Since the auspicious home-coming of Shri Raam (Deepawali) is nigh, I thought of writing a post on my favorite Lord. As recognized by the Supreme Court of India, the existence of Shri Raam can not be decided only by historical or scientific evidence, it is a matter of faith to millions of people.
Yet, it is my effort in this post to analyze the historical and literary evidence pertaining to Lord Raam just as we did in the post on Lord Krishna {Krishna - The Historical Enigma}.
The primary source of the life and journey of Shri Raam is the epic Ramayana composed by Maharishi Valmiki. The learned sage wanted to write an epic that would serve as an inspiration for generations to come, and highlight the ideals of human behavior in different roles assigned to him by the society.
Devarishi Narad, the spiritual mendicant of the Heavens, guided Valmiki and suggested that he should write about the life and times of Shri Raam, the doyen of the Suryavanshi clan and the most beneficient ruler the land had ever seen. This acknowledgement is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan itself and is our first suggestion that the story was based on an actual historical figure.
The Ramayan itself declares that it belongs to the genre of Itihasa (History) and the only other two sacred books in that genre are the Mahabharat and the Harivamsha.
Yet, it is my effort in this post to analyze the historical and literary evidence pertaining to Lord Raam just as we did in the post on Lord Krishna {Krishna - The Historical Enigma}.
The primary source of the life and journey of Shri Raam is the epic Ramayana composed by Maharishi Valmiki. The learned sage wanted to write an epic that would serve as an inspiration for generations to come, and highlight the ideals of human behavior in different roles assigned to him by the society.
Devarishi Narad, the spiritual mendicant of the Heavens, guided Valmiki and suggested that he should write about the life and times of Shri Raam, the doyen of the Suryavanshi clan and the most beneficient ruler the land had ever seen. This acknowledgement is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan itself and is our first suggestion that the story was based on an actual historical figure.
The Ramayan itself declares that it belongs to the genre of Itihasa (History) and the only other two sacred books in that genre are the Mahabharat and the Harivamsha.
Literary Evidence for Rama
Besides Valmiki Ramayan (4th century BCE), other scriptures also attest to Shri Raam's existence. The Vishnu Puraan declares Rama as Lord Vishnu's seventh incarnation, and the Bhagavat Puraan, recounts the story of Lord Rama in the 9th Skanda.
Mahabharat mentions the story of Rama in the Aranyak Parva, Dron Parva and theRaam-opakhyan where its is narrated to the eldest Pandav, Yuddhishthir. The Rama Avatar is also mentioned in the Harivansh and the Agni Puraan.
Not only Hindu literature, Buddhist and Jain texts also record the story of Rama and mention it in their own respective styles.
In Buddhism, Ramayan is present in the form of Dasarath Jatak, Dasrath Kathanakand Anamak Jatak, the first of which was composed in the 2nd century BCE. This version talks of Rama and Sita as siblings (which is a common symbolic imagery in early Buddhist literature to denote purity of a dynasty).
In Jain literature, Ramayan exists as the Padma Charita, Charitra Puran, Padmachariyam etc. where, Rama, Lakshman and Ravan represent the Baladev, Vasudev and Prati-vasudev concepts of Jain mythology respectively. Keepin with the Jain tradition of non-violence, it is Lakshman who kills Ravan and due to the use of violence, both go to hell while Rama (known as Padma) goes back to heaven.
All this literature from unrelated sources chronicling the life of Rama can not be false or fake.! There has to be some reason that all these diverse traditions decided to write about Shri Raam and share His life story!
However, even though we have a lot of literary evidence, archaeology will not be able to help us in our endeavor unlike the Krishna post {Krishna - The Historical Enigma}, and the reason for that will be clear soon enough!
The following excerpts from different scriptures declare the time of arrival of the 7th Avatar of Vishnu on our Planet:
Chaturvinshe yuge vats tretayaam raghuvanshaje |
Ramo naam bhavishyami chaturvhayu sanatane ||
On the basis of the given references it can be inferred that Shri Raam lived in the 24th Treta Yuga. The Mahabharat further elaborates that Shri Raam lived during the juncture of the Treta and the Dvapar Yugs:
Sandho tu samanupraptre tretayaam dwaparisya cha |
Ramo daasrathirbhutva bhavishami jagatpati ||
Now this is ground-breaking information people and I will tell you why! We are currently in the Kaliyuga of the 28th YUGA CYCLE of the 51 st Day of Brahma. Hence Lord Rama was born not just Two Yugas ago but TWO YUGAS plus THREE CHATUR-YUGAS before present!!
