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Lanka, or Sri Lanka as we call it today, is the place where Hindu mythology had some roots buried in. Ram, the Hindu god, and the prince of Ayodhya, went to exile for 14 years, along with his wife Sita. He had a follower, Lord Hanuman-a monkey god, who is believed to have the vow of ever-lasting life, and is assumed to be present among us, even today as we speak. Raavana, another god, has abducted Sita from Ayodhya, India and kept her as a prisoner in Ashok Vatika or Nuwara Elliya. Ram sent Hanuman to free his wife. You can find the foot impression of Lord Hanuman in Nuwara Elliya, in varying sizes depicting he had the power to grow bigger or smaller in size whenever needed. Ram had an army full of monkeys and monkey gods, mythologically. When they wanted to go to Lanka, they couldn’t find a way since there was a large water body between the two countries- India and Sri Lanka. Hence, they wrote ‘Hey Ram’ meaning O Lord Ram on stones and started throwing them into the water body as they floated, which formed the Ram Setu or Gulf of Mannar as we know it today. Travelling to Sri Lanka being an Indian was an ecstatic experience. It was full of mythological surprises and the scenery over there is worth living for. I visited the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and was stunned to see such beauty of wildlife in the form of elephants. You could see the elephants bathe in the water and play with each other by filling water in their trunks and splashing at each other. If you are lucky, you could also see them bathing their little ones. Ramboda waterfalls in Pussewalla is an amazing place to be if you are in love with nature. The smell of water is something that will drag you there, it is so liberating you hardy want to come back to mundane life. Horton plains national park is a place to visit if you have an interest in horticulture, for this place is completely covered in trees and flowers and if you are luck enough you can watch some rare species of birds too. The major staple food is fish and rice, it being a coastal place. If you eat non-veg, you can also enjoy meat. They stuff a lot of spices like cardamom, elaichi etc. to give an authentic yet spicy taste to their cuisine. The real fun is to eat the rice and meat with hands, it’s kind of a tradition or a food practice, if you may. My overall experience in Sri Lanka was breathtaking. I would define it as a larger version of Kerala, India, more breathtaking and a place where you can always, always find your solitude.