By Mewati Sitaram
Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka – The Ashok Vatika Meditation Centre at the revered Sita Temple (Seetha Eliya) in Nuwara Eliya was inaugurated on Sunday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka, Hon. Vijitha Herath, along with the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Santhosh Jha. The ceremony witnessed participation from Deputy Minister of Tourism Hon. (Prof.) Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Hon. (Dr.) Madhura Senevirathna, Member of Parliament Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan, local community leaders and hundreds of devotees from India and Sri Lanka.
The Ashok Vatika Anushree Meditation Centre, a space dedicated to meditation and spiritual well-being, has been established with the help of private donations made by devotees from New Delhi, India. Addressing the gathering, High Commissioner Jha described the initiative as a gesture of spiritual service that reaffirms the strong people-to-people connect between the two neighbouring nations. He highlighted the immense untapped tourism potential of the temple and underscored the importance of improving related infrastructure to attract more pilgrim-tourists, particularly from India.
The inauguration follows Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, during which he reaffirmed India’s commitment to support the infrastructure expansion of the Seetha Amman temple. This support complements broader initiatives, including the development of a Sacred City Complex in Anuradhapura and the expansion of the Thirukoneswaram Temple in Trincomalee. These efforts collectively reflect the civilizational ties shared by India and Sri Lanka, while also strengthening Sri Lanka’s tourism sector and contributing to its economic growth.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
