There are a lot of places to be visited in Sri Lanka but adam’s peak is the most important place to visit in a lifetime. Especially for Buddhists it’s a blessing. Adam’s Peak is a 2,243 m (7,359 ft) tall conical mountain. It is located in the central highlands of the Ratnapura district, the Sabaragamuwa province, and the Nuwara Eliya district in the central province. It is about a kilometer from Ratnapura. 40 km to the northeast and 2 km to Hatton. 32km is located in the southwest.
History of Adam’s peak
Sri Pada is first mentioned as Samantakuta in the Deepavamsa. Mahavamsa, the earliest Pali chronicle of the 4th and 5th centuries, states that the Buddha visited the top of the hill. The chronicle Rajagaliya states that King Walagamba took refuge in the forests on the hill of Adam against the invaders of India and returned to Anuradhapura.
For Buddhists, the footprint is the Buddha’s left foot, and when Buddha visits Sri Lanka, the invitation from the Buddhist god Saman is a symbol of worship. Tamil Hindus regard it as the footsteps of Lord Shiva. Kanda was the capital of Ravana during the Ramayana period.
Some Muslims and Christians in Sri Lanka refer to it when the first ancestor, Adam, was banished from the Garden of Eden. Adam’s legends relate to the idea that Sri Lanka was the original Garden of Eden. That’s why people call it by many different names. But it is sacred to all. Sri Pada for Sri Lankans and some people called it the mountain of butterflies as there is a huge amount of them on the top hill of the butterflies.
Routes to Adam’s peak
In addition to the religious attraction of Sri Pada Mount (Adam’s Peak), several tourists took nearly five hours to visit it for its geographical location. There is rich biodiversity near this mountain that awaits you with many forests and mountains. The mountain has no railway or airline. The mountain can be reached in six lanes: Ratnapura-Palabaddala, Hatton-Nallathanni, Kuruwita-Erathna, Murewatte, Mukuwatte, and Malimboda.
The Nallathanni and Palabaddala roads are preferred by those who are climbing and the Kuruwita-Erathna road is less used. These routes are connected to major cities or towns by bus and are popular. The Muruvette, Mukuwatte, and Malimboda roads are seldom used but are connected to the Palabaddala road during the ascent. The usual path taken by many devotees is to get through Hatton and get down through Ratnapura. Although the Hatton track is steep, it is about five kilometers shorter than any other route.
Best Time to climb
The mountain is most often scaled from December to May. It is difficult to climb the mountain in other months due to heavy rain, high winds, and mist. The peak pilgrimage season is in April, and the goal is to watch the sunrise at the top of the mountain. The distinctive shape of the mountain has a triangular shadow on the surrounding plains, and you can see that the sun is moving downhill fast.
