Sacred Adam's Peak

Adam's peak [Sri pada]

Adam's peak is the most sacred religious destination of Buddhists since thousands of years. There is an amazing view from the summit of the mountain where clouds floating below us. Pilgrims prefer to be on the mountain at sunrise to see the triangular shadow of the mountain on the surrounding plain and moving quickly downward as the sun rises. The calming climate and the scenery diminish the fatigue of pilgrims as they climb for hours and sometimes days to worship.

The mountain has a conical shape and stands 2 243m above the sea level in central highlands of Sri Lanka. The surrounding is a hilly area with no mountain comparable to the Adam's peak. The wildlife reserve around the mountain is a watershed for 4 major rivers and houses for many species of animals including elephants, leopards etc. There is a temple on top where several Buddhist priests live.

Priest worshiping the sacred footprint

There are different beliefs about the sacred footprint on the summit. Buddhist tradition is held to be the footprint of Lord Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Shiva and in Christian tradition that of Adam. But, this is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists with different rituals and myths associated with the mountain. Buddhists believe that this is the Lord Buddha's left footprint he placed as a symbol when he visited Sri Lanka at the request of God Saman.

Sama pagoda

There are 6 main trails to access the summit: Hatton-Nallathanni, Rathnapura-Palabaddala, Murraywatte, Mookuwatte,Kuruwita-Erathna and Malimboda. Most of the people tend to use Hatton route since it is shorter than other trails. Some of the other trails are not adjusted for easy climb and pilgrims should walk through the rainy forest finding the way which makes the journey very hard. Both day and night climb is safe with electric lights at night along the way. Rest stops and way side shops help pilgrims to have a rest during their journey. "Sama pagoda", "Indikatupana point", "Makara thorana" are several distinctive landscapes and rituals that can be seen on the way to the summit. December to May is the most suitable duration for worshiping since the the climate is not favourable during the off season due to heavy rain and wind.

Indikatupana point

Makara thorana