The pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, is a land of great beauty and is culturally intricately linked to India. Therefore, the presence of temples in Sri Lanka is nothing new.
However, some temples transcend their religious significance and become places of beauty and tranquillity. And the Bhakta Hanuman Temple in Ramboda is certainly among them.
Also Read | Romance, art and adventure: Exploring Abu Dhabi through Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone’s eyes
Travel and lifestyle vlogger Shenaz Treasurywala decided to spend Holi 2026 on the island nation, where she climbed a misty hill to reach the temple at the summit. Taking to Instagram on March 3, she shared a video of her experience at the location.
The architecture of the temple radiated simplicity, barring the intricately carved doorways. It was the natural beauty that surrounded it that created the epic aura, with the hills appearing lush green with both forests and tea plantations, a lake glistening in the distance, and the sunset painting the sky with vibrant hues.
Inside the temple stands an 18-foot-long Hanuman statue, which is the tallest statue of the deity in the country.
Cultural significance of the temple
According to Treasurywala, the valley of Ramboda finds mention in the epic Ramayana, and is considered to be the place where Hanuman first set foot on the island when he arrived by himself in search of Ram’s wife, Sita. It is also believed to be the place where he rested before continuing with his search.
A few kilometres away from the Hanuman temple is the Seetha Amman Temple, shared the vlogger in the caption of her post. There, a stream flows where Sita supposedly prayed every day.
On the rocks beside the stream, the locals believe that there are the footprints of Hanuman from when he met Sita and gave her her husband’s ring, which he had been carrying as proof that he was a true messenger.
There are other links to the epic as well. The Tamil word for Ramboda, Rampadai, means “Rama’s force,” as per the Ceylon Expeditions website. It is thus believed that it is the place where Rama collected his troops before the mythical battle with the ruler of Lanka, Ravana.
When was the Hanuman temple built?
The Bhakta Hanuman Temple in Ramboda is a fairly recent construction, according to the Ceylon Expeditions website. It was built in 1999 by Chinmaya Mission of Sri Lanka.
It is located 30km north of Nuwara Eliya, the gateway to the tea country hill station of Sri Lanka. It falls within the Nanu Oya train station, from where one can avail a cab to reach the destination.
