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The amazing Adam\u2019s Peak (\u0dc1\u0dca\u0dbb\u0dd3 \u0db4\u0dcf\u0daf) is Sri Lanka\u2019s fourth highest mountain at 2,244m and is located 40km northeast of\u00a0Ratnapura.<\/p>\n
Adam\u2019s Peak or the Sri Pada is an important pilgrim site. Buddhist believe the impression on the summit is the footprint of Lord Buddha himself. Though it takes around 5 hours to reach the peak by foot, devotees of many religions climb the mountain daily to invoke blessings. The mountain is also named as Samanala Kanda<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0Butterfly Mountain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Rich biodiversity<\/strong><\/p>\n Adam\u2019s Peak is surrounded, largely by the forested hills, with no mountain of comparable size anywhere near the vicinity. The region of Peak Wilderness Sanctuary that encompass Adam\u2019s Peak together with Horton Plains National Park\u00a0and\u00a0Knuckles Range, all in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka is recognized as a\u00a0World Heritage Site\u00a0in the year 2011.<\/p>\n Begin from the Base<\/strong><\/p>\n The city of\u00a0Hatton\u00a0can be reached by Highland Railway line as well as by the main motor roads, the cities of\u00a0Ratnapura\u00a0and Kuruwita can be reached only by main motor roads.<\/p>\n Access to Adam\u2019s Peak is possible by 6 trails: Hatton-Nallathanni; Ratnapura-Palabaddala; Kuruwita-Erathna; Murraywatte; Mookuwatte; Malimboda.<\/p>\n The most popular routes are the Hatton-Nallathanni & Ratnapura-Palabaddala due to the picturesque views and postcard-worthy scenery that can be encountered along with them.<\/p>\n Reaching the Peak<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you reach a final node (Nallanthanni or Palabaddala or Erathna) there begins the difficult journey through the jungle on foot. Most of the pilgrims use the\u00a0Hatton route as the journey can be reduced by more than five kilometres even though the slope of this route is much greater than the others.<\/p>\n The Season and Timing<\/strong><\/p>\n The pilgrims season to Sri Pada traditionally starts on the full moon of\u00a0December and ends on the full moon of April. During the first half of the season, the night ascent isn\u2019t crowded. However, during the latter half of the season, more people attempt the climb with each passing day..<\/p>\n Night Ascension<\/strong><\/p>\n The greater part of the track leading from the base to the summit of Adam\u2019s peak consists of dozens of steps built in cement or rough stones being illuminated with electric power lines. The night ascent is safe even when accompanying kids. With the track having night rest stops and wayside stalls and kiosks that serve refreshments, the goal of reaching the summit on time to enjoy the spectacle of sunrise made even easier and less tiresome.<\/p>\n You could also arrange to climb up during the day, camp overnight enjoying the starry spectacle at the summit, witness the majesty of the beautiful sunrise the following morning and then descend. The daytime ascent affords the luxury to climb at a leisurely pace and have plenty of time to enjoy the views all around.<\/p>\n Accommodation on the summit of Adam\u2019s peak is basic and you would have to bring your own food and perhaps a blanket or sleeping bag. However, whenever you decide to go, check the weather report before setting out. Rain can make for a miserable trip and it is more likely that cloud or mist will obscure the view.<\/p>\n The Sama Chatiya at Adam\u2019s Peak<\/strong><\/p>\n On the way up, after a few minutes climb you can find the Sama Chaitya, the World Peace Pagoda.<\/p>\n This stupa was built by the famous Japanese Buddhist monk Ven Nichi Fuji in 1976. Today it is maintained by several Japanese monks. Though not much could be made out of the stupa and the landscape in the night ascent, during daytime the Peace Pagoda stands out dramatically with the amazing backdrop of Adam\u2019s Peak.<\/p>\n Majestic Sunrise and the Shadow of the Mount<\/strong><\/p>\n When the sun is just about to rise, the pilgrims and tourists rush to the eastern side to witness an amazing spectacle. The sun almost leaps over the eastern horizon drawing a perfect triangle of a shadow of the mountain spreading over the western backdrop of the mountain. As the sun keeps on rising, the shadow shifts towards the base of the mountain until it completely disappears, a grand finale to a breathtaking natural spectacle.<\/p>\n The Sacred Footprint<\/strong><\/p>\n On the summit of Adam\u2019s Peak is located a shrine, a belfry and a resting place. The centre of the attraction is a stone tablet covering the sacred footprint of Lord Buddha. Most pilgrims attempt the climb solely for the purpose of paying homage to the shrine. This is where mountains Sinhala name originates; Sri Pada (Sinhala for Resplendent feet).<\/p>\n Nearly as much has been written about the sacred footprint as has been about the mountain itself. According to Giovani de Marigolli a 13th-century seafarer, \u201cThe size, I mean the length thereof, is two and a half of our palms, about half a Prague ell. And I was not the only one to measure it, for so did another pilgrim, a Saracen from Spain\u201d.<\/p>\n Robert Knox, an Englishman who lived in Sri Lanka in the 17th century, wrote that it was \u201cabout two feet long\u201d.<\/p>\n Captain John Ribeyro in his account of Sri Lanka presented to the king of Portugal in 1687 claimed that the footprint \u201ccould not be more perfect had it been done in wax\u201d.