Gayathri Temple (Nuwara Eliya)
Photo credit: Google Street View Sri Gayathri Peedam , also known as Gayatri Kovil or Sri Lankatheeswarar Temple (Sinhala: නුවර එළිය ගයත්රී කෝවිල) is a Hindu temple situated near Nuwara Eliya town, Sri Lanka. It is dedicated to Goddess Gayatri, one of the deities in the Hindu pantheon. According to the Skanda Purana, Gayatri is another name of Saraswati and is the consort of Brahma. Established in 1992, this temple is considered the first Gayatri Kovil in the country (Abeyawardana, 2004). However, without any archaeological or historical evidence, this temple is presently promoted by some locals and tourist agencies as a sacred place related to the Indian epic Ramayanaya. According to them, during the mega battle, Meghanatha (or Indrajith), the son of King Ravana in order to defeat Indra decided to conduct an auspicious at Nikumbhila Chaitya for an assured victory but he couldn't do it as his plan was disrupted by Lakshmana. The Nikumbila Chaitya mentioned in this story, according t…
