The Kanniya Hot Springs

The Kanniya Hot Springs is a site with hot wells located in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. There are seven wells in a square shape. Wells are only 3–4 feet deep and you can see the bottom. The temperature is considerably high but vary slightly from one spring to another. Wells run out of water when 10-15 buckets of water are taken out

According to the notice board put by the Pradeshiya Saba at the wells, this well goes back to the times of King Ravana who ruled the country over 5000 years ago. But now it has been accepted that these wells belonged to a great Buddhist monastery which spans a vast area. Ealamisation of the North and East has destroyed most of the Buddhist remains in these areas and only a few have escaped the wrath of the Eelamists who have taken up the task of erasing all signs of ancient Buddhist civilization in these areas for the last 30-40 years

Religious Hindu rituals dedicated to lost loved ones are observed by the Sri Lankan Tamils at this site, believed in folklore to have been started by Ravana, the antagonist of the epic Ramayana. According to local folklore, is this site connected with the antagonist Ravana of the Hindu epic, Ramayana.

Ravana and his mother worshipped Hindu God Shiva at the Koneswaram temple and the Hot springs of Kanniya. Ravana wanted to remove the temple of Koneswaram when his mother was in ailing health. Ravana was heaving the rock, Lord Shiva made him drop his sword. Ravana’s mother heard that news and thought of unbeatable sorrow. When Ravana returns he found his beloved mother’s demise was disheartened. To do her mother’s rites, Ravana stuck the earth with his sword in several spots and several fountains sprang from these points. The water was hot and this was the beginning of these hot water springs.

The Kanniya Hot Springs Photos