This is the fourth post in the series on our trip to Sri Lanka. We were eagerly waiting for that day. We had a train to catch that day to visit the famous Nine Arch bridge. The tickets for the train were already booked by our travel agency. The tickets sell fast, and it is thus necessary to book them beforehand. Before going to the railway station for catching the train, we had to cover a famous temple. Thus, we woke up early, got ready and rushed to the temple.

Seetha Amman Temple:

This temple is one of the most important places related to the Ramayana. As per Ramayana, it is believed that after abducting Goddess Sita, Ravana brought her to this place. She was held captive by him. There is a garden named Hakgala Botanical Garden nearby the temple, believed to be created by Ravana. When abducted by Ravana, Sita refused to enter the Ravana’s palace and chose to stay under an Ashoka tree. So, this garden was created for Goddess Sita. Also, it is believed that Seetha Amman kovil was the place where Lord Hanuman met Sita. He offered her the ring given by Lord Rama. One can also see the footprint of Hanuman at the stream nearby the temple. This is the only Sita temple in the world.

The temple is situated amid lush hills and tea plantations and looks beautiful. The darshan at the temple was quick and there was not much rush in the morning. We skipped the Botanical garden and directly proceeded to the station to catch the train.

Train ride to Nine Arch Bridge:

We were to board our train from the Bandarawela station. The station was around 38 km away from the Seetha Amman kovil. We covered the distance in about one and a half hours. Our train arrived at 10:40 AM and we quickly boarded the train.

It took us around an hour to reach the Nine Arch Bridge in Ella. The train journey to Ella is considered to be one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. Our travel agency booked us tickets in the Calypso train. It had open-roofed observation decks as well as seating arrangements in the vintage style. The train passed through misty hills and tunnels. It provided us with a mesmerizing view of tea plantations, cascading waterfalls and glimpses of local life. The carriage in which we were traveling had two musicians playing guitar and humming tunes of the Calypso music. It had set a vibrant mood and there were many travelers who were rejoicing and dancing to their tunes. Everyone started singing the songs in their own language and seemed to be enjoying the aura. It created a great vibe and energy. The train had a halt at the Nine Arch Bridge where usually a lot of tourists get down. Lot of people reach the bridge by other means also i.e. by road. They usually wait there for the train to arrive so as to fully appreciate the beauty of the bridge. We too got down at the bridge.

Nine Arch Bridge:

It is famously called as the Bridge in the sky. It is one of the most beautiful landmarks of Sri Lanka and is definitely a must visit. The bridge was commissioned in 1921 by the British. It is placed in between the two stations of Ella and Demodara. The bridge stands as a true testament to the colonial-era architecture and signifies sheer engineering genius. It is known as the Nine Arch bridge as it has nine arches supporting the viaduct.

After visiting the Nine arch bridge, we proceeded to our next stop i.e. Ravana waterfall. Tuk-tuks (motor vehicles) are easily available right near the bridge. They are the quickest way to reach the downhill to Ravana falls or Ella town.

Ravana Waterfall:

Also known as Ravana Ella, it is a small and beautiful waterfall situated close to the road. The waterfall is named after Ravana and is linked to the Ramayana. It is believed that Goddess Sita was hidden in the caves situated behind this waterfall. Reaching Ravana caves is no easy task and involves a lot of trekking. We were already exhausted, and the sun was shining bright that day. So, we skipped visiting the Ravana Caves and proceeded with our onward journey.

We reached our hotel by around 16:00 hrs, checked-in and freshened up. After relaxing for a while, we decided to take a stroll around the place. We were in the middle of nowhere. We walked by the Tissa Wewa lake, a stunning spot to watch birds and enjoy boat rides. According to our driver’s suggestion, we later decided to visit the nearby Tissamaharama Vihara.

Tissamaharama Raja Maha Vihara:

It is one of the four major Buddhist monasteries established in Sri Lanka after the visit of Arhant Mahinda. Arhant Mahinda, the son of Ashoka, visited Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC. He visited Sri Lanka as a part of propagating the Buddhist philosophy to different parts of the world. Tissamaharama vihara was established in the southern region. The complex also has a stupa, known as the Tissamaharama stupa. It is the largest stupa in the southern region of the country. The complex is a beautiful and serene location. Nestled between the lush greenery, it offers a sense of calm to the visitors. People visit this place to meditate and spend some time in prayer.

We visited the place and offered our prayers. Later on, we proceeded to our hotel. We had our dinner and rested for the night.

Rest of our journey will be covered in the upcoming posts.

Points to note:

• Place of stay: Rain tree hotel by Oak ray
• Silence is to be maintained at the places of worship or at the place of meditation in Vihara
• Seetha Amman temple timings: 8 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 6:30 PM. Entry to the temple is free.
• Cost of Calypso train tickets: 3000 LKR or 10 USD
• Entry to the Tissamaharama Vihara is free.