NEW DELHI: Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Thursday visited Sri Lanka's northern areas held by the Tamil Tigers, his office said, indicating he may be engaged in efforts aimed at promoting peace in the island.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, whose Art of Living project enjoys a large following in Sri Lanka, reached Kilinochchi, the headquarters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), along with Swami Sadyojathah, who heads his operations in the island.

Ravi Shankar flew to Colombo on Wednesday from Bangalore, where his foundation is headquartered.

No details of what he would do or whom he might meet in Kilinochchi were available. Most visitors to Kilinochchi hold meetings with S.P. Thamilchevlam, who heads the LTTE's political wing.

"We cannot give any details now," a spokesperson told on telephone from southern India where the Art of Living is headquartered. "You will have to wait till his programme gets over."

The spokesperson sought to underline the fact that Ravi Shankar enjoyed warm and close relations with all sections in Sri Lanka including the government, the opposition as well as the Tamils.

Former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is among the Sri Lankans who frequently flies to Bangalore to meet Ravi Shankar.

"He is respected by all sides in Sri Lanka," the spokesperson said.

Ravi Shankar visited Sri Lanka last year in the wake of the deadly tsunami that killed over 30,000 people in the country, including in areas of the northeast where the LTTE holds sway.

In April this year, he went to Jaffna where thousands of Tamils attended his interactions.

It is not clear if Ravi Shankar's visit to LTTE area is anyway linked to the present visit to New Delhi of members of the pro-Tigers Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the leading Tamil party in the Sri Lankan parliament.

The TNA MPs, who reached New Delhi Tuesday, are widely expected to call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday.

India keeps a close watch on Sri Lanka, where violence between the government and LTTE has shown a sharp rise in recent months claiming hundreds of lives and leaving hundreds of thousands displaced.

The Art of Living Foundation is an international non-profit educational, charitable and humanitarian group offering programmes in more than 140 countries including in war torn places such as Iraq and Lebanon.

As a NGO, it works in special consultative status with the UN, participating in a variety of committees and activities relating to health, education, sustainable development and conflict resolution.

Ravi Shankar is a spiritual leader who over the past 25 years has established a global presence.