Ramayana trail' that covers sites mentioned in a 2,000-year-old epic poem popular in south Asia is drawing droves of Indian visitors to the island, officials said.
"From the day we launched the product two years ago, large groups have been coming," said S Kalaiselvam, director general the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

The tour, of sites mentioned in the Ramayana legend, is part of a marketing effort by the island's tourist promotion agency to increase the number of visitors from India, which has emerged as a key tourism market for Sri Lanka.

"A big increase is expected in the Indian outbound tourism market," Kalaiselvam told a conference for American investors.

"We being close to India will benefit from that increase."

Kalaiselvam said the 'Ramayana trail' tour package was well positioned to draw Indian visitors as there was no competition for the product.

"A group of 500 visitors is expected from India in December, and in January we expect a 1,000-strong group."

The tourism authorities are developing a host of sites depicted in the Ramayana, the ancient Sanskrit epic popular especially among Hindus, ranging from jungle shrines to mountains, streams, and caves.

The poem tells the tale of Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, whose wife Sita is abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.
The number of tourists visiting the island has increased sharply since the end of its 30-year ethnic war in May when government forces defeated the Tamil Tiger separatists.





Ravana Ella Falls. The falls have been named after the legendary hindu character Ravana, which is connected to the famous Indian epic, the Ramayana. According to legend, it is said that Ravana (who was the king of Sri Lanka at the time) had kidnapped princess Sita, and had hidden her in the caves behind this waterfall, now simply known as the Ravana Ella Cave. At the time, the cave was surrounded with thick forests in the midst of wilderness. It is also believed that Rama’s queen bathed in a pool that accumulated the water falling from this waterfall. (Wiki)

The war had been the main deterrent to tourists.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority has said the island hopes to attract 2.5 million tourists by 2016 and has launched several projects to increase the number of rooms to cater to the anticipated numbers.

Tourist arrivals into Sri Lanka in September 2009 rose 28.6 percent to 37,983 from a year ago, with strong growth from key European, East Asian and south Asian markets, the Tourism Authority said.

It was the fourth straight monthly rise in visitors since May, with a big increase in arrivals from India, a tourism market that has been growing in importance in recent years.


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