Ramayana in Lanka: Hanuman lands in Lanka

Where did Hanuman land in Lanka after he crossed the ocean in search of Sita? What does this sacred place look like today?

Hanuman descended on a peak of Mount Trikuta called Lamba, full of Kethaki flowers, pure water and coconut trees [Valmiki Ramayanam. Sundara Kandam. Chapter 1. 226]

This hill is in today’s Pussallawa area.

I arrived in the vicinity of this area, in Kandy, after a four hour car drive from Colombo. Pussallawa area is about an hour and half further drive from Kandy on A5 Kandy – Nuwara Eliya route.

Hanuman saw flowering trees like Devadaru, Karnikara and date palms. He also saw trees like Priyala, Muchulinda, Kutaja, Ketaka,Priyamgu,Nipa and Saptachchada. He saw trees like flowering Asana, Kovidara and Karavira. There were also many other trees whose branches were bending with loads of leaves, buds and various kinds of birds perching on them… Everywhere there were tanks and water reservoirs harboring swans, water-fowls, various kinds of lotuses and other aquatic flowers. He also saw many lakes surrounded by thickly growing trees as well as attractive flower gardens. [Valmiki Ramayanam. Sundara Kandam. Chpater 2. 9-13.]

The pictures below give a glimpse of the lushness and the variety of flora in this area today. I didn’t venture in to the depths of the hills in this trip. But, the thickness and the variety of vegetation, the sheer breathtaking beauty of the place, the enchanting expansiveness of it all took me readily to the description of Valmiki. Where would have Hanuman landed – I wondered as I looked around

Pussallawa is part of a region the locals call the Hill Country. This region is in the central part of Sri Lanka. It is where several of the Ramayana happenings in Lanka took place.

hill-country