At the time when elected governments in India are discouraging Hindus to visit their holy places, the Sri Lankan Government has taken a step to encourage the Hindus from India to visit their pilgrimage places in Sri Lanka. The Tourism Department of Sri Lanka has invited noted Ram Kathavachak Shri Ajay Bhai to organise Ram Katha at various places connected to Ramayana in Sri Lanka. Shri Ajay Bhai has accepted the invitation and he is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on a seven day tour on August 25.
The visit has been sponsored by Dharmyatra Mahasangh, Gosewa Mission, Sulochana Devi Jain Trust and Panchwati Parivar. Some devotees from India would also accompany Ajay Bhai during his visit. The katha would be organised at Ashok Vatika where Ravana had kept Sita captive.
Talking to Organiser in New Delhi Shri Ajay Bhai said Lord Rama'sexistence is not an issue of test, it is a mater of belief and it has further been clarified with the discoveries of various sites related to Ramayana in Sri Lanka.
Shri Ashok Kainth, a member of the Ramayana Research Committee, Sri Lanka Tourism and also a researcher amongst 22 member team of researchers from around the world, said the places such as Ashok Vatika where Sita was kept captive, the secret cave networks of Ravana, the place where Sita was received by Sri Ram from Lord of fire, the airport of Ravana, the hill where Ravana'sbody was kept after his death, the place where the remains of Sanjivani dropped, the remains of Ravana'sfort, the temple where Laxman crowned Vibhishana, the only Shivlinga set up by Sita and many more sites related to the Ramayana have been discovered at various places in Sri Lanka with proper reasoning to prove their existence. He pointed out that the work of discovering these places began in 2005 and still continues. He said two prominent places are yet to be discovered as they are in the LTTE occupied region where it is difficult to visit due to security reasons.
Shri Mangeram Garg, president, Dharmyatra Mahasangh, said the Mahasangh is already helping the pilgrims in their visits to Katasraj in Pakistan, Amarnath yatra, Sindhu Darshan, Kailash Mansarovar and Kanvar yatras and now it would provide every possible help to the devotees visiting the places connected to Ramayana in Sri Lanka.
(FOC)
