Thousands of devotees gathered on Sunday, May 19, for the Pran Pratishtha of the Seetha Amman Temple in Seetha Eliya village, Sri Lanka. The ceremony was marked by the use of sacred water from India’s Sarayu and Ganga rivers, which had been flown in from Ayodhya.
The ceremonial Rath, which commenced its journey from Colombo on the morning of May 17, arrived at the Seetha Amman Temple carrying approximately 25 litres of holy Sarayu water. This water, transported all the way from Ayodhya, was a central element in the Kumbhabhishekam, the ritual purification and consecration of the temple’s gopurams (towers).
Adding to the sanctity of the event, 5000 laddoos from the Tirumala Tirupati Temple were distributed among the devotees. Participants included individuals from various parts of India and Nepal, underscoring the temple’s significance in the Ramayana trail. Seetha Eliya, also known as Ashok Vatika, is historically believed to be the site where Goddess Sita was held captive by Ravana.
The Pran Pratishtha ceremony, known as Kumbhabhishekam, was conducted with great religious fervor and devotion. Holy artefacts from temples in India and Nepal, including Janakpur, were brought to Seetha Eliya for the occasion. Devotees lined up in large numbers to pay their respects and participate in the sacred rituals.
The Seetha Amman Temple has a deep historical connection to the Ramayana epic, and it previously contributed a sacred shila (stone) for the construction of the Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya. This connection was further strengthened by the use of Sarayu water during the consecration ceremony.
The temple received sacred offerings from Ayodhya, the birthplace of Bhagwan Ram, and Nepal, believed to be the birthplace of Sita Mata, highlighting the shared cultural heritage.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo noted the significant turnout on social media platform X, stating, “Thousands of Indian, Sri Lankan and Nepalese devotees participated at the Kumbhabhishekam of Seetha Amman temple in #SriLanka.” The ceremony featured the offering of garments from India and Nepal for Goddess Sita, along with sweetmeats and other sacred items from the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
Thousands of 🇮🇳 🇱🇰🇳🇵devotees participated at the Kumbhabhishekam of Seetha Amman temple in #SriLanka. HC @santjha with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Ven. Monks, MPs & other dignitaries witnessed the consecration ceremony with the holy Saryu water which was flown in from Ayodhya. pic.twitter.com/G3NisvLGU5
— India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) May 19, 2024
Prominent attendees included the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and other dignitaries. TN BJP General Secretary and Madurai Lok Sabha candidate Prof. Rama Srinivasan also flew to Sri Lanka to witness the event and was warmly welcomed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, members of the VHP, and the temple committee.
A delegation from Uttar Pradesh, India, arrived in Sri Lanka on May 15, carrying various sacred gifts for the pran paratistha of the Seetha Amman Temple in Seetha Eliya. The delegation brought significant offerings from the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, enriching the religious and cultural significance of the event.
Swamy Vikyanantha, General Secretary of the VHP, and Gaurav V. Radhakrishnan, President of the Nuwara Eliya Ashoka Vanam Temple, informed the media about the delegation’s arrival. Among the gifts was a piece of granite used to carve the Sri Ram statue, symbolising the Ram Katha. The delegation also brought artistic drawings of Sri Ram, Ma Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman embedded in a specially made hand-woven silk saree for the deity Ma Sita.
Additional offerings included three specially woven silk sarees, small Prasad packets, and 5,000 laddus from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to be distributed to the devotees. The delegation also carried 40 steel boxes containing booklets on the history of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, holy water from the Ganga and Sarayu rivers in two brass Kumba Kalasams, two silver anklets for Ma Sita, and a beautifully crafted box with cosmetic items for the deity.
These offerings underscore the deep cultural and spiritual connections between India and Sri Lanka, celebrated during the temple’s consecration ceremony
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