This is why digging for archaeological data to corroborate the existence of Shri Raam would be futile. There is no way we could find any man-made artifacts after a period of millions of years!
For the same reason, the date of 5114 BCE as the birth year of Shri Raam can not be correct. Even though the dates were arrived at through a thorough analysis of Lord Rama's birth charts and have a very sound basis but based on what the scriptures say we have to make a correction in them.
The analysis by Pushkar Bhatnagar has shown that there did exist a certain point in time when the planetary configuration mentioned at the time of Lord Rama's birth did indeed exist and thus, has shown us that the numerous astrological references in the Ramayan are not imaginary but refer to actual points in time.
A solution to the apparent mismatch of dates can be found if we realize that because of a phenomenon known as the 'Precession of Equinoxes', the stars regain same positions every 26,000 years! Hence, this particular permutation of stars could have belonged to 5114 BCE + 26,000 or the similar period before that or the one before etc.. and this resolves the contradiction as the scriptures put Shri Raam's period around 18 million years ago!
What is amazing is that even today the places related to Lord Rama, the stories, the Geographical co-ordinates of the cities mentioned etc. are still remembered in the Hindu tradition! Therefore, what we can still do is track and analyze this GEOGRAPHICAL evidence in the literary masterpiece of Ramayan and find out if they help us in our cause.
This is another point that puts us in a time frame closer to what the scriptures say. Let us now see what geographical evidence we can glean out of the masterpiece of Valmiki Ramayan that forms the foundation of cultural traditions right from India to the Far East.
The Millenia old Epic Battle between the Forces of God and Evil
{Image courtesy - Grant Morrison's 18 Days}
Not only Hindu literature, Buddhist and Jain texts also record the story of Rama and mention it in their own respective styles.
In Buddhism, Ramayan is present in the form of Dasarath Jatak, Dasrath Kathanakand Anamak Jatak, the first of which was composed in the 2nd century BCE. This version talks of Rama and Sita as siblings (which is a common symbolic imagery in early Buddhist literature to denote purity of a dynasty).
In Jain literature, Ramayan exists as the Padma Charita, Charitra Puran, Padmachariyam etc. where, Rama, Lakshman and Ravan represent the Baladev, Vasudev and Prati-vasudev concepts of Jain mythology respectively. Keepin with the Jain tradition of non-violence, it is Lakshman who kills Ravan and due to the use of violence, both go to hell while Rama (known as Padma) goes back to heaven.
All this literature from unrelated sources chronicling the life of Rama can not be false or fake.! There has to be some reason that all these diverse traditions decided to write about Shri Raam and share His life story!
However, even though we have a lot of literary evidence, archaeology will not be able to help us in our endeavor unlike the Krishna post {Krishna - The Historical Enigma}, and the reason for that will be clear soon enough!
The following excerpts from different scriptures declare the time of arrival of the 7th Avatar of Vishnu on our Planet:
Treta yuge chaturvinshe ravane tapseh shakshyat |
Ram dashrtathi prapiye sagane shakyamiyeewan ||
Ram dashrtathi prapiye sagane shakyamiyeewan ||
[Vayu Puraan 70.88]
Chaturvinshe yuge chapi vishwamitra pure sare |
Loke ram iti khyate tejsah bhaskaropam ||
Loke ram iti khyate tejsah bhaskaropam ||
[Harivansh 22.104]
Chaturvinshe yuge vats tretayaam raghuvanshaje |
Ramo naam bhavishyami chaturvhayu sanatane ||
[Brahmand Puraan 2.2.36.30]
On the basis of the given references it can be inferred that Shri Raam lived in the 24th Treta Yuga. The Mahabharat further elaborates that Shri Raam lived during the juncture of the Treta and the Dvapar Yugs:
Sandho tu samanupraptre tretayaam dwaparisya cha |
Ramo daasrathirbhutva bhavishami jagatpati ||
[Mahabharat 348.19]
Now this is ground-breaking information people and I will tell you why! We are currently in the Kaliyuga of the 28th YUGA CYCLE of the 51 st Day of Brahma. Hence Lord Rama was born not just Two Yugas ago but TWO YUGAS plus THREE CHATUR-YUGAS before present!!
This is why digging for archaeological data to corroborate the existence of Shri Raam would be futile. There is no way we could find any man-made artifacts after a period of millions of years!
