Sri Lanka is looking towards its immediate neighbour India to boost its struggling tourism sector. In recent years, Sri Lankans have realised that the Ramayana Circuit can attract many tourists from India, and they are actively promoting it. Seetha Temple (Ashoka Vana) near the British-built hill town of Nuwara Eliya, where Ravana is believed to have kept Sita as his hostage has become a pilgrim centre for tourists from India in recent years.
There are reports of the Sri Lankan government planning to recreate Seetha Trails across the island. Locals believe the rock fortress at Sigiriya in the north-central part of the island was Ravana’s capital. Sri Lankan authorities are also considering allowing Indian tourists to use Indian currency in these circuits.
Developing tourism around Ramayana is new for Sri Lanka because there was no support for such an effort in the past. Many Sri Lankan tour operators are planning to cash in on the newly built Ram temple at Ayodhya to get lakhs of Ram Bhakts in the coming years.
So far, so good.
But there is a big problem. Many Sri Lankans are fine with the Ramayana circuit, but not fine with the depiction of Ravana as a demon king. They argue that Ravana was a great Sri Lankan king who ruled the island about 5,000 years ago and he was a benevolent, innovative ruler, not a demon as depicted in the Ramayana. They feel that just to attract tourists, the Sri Lankan government is turning a blind eye to this, and it could hurt the sentiments of the majority of locals, who consider Ravana a great king. They also believe that Ravana is the world’s first aviator and his Pushpaka Vimana is a reald flying vehicle.
Shashi Dhanatunge, a former Sri Lankan bureaucrat and a historian, is vehemently opposing the depiction of Ravana as a demon king who abducted Sita.
Speaking to News18 from Colombo, Dhanatunge, a former chairman of Ceylon Shipping Corporation and vice chairman of Sri Lanka Aviation Authority, said, “The intention is good to promote tourism, but the way they introduce King Ravana as a ten-headed demon king is pathetic to note and it is unacceptable to any self-respecting Sri Lankan. The Sri Lanka tourism board or the tourism ministry should make necessary arrangements in coordination with the Indian authorities to stop referring to King Ravana as a demon in their efforts to promote tourism and instead discuss the scientific/technological side of advancement during King Ravana’s era and his unique skills in ten (10) different areas.”
Some of his friends also endorse his views. Dhanatunge, who was also CEO of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, says he wants to restore the honour of Ravana in the eyes of the world and the demon king theory of the last 5,000 years has negatively affected Sri Lanka’s international standing.
Well, he may be right and earnest in his efforts. Perhaps he does not know, say observers, that if Ravana is not a ten-headed demon king, there will be no Ramayana. No Indian who believes in the Ramayana would be interested in visiting the Ramayana circuit in that case. If India accepts Dhanatunge and other Sri Lankans’ arguments, there will be no Navaratri, Deepavali and, most importantly, no Ravana Dahan at Ramlila.
Dhanatunge earlier convinced the Sri Lankan government to approve research on “Ravana, the world’s first aviator” and even organised an international conference in Colombo. He claims he has enough material evidence to prove Ravana’s benevolence and scientific temperament.
People hope this won’t become a bone of contention and an international dispute between India and Sri Lanka, who already have several issues.
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