The Ramayana trail

Sri Lanka has become a very popular destination for Indian travellers. In fact, India has become the biggest market for Sri Lanka Tourism. There are several factors that contribute to this - the journey times are short, air tickets are very affordable, the Indian Rupee can be stretched a bit here even after devaluation, food is very similar, culture is similar and there are plenty of things to do in the island.

However, there is one factor that is still not on the Indian tourist’s radar: The famous Ramayana trail. Every Indian and Sri Lankan knows the Rama-Sita legend. The great Hindu epic Ramayana, tells of the conquest of Sri Lanka by the god Rama who fought with the demon king Ravana in Sri Lanka to rescue his wife Sita. Today Sri Lanka offers visitors an opportunity to visit more than 50 sites believed to have been part of the Ramayana which include Ravana's fort, the Sita Amman temple where Sita was held, the Ritigala medicinal forest and Rumassala in Galle. In fact the town Sita Eliya has got its name from the legend. There are plenty of other places in both countries which are connected to this romantic saga.

However, the lack of information and publicity in this regard has hampered efforts to lure more tourists from India.

Moreover, awareness should be created domestically in Sri Lanka itself on the places associated with the Ramayana to get more domestic tourists to visit them - places such as Ravana Ella are already very popular among locals and tourists alike. But there are plenty of other less known places on the trail. Indeed, efforts should be made to popularise the saga in the whole region especially in countries such as Thailand, where the Rama - Sita legend is generally known.

Regional journalists should be invited to Sri Lanka and taken on a tour of the most famous Ramayana sites, so that they will give appropriate exposure to these sites in their respective print and electronic media outlets on their return.

Pilgrimage

Now the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) has launched a pilgrimage tour to trace the journey of Lord Rama from Ayodhya to Nuwara Eliya, where Sita was held captive in Sri Lanka. This will be a much needed boost for tourism in Sri Lanka. This is the first time that IRCTC, South Zone has embarked on the Lord Sita-Rama temples circuit.

The 2,200-km tour is divided into two parts: the visit to Sri Lanka is by flight for five days and to Ayodhya by train for 11 days. The tour apparently includes a number of tourist sites which are not connected to the trail.

About 30 pilgrims, aged above 55 years, have participated in the maiden Sri Ramayana Yatra (Sri Lanka) tour, in which six historical temples were showcased. It included Sita temple, Ravana temple and cave, Gayathri Peedam and Bhakta Hanuman temple among others.

The challenge is to get younger travellers also on board, given the romantic nature of the trail and the story itself. An IRCTC official said as they knew of the demand for the Ramayana trip among people in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, they decided to launch a similar circuit from the south zone. This is a positive development which shows that the legend of Ramayana appeals to Indian hearts everywhere.

There should be a joint effort by tourism authorities of both countries to popularise the trail in both countries, in addition to efforts by the transport authorities. The Sri Lanka Railways too should take the cue from its Indian counterpart and promote the Ramayana sites which are accessible by train. ‘Transport and Stay’ packages can be created for the benefit of pilgrims and other travellers who wish to see the Ramayana sites. A colourful brochure should be published giving details of all Ramayana sites in Sri Lanka and India, including transport options.

Blueprint

It is also time that India and Sri Lanka draw a long term blueprint for a road-rail link between the two countries, which in turn will connect Sri Lanka to the rest of Asia, Channel Tunnel-style, with an eye on construction within the next 100 years at least. This will be a major boost for the economies and tourism industries of both countries, since people will be able to use their own vehicles to travel to the other country and also take the rail option. If such a rail link was available today, Indian Railways could have arranged the aforementioned tour entirely by rail. The rail link can be integrated with the proposed Pan Asian Rail Network, a UN initiative to increase connectivity in Asia.

The Indo-Lanka ferry service should be commenced again, perhaps with a more appropriate and economically viable city pair than what was previously scheduled. The most ideal impetus would be visa-free travel between the two countries, but this will take some time given the various security and geopolitical considerations.

In the meantime, air connectivity options between India and Sri Lanka, already at a good level, should be increased further. A lot of Sri Lankans (Buddhists, Hindus and Christians) go on pilgrimages to India annually and airlines in Sri Lanka have responded by introducing direct flights to some of the major pilgrim destinations. Likewise, Sri Lanka’s domestic flight network should be strengthened, given that some of the Ramayana sites are spread far and wide in the island. Domestic operators could coordinate with SriLankan and Mihin to offer convenient inland links to passengers who get off their flights, which will save time, and with an Air Pass system, money.

As the Ramayana legend shows, we have barely scratched the surface of the Indo-Lanka tourism potential. There is a lot more work to be done to popularise these legendary sites in both countries on a regional scale. This should be a well-coordinated effort by the relevant authorities in both countries but it will be well worth the time and the investment. After all, there is no sign yet that people will tire of one of the most moving tales of romance of all time.