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The ―Ramayana Trail‖
of the Tourist Board
False Archaeology:
Threatens Sovereignty
Susantha Goonatilake
"Ramayana Trail"
The Archaeology Department has strict
rules and laws against the destruction of
archaeological sites; however there are no
laws for the opposite - creation of bogus
sites and artefacts.
The so-called "Ramayana Trail" of the Sri
Lanka Tourism Development Authority is
an invention of sites.
A series of fictional archaeological
sites
The tourism authorities have a committee titled the "Ramayana Trail Executive‖, chaired by one Mr. Kiriella, an unknown among academics.
The link of the Tourist Board ―ramayana research" gives the fiction. And a series of videos on the internet titled ―Following the Trail of Ramayana in Sri Lanka‖ adds a further series of fictional sites.
The RASSL had an internal
workshop
The Royal Asiatic Society RASSL had an
internal workshop of experts which found
that the sites were fiction.
We invited Tourist Authority ―experts‖ but
they did not come
"Ramayana Trail― "experts"
We could not find any prior formal academic
background in Sanskrit, archaeology,
history, Sinhalese, Pali studies and related
subjects, essential to researching a historical
"Ramayana Trail― for their prime "expert"
Kiriella,
His other expert Subash Chawla is the
owner of a shop in the Pettah
Ravana discovers missiles and
bombs including nuclear bombs
Kiriella says that Ravana was the first to
discover missiles and bombs including
nuclear bombs.
He claims that there are cave inscriptions of
Ravana and of his dynasty in Sri Lanka
which have been explored by the Ministry of
Tourism's Ramayana Trail Executive
Committee.
Kiriella claims
Kiriella claims that Ravana "ruled over
seven continents from Lanka.
―They were modern South America,
Southern Europe; Himalaya including the
Hindukush mountain range and continents
up to Madagascar.‖
Two caves alongside in Vessagiriya
Their experts say ―There is historical
evidence inscribed on rocks that the
indigenous populace in Sri Lanka used a
developed alphabet since 17,500 BCE."
They further inform us that there are indeed
―two caves alongside in Vessagiriya,
Anuradhapura is in accordance with
Ramayana".
They say ….
Inscriptions at ―Man and Horse‖ celebrated
sculpture confirm Ramayana.
Three inscriptions at "Wegiriya, Molagoda,
and Rahalagala confirm Ramayana
Kiriella says in Sigiriya, there is "an
inscription [which] confirms that Seetha was
held in captivity" there.
―Expert" on inscriptions
- a lorry driver
The "expert" on inscriptions seems to be
one Jayarathne Pathiraarchchi.
We have been informed that he is a lorry
driver –
Dr Malini Dias former Archaeology
Department epigraphist had inormed
Pathiraarchchi that his interpretations are
wrong.
Seetha Amman Kovil
Kiriella says the Seetha Amman Kovil
located 7 kms from Nuwara Eliya is further
evidence
It was however built by Tamil estate
laborers who came to the country only in the
19th century
Excavated by "Shiran (sic)
Deraniyagala"
Kiriella asserts that Ravana Ella Cave was
excavated by "Shiran (sic) Deraniyagala"
and the latter found pre-historic relics,
implying that these were related to the
Ramayana myth.
Kiriella declares a natural formation, the
giant monolith Lakegala, as an abode of
Ravana.
Kiriella and NASA photographs
Kiriella claims that NASA photographs give
evidence to the existence of a bridge
between Sri Lanka and India.
The experts go on to claim that the
Americans have "even tested a prototype of
the Pushpaka, and succeeded ", Pushpaka
being the alleged flying machine of Ravana.
The ―experts‖ even "discover" Air-
Ship-Port
The experts even "discover" ―Wariyapola‖
as the ―Air-Ship-Port‖ (Waa=air) with
Ussangoda a place for landing aircraft.
Further truly earthshaking "evidence" is
found in the tourist board websites.
Sri Lanka government approves
Ravana as part of their history
Other commentators have taken this Hindu
fundamentalist fiction
Thus an Indian Hindu fundamentalist
article says ―Sri Lanka government approves
Ravana a part of their history in an article,
―Ravan's coffin available - Pushpak Viman"
Coffin of Ravana
Hindu extremists scold Indian
authorities
The coffin of Ravana is "expected to be
available in a coffin in an inaccessible cave".
The "aeroplane" Pushpak Viman is
available and that "five airports used by
Ravana".
After listing further findings by our Sri
Lanka "experts", these Hindus scold the
less enlightened Indian authorities and
experts for considering the Ramayana as
myth.
India‘s leading Universities:
Ramayana not history
India‘s leading Universities Jawaharlal
Nehru University JNU and Delhi University
do not consider Ramayana as history
―The Battle Over Ramayana in Delhi
University History Course‖ (document)
Judgments by Indian authorities
These judgments by Indian authorities and
academics on the Ramayana being
nonfactual but a good story, were
subsequent to the demolition in the early
1990s of the Babri mosque in India claiming
it to be the birthplace of Rama.
Indian authorities have dismissed that there
was a bridge between India and Sri Lanka.
Hindu Extremists protest proposed
dismantling of mythological Ram
Setu.
