Kandy (Sri Lanka) May 19 (IANS): Thousands of devotees from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka participated in Kumbhabhishekam -- a ritual reverentially performed to re-energise the spiritual powers -- of the Seetha Amman temple in Sri Lanka's Central Province district of Nuwara Eliya on Sunday.

Spiritual guru and founder of Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar along with High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, were among the top dignitaries who witnessed the consecration ceremony with the holy Saryu water which was flown in from Ayodhya.

High Commissioner Jha had flagged off the rath yatra carrying Saryu water to Seeta Amman temple from Mayurapathi Sri Badrakali Amman Kovil temple in Colombo on Friday.

Large groups of devotees from different corners of the world travelled especially for the ceremony, marking the civilisational heritage and values that India and Sri Lanka have shared for millennia.

The Seetha Amman temple is believed to signify the place of Ashok Vatika in the epic Ramayana is yet another symbol of the age-old and diverse ties between the people of the two countries.

Meanwhile, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, currently on a three-day visit to the island nation, met Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at his official residence Temple Trees in Colombo on Saturday.

"We discussed future collaborations to support the people of Sri Lanka in areas such as skilling, agriculture, tourism, environmental conservation, and holistic well-being. Called upon all Asian countries to unite in promoting indigenous medicine," the spiritual guru posted on X.