For the same reason, the date of 5114 BCE as the birth year of Shri Raam can not be correct. Even though the dates were arrived at through a thorough analysis of Lord Rama's birth charts and have a very sound basis but based on what the scriptures say we have to make a correction in them.
The analysis by Pushkar Bhatnagar has shown that there did exist a certain point in time when the planetary configuration mentioned at the time of Lord Rama's birth did indeed exist and thus, has shown us that the numerous astrological references in the Ramayan are not imaginary but refer to actual points in time.
Stars at the time of Lord Rama's birth
A solution to the apparent mismatch of dates can be found if we realize that because of a phenomenon known as the 'Precession of Equinoxes', the stars regain same positions every 26,000 years! Hence, this particular permutation of stars could have belonged to 5114 BCE + 26,000 or the similar period before that or the one before etc.. and this resolves the contradiction as the scriptures put Shri Raam's period around 18 million years ago!
What is amazing is that even today the places related to Lord Rama, the stories, the Geographical co-ordinates of the cities mentioned etc. are still remembered in the Hindu tradition! Therefore, what we can still do is track and analyze this GEOGRAPHICAL evidence in the literary masterpiece of Ramayan and find out if they help us in our cause.
Ramayan - The Adi-kavya
Numerous versions of Ramayan exist throughout the length and the breadth of the country and even outside its boundaries but the oldest of these is the Valmiki Ramayan. Within the Indian sub-continent, chronologically, we have many versions but we will stick to the original as it is the most ancient and accurate one.
The Sundar Kanda [4.27.12] of Valmiki Ramayan, Hanuman sees FOUR-TUSKED elephants guarding the palaces of Ravan. Similar account is given by Trijata, the ogress guarding Sita ji in Chapter 27 when she dreams of Lord Rama coming to Sita's rescue riding an elephant high as a hill and bearing four-tusks!!
Fossil remains show that there were many steps in the evolution of modern elephant and around 20 million years ago, there existed four-tusked ancestors of elephants in various shapes and sizes such as Trilophodon, Tetralophodon, Gomphotherium etc!
How in the world could Rishi Valmiki have known about the four-tusked ancestors of the modern elephant unless he had seen them himself???
The Sundar Kanda [4.27.12] of Valmiki Ramayan, Hanuman sees FOUR-TUSKED elephants guarding the palaces of Ravan. Similar account is given by Trijata, the ogress guarding Sita ji in Chapter 27 when she dreams of Lord Rama coming to Sita's rescue riding an elephant high as a hill and bearing four-tusks!!
Fossil remains show that there were many steps in the evolution of modern elephant and around 20 million years ago, there existed four-tusked ancestors of elephants in various shapes and sizes such as Trilophodon, Tetralophodon, Gomphotherium etc!
How in the world could Rishi Valmiki have known about the four-tusked ancestors of the modern elephant unless he had seen them himself???
Four-tusked elephants mentioned in Valmiki Ramayan lived millions of years ago!
This is another point that puts us in a time frame closer to what the scriptures say. Let us now see what geographical evidence we can glean out of the masterpiece of Valmiki Ramayan that forms the foundation of cultural traditions right from India to the Far East.
Geographical Evidence from Valmiki Ramayan
The title Ramayan (Travels of Rama) itself indicates a Geographical journey. The story begins in Ayodhya (The Unconquerable City), the center of power for the ruling Suryavanshi/Solar Dynasty kings.
Shri Raam's mother Kaushalya was from the kingdom called Koshala, which corresponds to Chattisgarh of today. Sumitra was from Magadh (Bihar) while Kaikeyi was from Kaikeya which is today's Waziristan. The journey of Lord Rama to recover Sita ji covers the length and breadth of the country and Valmiki Ramayan is extremely correct Geographically.
Major Kingdoms of the sub-continent in Ramayan Times
The authenticity of Geography right from Gandhar to Sri Lanka can not be the result of imagination! Before being judgmental, we should remember that this was in a time when the modern means of transport/communication/internet etc. were not available.
It has to be based on actual witnessing of these places by either the author or the one narrating the story to him, who in this case was Devarishi Narad.
Sites within India
Let us begin with Shri Raam's birthplace Ayodhya which although in dispute because of the political battle centered around it, can still yield a lot of information.
