The Ashok Vatika Meditation Centre in Sita Temple (Seetha Eliya) in Nuwara Eliya was inaugurated yesterday by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath and Indian High Commissioner Santhosh Jha. The inauguration ceremony saw the participation of Deputy Minister of Tourism Prof Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Madhura Senevirathna, MP Dr VS Radhakrishnan, community leaders as well as hundred of devotees from both India and Sri Lanka.
The Ashok Vatika Anushree Meditation Centre, a space dedicated to meditation and spiritual well-being, has been funded through private donations made by devotees from New Delhi, India. High Commissioner, during his address at the event, underlined their gesture of spiritual service as yet another reaffirmation of the strong people-to-people linkages between the two countries. Highlighting the immense untapped tourism potential of the temple, High Commissioner emphasised the need for further efforts to improve infrastructure in order to attract pilgrim-tourists, particularly from India.
During the recent visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka in April 2025, he had announced India’s commitment to support the expansion of the infrastructure of the Seetha Amman temple. This was in addition to announcements made to support the development of a Sacred City Complex project in Anuradhapura and the expansion of the Thirukoneswaram Temple in Trincomalee. These initiatives not only demonstrate civilizational bonds between India and Sri Lanka, but also underline India’s commitment to support the tourism industry of Sri Lanka, in turn providing a fillip to the economy.
