India to build ‘Sita’ temple in Sri Lanka

India’s Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Saturday that necessary approvals are secured from the Sri Lankan government and Indian government for the construction of goddess Sita's temple at Divurumpola, in Sri Lanka, a place believed to be associated with Ramayana, the PTI reported.


“We have received the permission from the Sri Lankan government in this regard and the Centre has also given its approval,” Chouhan said.

Addressing an event in Madhya Pradesh, the Chief Minister also said, “The temple will be constructed through Swami Dayanand Trust.”

The chief minister had mooted the project in September 2012 when Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited Sanchi to inaugurate the University of Buddhist-Indic Studies. Chouhan had offered to fund the project, sanctioning Rs 1 crore.

The temple is proposed to come up at Divurumpola, near Nuwara-Eliya, a place where goddess Sita underwent 'Agni Pariksha' (test by fire), according to mythological epic Ramayana.