Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya, which literally means the city of lights does not have the same kind of historical and cultural affinity with Sri Lanka as does Anuradhapura and Kataragama.  It has entered the country’s imagination in much more recent times. 

Nuwara Eliya initially rose to prominence in the British colonial period as a site for the plantation economy focused on tea and became Sri Lanka’s best known hill station.  It was a hub of economic activity in the colonial economy and also a site of leisure for the colonial elites.  Often known as ‘Little England’ due to its architecture, the colonial period focus on tea, agriculture and leisure continues in post-colonial times. It is also a multi-religious site consisting of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians in significant numbers.

Beyond these considerations which play a significant role in its heritage and economic persona, mythology also plays a crucial role in the city’s recent reinvention.  Sita Eliya and other locations close to Nuwara Eliya such as Hakgala Botanical Garden are associated with the Sanskrit epic Ramayana as places where Queen Sita was held captive by Ravana.  These have now identified Nuwara Eliya and its environs as part of new heritage and pilgrim cycle known as the Ramayana Circuit catering almost exclusively to Indian tourists and pilgrims. This also forms a fascinating link to the brief fieldwork that Pooja Kalita also conducted at Unuwatuna which is believed to have an intricate relationship to the Ramyana.