Inauguration of Meditation Hall at Seetha Amman temple

Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism of Sri Lanka, and Santhosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, inaugurated the Ashok Vatika Meditation Centre at the Sita Temple (Seetha Eliya) in Nuwara Eliya.

The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Professor Ruwan Ranasinghe, the Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Madhura Senevirathna, and Member of Parliament Dr. V. S. Radhakrishnan. Hundreds of devotees from both India and Sri Lanka, as well as community leaders, also joined the event.

The Ashok Vatika Anushree Meditation Centre is a space dedicated to meditation and spiritual well-being, funded by private donations from devotees in New Delhi, India.

During his address, High Commissioner Jha emphasised the gesture of spiritual service as a reaffirmation of the strong people-to-people linkages between the two countries.

He also highlighted the immense untapped tourism potential of the temple and the need for further efforts to improve infrastructure to attract pilgrim-tourists, particularly from India.

This commitment was further solidified during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, when he announced India’s support for expanding the Seetha Amman temple’s infrastructure.

In addition to announcements supporting the development of a Sacred City Complex project in Anuradhapura and the expansion of the Thirukoneswaram Temple in Trincomalee, India also announced initiatives to strengthen civilisational bonds between the two countries. These initiatives demonstrate India’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, which will provide a boost to the Sri Lankan economy.