Ravana Balaya

The Ravana Balaya is a Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist organization in Sri Lanka, which follows the mythological King Ravana. It is led by Ittekande Sandhatissa.

History
The Ravana Balaya gained notoriety for its attacks on Jehova's Witnesses and other Christians. It was believed that then president, Mahinda Rajapaksha on behalf of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLPF), extended his support to the organisation; additionally received support from the police forces in its campaigns to suppress minority religions.

Organization
The Ravana Balaya is named after the ten headed Rakshasha King Ravana, who in the epic Ramayana is said to have fought against the god Rama and monkey god Hanuman.

The Ravana Balaya along with the Bodu Bala Sena and Sinhala Rawaya are members of the far-right campaign Sinha Le. These organisations have been described as "fascist" by several academics including DBS Jeyaraj and Dayan Jayatileke. Several human rights organisations have criticized Mahinda Rajapaksha for supporting the groups.