Shiv Sena and VHP protest against
Indian Government‘s decision to
destroy Ram Setu
Hindu extremists &
the mythical god Rama
After submitting an affidavit to the Supreme
Court investigating the development of the
Sethusamundram Canal, the Archaeological
Survey of India came face-to-face with
Hindu extremists the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) lobby over the existence of the
mythical god Lord Rama
Hindu hardliners defeated over Ram
Setu report: Alleged proof of bridge
Space photos no proof
of Ram Sethu: NASA
US space agency NASA says pictures taken
by its astronauts do not prove the existence
of a manmade Ram Sethu bridge as
mentioned in the Hindu epic Ramayana
The archaeological survey and
the report to the Supreme Court
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
found no evidence for the existence of Lord
Ram and his army of monkeys.
The ASI report submitted to the Indian
Supreme Court stated that the Ramayana
could not ―prove the existence of the characters or the occurrence of the events depicted [in the Ramayana]‖.
Nothing more than sedimentation
As for the existence of the bridge, the survey
found that it consisted of nothing more than
sedimentation which has built up in the Palk
Strait.
According the the Ramayana, the Ram Setu
is over a million years old but geological
evidence suggests its age is closer to 5000
years.
Ayodhya and the VHP
Hindu fundamentalists are no strangers to
archaeology in India. In 1992, a group of
hard-line Hindu nationalists from the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were
responsible for the destruction of the Babri
Mosque in Ayodhya in Northern India.
Hundreds of people were killed in resultant
violence and revenge attacks.
India‘s judicial and scientific
authorities
India‘s judicial and scientific authorities
have rejected the historicity of Ramayana.
India‘s tourism authorities do not promote
any alleged Ramayana sites, but sponsors a
Buddhist Circuit to attract its Asian tourists.
Sri Lanka sponsors this fictional and
ultimately anti-national venture
Kiriella in his Ramayana & Historical Rawana
―The government of India appointed a
committee of 14 historians to identify the
realism (sic) of Ramayana. However they
could not find any historical evidence in
India other than legendary sites‖.
―But archaeological evidences are available
in Sri Lanka to prove Ramayana‖
A most dangerous exercise
Tourism Ministry officials are engaging in a
most dangerous exercise which could
prepare the grounds for our next war.
It is reminiscent of how the word ―Tigers‖
as rejecting non violent means for Tamils
actually appeared in 1961 within a group of
Sri Lankan Tamil bureaucrats who called
their group Pulip Padai ―Army of Tigers‖.
Power of ideology still sustains
LTTE struggle:
[TamilNet, 30 June 2010]The idea of separate state for Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka is kept alive by the 'power of ideology' although Colombo managed to win the war on LTTE with a 'single-minded' approach.
Although it is a softer doctrine, it is capable of gathering momentum over a period of time.
Catholic Priests blessing LTTE map
Trincomallee
Pongu Thamil
Catholic priests
Supported
LTTE
Tourism Ministry working right into
dreams of annexation of Lanka
among Indian extremists
It is a potentially far more disastrous scheme
that Tourism Ministry officials have now
launched - working right into dreams of
annexation among some Indian extremists.
The Liberian Commission
On 6 December 1992, the Liberian
Commission was set up by the Government
of India to probe the circumstances that led
to the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
The report blamed high-ranking members of
the then BJP Indian government and Hindu
nationalists for the destruction of the
mosque.
Destruction of Babri Mosque
in Ayodhya by BJP
Destruction of Babri Mosque
in Ayodhya by BJP
News headlines:
BJP on Sri Lanka sovereignty
―BJP for sanctions against Sri Lanka‖
―Lift ban on the LTTE: BJP‖
―LTTE prays for BJP victory in India‖
―India should stop war, instruct Colombo to
talk to Tigers - BJP Tamil Nadu ―
―Hindu Conference condemns Sri Lankan
forces ―
The new Agni Puja?
Are Tourism authorities preparing for a
future burning of Sri Lanka
Listen to other presentations
Think and discuss
Thank you!
Notes on academic discussions
Royal Asiatic Society is a learned society as
such we deal primarily with expert
knowledge
Discussants from the audience , apart from
clarifications, will be asked to identify
themselves mentioning their area of
expertise including qualifications.
a section of Tamils has believed and sustained a Dravidian
theory about ‗Lemuria‘ — a land mass connecting the Deccan plateau and the
island of Ceylon, with intervening straits connecting it with Madagascar,
Australia and Antarctica — which is believed to have sunk into the Indian
Ocean in stages over 3,500 years ago. They believe that the Sangam period
of Tamil history originated in this Lemuria continent some 12,000 years
ago, and that the first human beings were ‗Black Lemurian Tamils‘
(originating 40,000 years ago) who shared ancestry with the aborigines of
Australia.In 2004, geologist SC Jayakaran debunked Lemuria
as a flight of fancy. Jayakaran (who has published in Nature) used
cartographic and satellite imaging to disprove the very idea of Lemuria.
Tehelkha
© 2010 Sethu Samudram - Nothing Religious about it
Sethu Samudram - Nothing Religious about it - We have not heard of Ramar Paalam until now - Rameswaram FishermenHomeHistory
We have not heard of Ramar Paalam until now - Rameswaram Fishermen
"We have not heard of Ramar Paalam until now when the BJP talked about it.
We have always known the islands as theedai or thittu,‘‘ says Ramalakshmi
who lives with her husband Selvaraj, and their three children, as have
generations before them in Rameswaram
‗‗Our men have been fishing in these parts for years. No one talked about
a Ramar bridge before. This is the first time we are hearing about it,‘‘
she says.
After raking up the Ram issue, the saffron brigade made several visits to
Rameswaram, trying to mobilise support against the Sethusamudram project.
© 2010 Sethu Samudram - Nothing Religious about it