<\/p>\n In 1859 James Emerson Tennent, the colonial secretary of Ceylon during the period of 1845 to1850, described the footprint as \u201ca natural hollow artificially enlarged, exhibiting the rude outline of a foot about five foot long\u201d.<\/p>\n The Ancient Chains<\/strong><\/p>\n Those descending along the\u00a0Ratnapura track can bear witness to large chains riveted into the sheer rock face of the Adam\u2019s Peak. The Muslims believe the iron chains were fixed by Alexander the Great. The Zaffer Namah Sekanderi, a 15th-century Persian poem celebrating the exploits of Alexander describes, \u201che fixed thereto chains with rings and rivets made of iron and brass, the remains of which exist even today, so that travellers, by their assistance, are enabled to climb the mountain and obtain glory by finding the sepulchre of Adam\u201d.<\/p>\n However, the Sinhalese records reveal that the chains were fastened onto the rock face by King Vijayabahu (1058-1114 AD).<\/p>\n The Mahavamsa records a stipulation by King Vijayabahu: \u2018Let no one endure hardship who goeth along the difficult pathways to worship the Footprint of the Chief of Sages on Samantakuta Mountain\u2019, he caused the village of Gilimalaya which abounds in rice fields and other lands, to be granted to supply pilgrims with food. And at the Kadatigama road and at the Uva road he built rest houses\u201d<\/p>\n Buddha\u2019s Visit to Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the Mahavamsa; the historical chronicle of Sri Lanka, Lord Buddha visited the island three times. It was during the last sojourn of Buddha, at the request of the deity of Adam\u2019s Peak God Maha Suman Saman, the footprint was planted upon the summit of the rock.<\/p>\n The Chrakasamvara Tantra of Mahayana Buddhism reveals the tale of Lord Buddha leaving the impression of his foot on a mountain. However, the failure to record the name of the mountain has resulted in a mistaken identity by a Tibetan scholar leading to Mount Kailash in the western Himalayas.<\/p>\n Beliefs by the Christians, Hindus and Muslims concerning footprint upon the summit of Adam\u2019s Peak Sri Pada.<\/p>\n Tamil Hindus consider it as the footprint of Lord Shiva. It is also fabled that the mountain is the legendary mount Trikuta the capital of Ravana during the\u00a0Ramayana\u00a0times from where he ruled Lanka.<\/p>\n Muslims and Christians in Sri Lanka ascribe it to where Adam, the first Ancestor, set foot as he was exiled from the Garden of Eden. The legends of Adam are connected to the idea that Sri Lanka was the original Eden itself.<\/p>\n The Mount of Many Names<\/strong><\/p>\n The name Adam\u2019s peak had prior to the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, is Samantakuta (Peak of Saman) which refers to the mountain as the abode of god Maha Suman Saman.<\/p>\n Sri Pada (Sanskrit for sacred foot) has been name in which mountain has etched into the memory of Srilankans.<\/p>\n Gems found in the mountain had given birth to the name of Ratnagiri (Sinhala for jewelled hill) which is no surprise since the district of Ratnapura\u00a0is renowned for its beautiful gems.<\/p>\n The long flights of Samanala (Sinhala: butterflies) that frequent the mountain during their annual migrations to the region has resulted in naming the mountain Samanala Kanda (Sinhala for the hill of the butterflies).<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s Peak is the name given to the mountain by the British Colonialists (1815-1948) in Sri Lanka, then known to the world as Ceylon.<\/p>\n Sri Pada<\/strong> Sri Pada is also known as Adam\u2019s Peak is an ancient pilgrimage site, which has long attracted thousands of pilgrims from all faiths. It is the pilgrimage to the sacred mountain, Sri Pada, popularly known in English as Adam\u2019s Peak. This conical mountain is 7,360 feet high, soaring clear above the surrounding mountain ranges. According to history, when the Buddha visited Sri Lanka he placed one foot on the north of the royal city and the other on Sumana-Kuta (Adam\u2019s Peak) fifteen yojanas, or about a hundred miles distant. The legendary evidence of Siam brings up that the Buddha left the print of his left foot on Adam\u2019s Peak, and then, in one stride, strode across to Siam, (now Thailand) where he left the impression of his right foot. It is called Phra Sat, and its appearance is supposed to be like that of the footprint on Adam\u2019s Peak and of similar size. Broad steps lead up to this walled enclosure containing the rock over which is a tower-like structure. The portion marked off as having the imprint of the Buddha\u2019s foot is about five feet seven inches long and two feet seven inches broad.<\/p>\n The hole in the rock in Thailand, which is believed to have the imprint of the Buddha\u2019s right foot, is about five feet long and two feet broad. Buddhists attribute this universal size to the fact (such is the belief) that the Buddha was about thirty-five feet tall. The real footprint on Adam\u2019s Peak is believed to be set in jewels beneath the visible rock and Hindus believe it that of the god Siva. The Tamil name of the rock (Civan-Oli-data) means \u201cthe mountain path of Siva\u2019s light\u201d. Muslims believe the footprint to be that of Adam (hence the name Adam\u2019s Peak); Christians, that of St. Thomas, the disciple Jesus. Alongside the rock is a shrine containing images (one of which is made of silver) of the god Saman and a Brahmin priest officiates at this shrine. In front of the shrine is a small table on which pilgrims place camphor and lighted candles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. 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