Ekaant - Sarhad Paar - International special - Ravan ki Lanka Television -

The stories of India are vast and many, – sometimes limited to a particular region, sometimes spread across regions. And some stories take one to such long distances, traveling the length and breadth of the land and some times transcending international borders. In a special hour long episode of Ekaant on the Epic channel, Akul Tripathi travels to find stories connected to India, in the beautiful island nation, Sri Lanka.

In this Diwali special episode, on a day when Lord Ram returns from Lanka, Akul Tripathi travels to the island nation to look for the monument that is popularly believed to be Ravana’s palace. Or is it?

About 170 kms. from Colombo, there is a place called Sigiriya which is popular for a rock like structure, on top of which, it is said, stood Ravana’s palace. There is a cave at the bottom in which some believe, was Sita’s dwelling during her stay in Lanka. Wonder if there was an Ashoka tree nearby. On the way to the top, which is quite a long climb, one can find paintings of women, believed to be those of Ravana’s wives.

The strategic location and the magnificence of the area compel one to believe that this must have been Ravana’s abode. But lack of any historical evidences give rise to doubts.

On the other hand, some believe that this was a Buddhist monastery from 3 BC to 1 AD. It was King Ashoka’s son Mahendra, who came to Lanka to preach Buddhism. The then king, Devanampiya Tissa became his disciple and converted to Buddhism. The people of his region soon followed. Buddhist monasteries were built, including the one at Sigiriya.

Another story about the palace is that of King Kashyapa who shifted his capital from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya. Is it also said that the paintings of women are actually those of King Kashyaoa’s wives.

One structure, many stories. Although the most fascinating one, is of course, that of Ravana’s. The mere thought of witnessing such a landmark place can give goosebumps.

But then, as Akul Tripathi always mentions in every episode, it is up to the individual, whether he/she wants to believe in a particular story or not.

Whichever story one might want to believe in, this special Ekaant episode, is worth watching again and again. The stories from sarhad paar are quite interesting.