Sri Lankans believe that the Asoka vana of Ramayana was none other than Sita Eliya, a scenic spot close to this famed hill resort, nestling in misty hills, some of which are now covered with manicured tea gardens. A perennial stream runs through it and since anyone can remember, there has been a shrine with an idol believed to be that of Sita -- the only temple in the world dedicated to the heroine of the Ramayana.

Now, predominantly Buddhist Sri Lanka is planning to develop Sita Eliya into a major religious site with a grand Ram temple to attract rich pilgrims from India and pump some life into its tourist industry hit hard due to the ethnic strife.

With a soaring defence budget, the Sri Lankan Government badly needsthe foreign exchange that tourism brings. Though two-thirds of the tourist traffic into Sri Lanka is western, the country is now eyeing the vast potential in a travel-happy religious middle-class right next door.

``We have been advised by Indian agents that we can attract a substantial number of Indian tourists if we develop Sita Eliya highlighting Ramayana,'' said Ceylon Tourist Board chairman HMS Samaranayake.

Sri Lankans have apparently decided to bury some of the unsavoury aspects of the epic -- Ram's invasion of Lanka and Hanuman's adventures in its capital city -- at the altar of the dollar. Times have indeed changed because only 10 years ago, the Indian Peace Keeping Force was likened to Hanuman's monkey brigade.

Today, the Sri Lankan Army has itself built Hanuman temple at Sita Eliya in the hope of deriving from it some of his mythical powers, while the Board has planned to develop around 40 acres of land around the site at an estimated cost of 100 million Sri Lankan rupees.

The site willinclude a new, bigger temple on top of the highest hill at Sita Eliya, with a neat pathway leading to it from the stream. The hill itself will be transformed by landscape designers.

Special bathing facilities for pilgrims are planned near the stream where Sita is supposed to have bathed everyday. Those looking for evidence are shown a basin-like rock under the cold running water. Legend has it the depression -- about 4 feet in diameter -- was Sita's bathtub.

According to Samaranayake, India's tourism minister Madan Lal Khurana has already promised his ministry's support for the promotion of the Lankan venture. The Board has also held discussions with the Delhi-based Saatana Dharma Sabha that promptly sent an architect to Sri Lanka in April this year to study the site and work out a feasible plan for Sita Eliya.

``We are putting up a proposal to the Government that it should be declared a sacred site, like the holy (Buddhist) city of Anuradhapura,'' said Samaranayke.

Meanwhile, the existing shrine atSita Eliya has been given a face-lift and now includes a Ram temple, in readiness for a preliminary group of 500 pilgrims from Calcutta, rustled up by the Modi Foundation, who will arrive here on a week-long visit in January.

The influx of pilgrims is also expected to benefit this hill resort, famous the world over for its fine teas, as they will stay at various hotels here for up to $ 30 dollars a night, full board. The development plans for Sita Eliya do not include staying facilities at the site.

``We hope this will be the beginning. So far, it has been difficult to promote Sita Eliya but we are hoping that word will spread once this group returns,'' said Angelo Joseph of Hem Tours, the travel agency that is co-ordinating the pilgrimage.

Other measures are being envisaged to make the Indian pilgrim-tourist more at home. Permission has been given for Indian restaurants, a rarity in Sri Lanka where Chinese and south-east Asian food are more popular. A completely vegetarian Indian restaurant promoted bytop cricketer Aravinda de Silva will soon come up in the capital.

There are also plans to develop duty-free shopping so that Sri Lanka can offer a complete package to visiting Indians.