Along the coast of Sri Lanka lie five Shiva temples that Tamil legend says are the homes of the god of destruction, Shiva. Known as the Pancha Ishwaram, which means the five abodes in Tamil, these temples are ancient. Three of them are believed to be where Rama offered prayers to Shiva to seek his grace and absolve himself of the sin of killing Ravana. Two other temples in India, one in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and another in the northern state of Uttarakhand, are also revered sites of Rama’s reparations. This intersection (of the worship of Shiva within the universe of the Ramayana) is one that happens often over the course of the story of the Ramayana. All the primary characters – Rama, Ravana and Sita – are devotees of Shiva.

Munneswaram Temple and Manavari Temple, Chilaw (Nort

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