Gayathri Peedam was founded by Gayathri Siddhar Swami Murugesu, whose spiritual journey and devotion to the Gayathri Mantra became the foundation of the Peedam in Nuwara Eliya. What began as a place of worship and spiritual practice gradually grew into a sacred centre dedicated to Gayathri Devi, Lord Shiva and the teachings of the Siddhar tradition.

At the heart of the Peedam is Sri Lankatheeswarar, the sacred Moola Lingam brought from the holy Narmada River in India. Sources associated with the Peedam's history also record the connection of this Lingam with Sri Sivabalayogi Maharaj.

The Peedam later became home to 108 Bana Lingams from the Narmada, which were brought to Sri Lanka through the efforts of Swami Murugesu and subsequently established in the 108 Lingam Mandabam. This became an important part of the Peedam's Shiva tradition.

Following Swami Murugesu's Mahasamadhi in 2007, his Samadhi was established at the Peedam, within the Dhiyana Mandabam. Today, the Peedam continues the traditions he established through regular worship, special poojas, spiritual practice, Annadhanam and service to the community.

Gayathri Devi

From a young age, Swami Raman Kalimuthu Murugesu was drawn towards the power of sacred mantra. His early spiritual journey began with the practice of mantra, which grew into a lifelong devotion to the Gayathri Mantra and the search for deeper spiritual understanding.

Through years of devotion, discipline and spiritual practice, Swami Murugesu came to envision a place where the Gayathri Mantra could be practised, shared and lived — a place where people could come to pray, learn and seek a deeper connection with the Divine.

In 1970, through his dedication and determination, Swami Murugesu established the first spiritual grounds that would become Gayathri Peedam in Nuwara Eliya, centred on Gayathri Devi and the sacred Gayathri Mantra.

What began as the vision and devotion of one seeker gradually grew into a place of worship, spiritual practice and service — a place that continues to carry his vision today.

Ramayana 

Indrajit and the Sacred Nikumbhilā Yajña

The story of Indrajit and his sacred rites is found in the great traditions of the Rāmāyaṇa.

In the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Indrajit is described as going to the sacred sanctuary of Nikumbhilā to perform his yajña. The text describes the fire blazing as he offered the prescribed oblations:

The same tradition records that the completion of this sacrifice was of great importance. Vibhīsana warns Rāma that if Indrajit completes the rite and returns from Nikumbhilā, he will become extraordinarily difficult to defeat.

The Kamba Rāmāyaṇam gives this episode its own Nikumbhilā Yāga Padalam, portraying the urgency surrounding Indrajit's return to the sacred place:

A Living Tradition

According to a long-standing tradition in Sri Lanka, the Gayathri Peedam in Nuwara Eliya is believed to be situated at the location associated with the ancient Nikumbhilā yajña of Indrajit.

This identification belongs to the living tradition surrounding the sacred landscape of Sri Lanka rather than being a geographical statement made by the ancient Rāmāyana itself. The Sri Lankan Ramayanaya Yathra tradition likewise identifies the present Gayathri Peedam with the place associated with the Nikumbhilā Chaitya Homam.

Thus, for devotees and visitors, the Peedam represents more than a place of worship today. It is also a place traditionally connected to one of the most powerful and mysterious episodes surrounding Indrajit, his worship, and the sacred rites described in the Rāmāyana.