By Raghava Caitanya Dasa
The 2025 Sri Lanka Sundara Kanda Yatra, held from October 12 to 23, brought together more than 500 devotees for a spiritually uplifting pilgrimage through sacred sites connected with the Ramayana. Alongside the yatra, devotees embraced a special book distribution sankalpa set by Romapada Swami to distribute Srimad-Bhagavatam sets and the Bhagavad-gita and to support ISKCON’s global Bhadra Purnima initiative.
V. V. Narasimha Swami also joined the pilgrimage at the invitation of Romapāda Swami. The presence of senior Vaishnavas, combined with the enthusiasm of the assembled devotees, created a powerful opportunity to share Srila Prabhupada’s books with residents, visitors, and temples throughout Sri Lanka.
Over eight days, devotees distributed 49 sets of Srimad-Bhagavatam, along with copies of the Bhagavad-gita and other books. For many participants, the effort was a chance to reconnect, feel spiritually renewed, and recommit to Srila Prabhupada’s cherished mission of book distribution. Hari Das of the Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education arranged the necessary books before the yatra commenced in coordination with Rasaraja Karunesa Das of ISKCON Colombo, while Vamsidhari Das, a dedicated servant of Romapada Swami, coordinated the Signature Srimad-Bhagavatam sets.
Following the guidance of Romapāda Swami, a dedicated committee—including Guru Das, Hema Sundari Devi Dasi, Padmanabha Das, Priya Darsana Das, Yugala Kisora Das, and many others—organized the yatra. Each year, the team carefully plans the pilgrimage, helping devotees visit sacred sites, such as Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Dambulla, Batticaloa, Ramboda, Mannar, and other locations.
Devotees visited sacred sites including Sri Munneswaram Kovil, Vibhishana Temple, Ashoka Vatika, Seetha Eliya, Mamangeswaram Temple, Thiruketheeswaram Temple, Gayatri Peetham—traditionally associated with Indrajit’s austerities—Sigiriya Rock, and places linked to Lord Hanuman’s search for the Sanjeevani herbs. They also visited sites associated with Sita Devi, including Ashoka Vatika and the site known as Sita-Amma’s Agni Pravesh.
According to tradition, when Lord Hanuman was sent to the Himalayas to bring life-saving herbs, he lifted the entire mountain because he could not identify the specific herbs. It is believed that parts of the mountain fell across Sri Lanka, including Rumassala in Galle, Dolu Kanda in Hiripitiya, Ritigala near the Habarana-Anuradhapura road, Thalladi in Mannar, and Kachchativu in the north.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/sri-lanka-sundara-kanda-yatra-inspires-book-distribution/
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