To begin with, we have to answer the million dollar question - did an ancient temple exist at the disputed site in Ayodhya? Indeed, before the demolition of Babri Masjid, there had been excavations around the temple precinct which gave indications of not one but many older temple foundations existing there.
The Imperial Gazetteer of Faizabad (1881) confirms the construction of three Moghul mosques at Ayodhya on the site of three celebrated shrines: Janmasthan, Swargadwarand Treta-ka-Thakur. Archaeological Survey of India tells us that Mir Khan (on Babar's orders) built the mosque at Janmasthan using many of its columns. The other two mosques were built later by Aurangzeb who was one step ahead of Babar in his zealotry.
From 1975 to 1980, the Archaeological Survey of India had under the guidance of Prof. B.B. Lal, unearthed (literally) as many as 20 black stone pillars, 16 of which formed the base of the 'Janmasthan Masjid' as it was called colloquially even then. The pillars were much bigger in size than those of the mosque and clearly belonged to a much more grand structure.
Check out the man on the left as reference for the size of the pillars
On further stratigraphic and other evidence, Prof. Lal also found a door-jamb carved with Hindu icons and decorative motifs of yakshas, yakshis, kirtimukhas, purnaghattas, double lotus flowers etc.
Excavation was resumed on July 2, 1992 by S.P. Gupta, Y.D. Sharma, K.M. Srivastava and other senior archaeologists barely six months before the demolition. Prof. Lal's southern trenches had missed a huge pit with 40 and odd sculptures just by 10 to 12 feet discovered by the team even though he DID get the pillar bases which others did not get later.
Excavations at Ram Janmabhoomi Sthal
The team found artifacts ranging from the 1st through the 12th century CE! These findings included religious sculpture, terracotta images from the Kushan period (100-300 CE) and a statue of Lord Vishnu. They concluded that these and other fragments such as the amakalas, or the cogged-wheel crown of the spire belonged to a temple of the North Indian Nagara style of Temple architecture (900-1200 CE).
The most important finding is what is known as the Hari-Vishnu Inscription written in 12th century CE Devanagari script. Line 15 of this inscription clearly tells us that -
A beautiful temple of Vishnu-Hari, was built with heaps of stones and beautified with a golden spire unparalleled by any other temple built by earlier kings... This wonderful temple was built in the temple-city of Ayodhya situated in Saketamandala.
Line 19 describes god Vishnu as destroying king Bali and the ten headed Dashanan, i.e., Ravan.
Hari-Vishnu Inscription from Babri Masjid excavation
Archaeology records at least two destructions: the FIRST in the 12th-13th century; the SECOND in the 16th. This agrees well with history and tradition that temple destructions followed the Ghori invasions (after 1192 AD) and again in 1528 by Babar who replaced temples at major Hindu pilgrimage sites with mosques.
Moving on, Sita ji was discovered by Janak in Mithila which now lies in Nepal. It forms a region shared by both India and Nepal and gives birth to the language known asMaithili. The place where the Goddess was found by Raja Janak in a furrow is known asSitamarhi, and is still revered along with the nearby pond called the Janaki kund.
After their wedding, Shri Raam and Sita ji left for Ayodhya via Lumbini where we have an Ashoka Pillar from 249 BCE, with an inscription referring to the visits by both Rama and Buddha to Lumbini.
When they were exiled, Lord Rama, Lakshman and Sita went to Shringverpur in Uttar Pradesh where they crossed the River Ganga. They lived on the Chitrakut hill where Bharat met and pleaded for their return. Thereafter, the three wandered throughDandakaranya in Central India, described as a land of Rakshasas and tribals.
After spending some time there, they reached Nashik, near river Godavari, and the region throbs with sites related to the three Ayodhya-vasis. There is the place where they built their cottage known as Tapovan; Ramkund where Rama and Sita used to bathe, Lakshmankund, for the younger brother's bathing area, and several other caves associated with their lives in the forest.
Moving on, Sita ji was discovered by Janak in Mithila which now lies in Nepal. It forms a region shared by both India and Nepal and gives birth to the language known asMaithili. The place where the Goddess was found by Raja Janak in a furrow is known asSitamarhi, and is still revered along with the nearby pond called the Janaki kund.
After their wedding, Shri Raam and Sita ji left for Ayodhya via Lumbini where we have an Ashoka Pillar from 249 BCE, with an inscription referring to the visits by both Rama and Buddha to Lumbini.
