A shrine to Sanat Kumara which attracts and unites people of all religions and faiths is situated in the town of Kataragama, Sri Lanka.

Sanat Kumara appears as a rishi in the Hindu religious scriptures and Upanishads. A shrine to Sanat Kumara which attracts and unites people of all religions and faiths is situated in the town of Kataragama, Sri Lanka. In Sanskrit, "Sanat Kumara" is "Eternal Youth" (from Sanat "eternal", Ku "with difficulty" and Mara "mortal").

In the Shiva Maha Purana it has been told that once Sanat kumara was traveling in an aircraft and happened to see sage Parasara, practicing austerities (tapas ) on the banks of the river Saraswathi. Sanat kumara stopped by and asked the latter the reason for being at such a lonely place.

Sage Parasara replied that having done his ordained duties as a teacher and helped lots of students to gain knowledge, he decided to practice austerities for his own salvation. Sanat kumara then revealed to him the knowledge he received earlier from Nandikeswara and suggested him to practice mananam, sravanam and kirtanam instead of austerities as effective means of attaining the grace of Lord Shiva and achieve liberation.

These three means are explained below.

Mananam: Uttering the name of Shiva, mantras or prayers, contemplating or meditating upon the grandeur and significance of Shiva or the sacred texts of Saivism and performing similar mental activities.

Sravanam: Listening from others, or in a gathering of Shiva devotees, about Lord Shiva the concepts of Saivism, the books on Saivism, the life and activities of Nayanars or other devotees of Shiva.

Kirtanam. Singing the glory of Lord Shiva either alone or in the company of other devotees. When it is done in groups it is called bhajan. Devotional singing helps the mind become stabilized in God.