AYODHYA: A delegation from Sri Lanka visited Ayodhya and presented a rock from the epical Ashok Vatika to Ramjanmabhoomi on Thursday. Ashok Vatika was a sprawling garden of the Treta Yug in in the kingdom of Ravan, where Sita was held captive. The garden's present location is believed to be the Hakgala Botanical Garden in Seetha Eliya, an upcountry town in central province of Sri Lanka close to the resort city of Nuwara Eliya.
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Milinda Moragoda, his wife Jennifer Moragoda, deputy high commissioner Niluka Kadrugamuva, ministers in Sri Lankan federal government HGU Pushpa Kumar, GKG Sarath Godakanda, minister counselor and senior principal secretary Deepak Nathani reached Ayodhya and offered the Ashok Vatika stone to the chief priest of Ram temple, Acharya Satyendra Das.
As reported by TOI on March 20, the stone from 'Sita Eliya', where Sita was believed to have been held captive will be used in the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. TOI also reported that the stone is expected to be brought to India by Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda.
There is a temple in Sita Eliya dedicated to Goddess Sita and is said to mark the place where she was held captive and where she regularly prayed to Lord Ram to rescue her. Talking to TOI, Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of Ram temple, said, “The Lankan delegation visited the temple in afternoon and presented the rock in the sanctum sanctorum.”