When they were exiled, Lord Rama, Lakshman and Sita went to Shringverpur in Uttar Pradesh where they crossed the River Ganga. They lived on the Chitrakut hill where Bharat met and pleaded for their return. Thereafter, the three wandered throughDandakaranya in Central India, described as a land of Rakshasas and tribals.
The Journey of Lord Rama
Shri Raam, Lakshman and Sita ji inTapovan
The three then moved to Panchavati, from where Ravan, with the help of his uncleMareech, was successful in abducting Sita ji. On the way to Lanka from Panchvati, Ravan was attacked by Jatayu but died a martyr's death. Sita ji dropped her valuables all along the way that were gathered by the Vanars below.
Shri Raam and Lakshman then reached Kishkindha, near modern Hampi, where they first met Hanuman and then Sugriv, the exiled King of the Vanars. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Sugriv is described to have lived at Mount Rishyamukha on the banks of river Pampa (Tungabhadra). Anjanadri, near Hospet, is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman (Anjaneya).
Shri Raam and Lakshman then reached Kishkindha, near modern Hampi, where they first met Hanuman and then Sugriv, the exiled King of the Vanars. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Sugriv is described to have lived at Mount Rishyamukha on the banks of river Pampa (Tungabhadra). Anjanadri, near Hospet, is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Hanuman (Anjaneya).
Kishkindha, modern Hampi
The Vanar army led by Shri Raam, Sugreev, and Jambvant then reached Rameshwaram, where they built a bridge to Lanka from Dhanushkodi on the Rameshwaram Island toTalaimannar in Sri Lanka. While parts of the RAMA-SETU are still visible, NASA had in the early part of this millenium photographed an underwater man-made bridge of shoals in the Palk Straits, connecting India to Lanka.
The existence of Rama Setu had already been confirmed by several foreign travelers including the Venetian traveller Marco Polo (1254-1324), and British cartographers who prepared maps of the area in 1747, 1788 and 1804.
The then Manual of the Administration of Madras Presidency mentions both the namesAdam’s Bridge and Rama Setu. It also says that the Setu was used for pedestrian traffic between India and Sri Lanka right until 1480 when a major cyclone destroyed it!!
Let us now shift our focus to Lanka and try to find out whether there is any geographical location matching with the descriptions in Valmiki Ramayan.
Once Ravan had captured Sita ji, he brought her to the place today known asWeragantota in Lanka close to Mahiyangana town; and surprise surprise the meaning of this name in the Sinhalese language is a 'landing place for aircrafts'!!
According to the depiction of Pushpak Viman (which Ravan had snatched from his half-brother Kuber), it resembled a huge peacock. In Sinhala it is called the Dhandu Monara(flying peacock) and it is believed that Ravan had an aircraft repair center atGurulupotha where Sita ji was first brought and quite fittingly, the name means "parts of birds". Right next to it is the Sita Kottuwa jungle in which once stood the city of Lankapura.
Ashok Vatika is the garden where Ravan is supposed to have held Sita ji captive and this is in the area of Sita Eliya, close to the popular hill station Nuwara Eliya. The Sita Pokuna is a barren area atop the Hakgala Rock Jungle where Sita ji was kept captive and the Sita Amman Kovil (Temple) is located here.
About 50 Km from here is the Divrumpola Temple which is thought to be the place where Sita ji performed her ‘Agni Pariksha’. the name means 'a place for making a vow'and is seen inscribed in the moonstone guarding the Temple.
The summit of the mountain next to the Frotoft Tea Estate in Pussallawa is the place where Hanuman is believed to have first set his foot on Lanka! This mountain known asPawala Malai stands between Ravan’s capital city and the Ashok Vatika.
The Sita tear pond is found en route by the chariot route, and is believed to have been formed by the tears of Sita devi. VThe forest is also colored with the famed Sita Flowerswhich are endemic to this area. The peculiarity of these flowers is the configuration of the petal’s, stamen and pistils, which resemble a human figure carrying a bow, and is said to represent Lord Rama.
_flower_buds_&_flowers_in_Kolkata_W_IMG_3449.jpg)
Ella, a small mountain near Bandarawela, boasts of three locations linked to the Ramayan where, local legend dictates, Ravana hid Sita. First there is the Ravana Ella Cave situated in the massive Ella Rock. Then there is Ravana Ella Falls and a nearby pool bored out of the rock by the gushing waters. The tunnels in the Ravan cave believed to have served as a quick means of transport through the hills and also as secret passages.
The Kelani River is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan and Vibhishan’s palace was said to be on the banks of this river. Vibhishan is still considered one of the four guardian deities of Sri Lanka, and temples for Vibishan are found throughout Sri Lanka unlike that of Ravan.
There are many more spots connected to the Legend of Shri Raam and a complete list can be found at the following link - {Ramayana_sites_in_sri_lanka}.
The Lord of Lanka, Ravan, even though a mighty warrior, a learned pandit, the master of Three Worlds, the posessor of Amrit, was ultimately defeated by the hands of Shri Raam because in his hubris, he desired what belonged to the Supreme Lord Vishnu Himself.
He sacrificed the lives of his brother, his sons and his entire army just to pander to his ego. Despite all his knowledge and erudition, he was not able to get a grip on his desires and lust which ultimately led to his downfall.
Shri Rama Setu connecting Shri Lanka to the Indian mainland
The existence of Rama Setu had already been confirmed by several foreign travelers including the Venetian traveller Marco Polo (1254-1324), and British cartographers who prepared maps of the area in 1747, 1788 and 1804.
The then Manual of the Administration of Madras Presidency mentions both the namesAdam’s Bridge and Rama Setu. It also says that the Setu was used for pedestrian traffic between India and Sri Lanka right until 1480 when a major cyclone destroyed it!!
The Bridge of Rama
Let us now shift our focus to Lanka and try to find out whether there is any geographical location matching with the descriptions in Valmiki Ramayan.
Sites in Sri Lanka
Once Ravan had captured Sita ji, he brought her to the place today known asWeragantota in Lanka close to Mahiyangana town; and surprise surprise the meaning of this name in the Sinhalese language is a 'landing place for aircrafts'!!
According to the depiction of Pushpak Viman (which Ravan had snatched from his half-brother Kuber), it resembled a huge peacock. In Sinhala it is called the Dhandu Monara(flying peacock) and it is believed that Ravan had an aircraft repair center atGurulupotha where Sita ji was first brought and quite fittingly, the name means "parts of birds". Right next to it is the Sita Kottuwa jungle in which once stood the city of Lankapura.
Ramayan sites in Sri Lanka
The Sita Amman Temple near Nuwara Eliya
About 50 Km from here is the Divrumpola Temple which is thought to be the place where Sita ji performed her ‘Agni Pariksha’. the name means 'a place for making a vow'and is seen inscribed in the moonstone guarding the Temple.
The summit of the mountain next to the Frotoft Tea Estate in Pussallawa is the place where Hanuman is believed to have first set his foot on Lanka! This mountain known asPawala Malai stands between Ravan’s capital city and the Ashok Vatika.
The Sita tear pond is found en route by the chariot route, and is believed to have been formed by the tears of Sita devi. VThe forest is also colored with the famed Sita Flowerswhich are endemic to this area. The peculiarity of these flowers is the configuration of the petal’s, stamen and pistils, which resemble a human figure carrying a bow, and is said to represent Lord Rama.
Sita flowers
_flower_buds_&_flowers_in_Kolkata_W_IMG_3449.jpg)
Ella, a small mountain near Bandarawela, boasts of three locations linked to the Ramayan where, local legend dictates, Ravana hid Sita. First there is the Ravana Ella Cave situated in the massive Ella Rock. Then there is Ravana Ella Falls and a nearby pool bored out of the rock by the gushing waters. The tunnels in the Ravan cave believed to have served as a quick means of transport through the hills and also as secret passages.
Ravana Falls in Lanka
The Kelani River is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan and Vibhishan’s palace was said to be on the banks of this river. Vibhishan is still considered one of the four guardian deities of Sri Lanka, and temples for Vibishan are found throughout Sri Lanka unlike that of Ravan.
There are many more spots connected to the Legend of Shri Raam and a complete list can be found at the following link - {Ramayana_sites_in_sri_lanka}.
The Lord of Lanka, Ravan, even though a mighty warrior, a learned pandit, the master of Three Worlds, the posessor of Amrit, was ultimately defeated by the hands of Shri Raam because in his hubris, he desired what belonged to the Supreme Lord Vishnu Himself.
He sacrificed the lives of his brother, his sons and his entire army just to pander to his ego. Despite all his knowledge and erudition, he was not able to get a grip on his desires and lust which ultimately led to his downfall.
Lord Rama ready to unleash the final arrow on Ravan
{Image courtesy - Ramayana 3392 A.D.}
