Sri Pada

Sri Pada
Elevation:	2,243 metres (7,360 feet)
Coordinates:
Location:	Sabaragamuwa (Sri Lanka)

Sri Pada, also known as Adam's Peak or Adam's Mount, is a 2,243 metre (7,360 feet) tall conical mountain in central Sri Lanka.

Geography

The mountain is located in the south of the Central Highlands, in Ratnapura district of Sabaragamuwa Province. It lies about 20km due northeast of the main district town of Ratnapura.

Both the district name of Ratnapura, and an old name for the mountain, Ratnagiri, refer to the jewel mining industry of the region (ratna is Sanskrit for jewel). The surrounding landscape is hilly and forested, with no other mountains of any similar size.

Access is generally by bus to the foot of the mountain, from the town of Maskeliya, to the northeast.

The summit of the mountain can only be reached on foot. On top of the mountain is a rough impression in the rock shaped like a footprint, about 1.8 metres long.

Nomenclature

The mountain has a variety of names.

Sri Pada is the Sanskrit term used by the Sinhalese people in religious contexts. This name is also understood in Pāli and translates as "the sacred foot (print)". It refers to the footprint-shaped mark at the summit, which is said to be that of the Buddha. Other traditions assert that it is the footprint of Adam upon his first entrance into the world.

Shivanolipatha Malai and Shiva padam are the Tamil names with a similar meaning, but refer to the footprint mark being that of Shiva rather than the Buddha.

Adam's Peak or translations are generally used in European languages. It is called Al-Rohun in Arabic.

The Sinhala name of the mountain is Samanalakanda, which is said to refer either to the deity Samana who is supposed to live on the mountain or to the butterflies (Sinhala "samanalayā") that regularly are attracted by the mountain and can be found perishing by the thousands on the summit.

Other local and historic names include Ratnagiri ("jewelled hill"), probably after the local district of Ratnapura, Samantakuta ("surrounded by peaks"), Svargarohanam ("the climb to heaven"), Mount Rohana and other variations on the root Rohana.

The Sacred Mountain

It is revered as a holy site by Buddhists, Hindus, and to a lesser extent by Muslims and Christians. It has specific qualities that cause it to stand out and be noticed; including its dominant and outstanding profile, and the boulder at the peak that contains an indentation resembling a footprint.

It is an important pilgrimage site, especially for Hindus and Buddhists. Pilgrims walk up the mountain, following a variety of routes up thousands of steps. The journey takes several hours at least. The peak pilgrimage season is in April, and the goal is to be on top of the mountain at sunrise, when the distinctive shape of the mountain casts a triangular shadow on the surrounding plain and can be seen to move quickly downward as the sun rises.

Legends

The footprint mark is said by Buddhists to be that of the left foot of the Buddha, left behind as he strode away, the right footprint being (depending on legend) in a city about 150 kilometres distant, or possibly at Phra Sat in Thailand.

Tamil Hindus consider it to be the footprint of Shiva.

Some Muslims and Christians ascribe it to Adam. Sometimes Christians ascribe it to Saint Thomas. The legends of Adam are connected to the idea that Sri Lanka was the original Eden. The legends of Saint Thomas are connected to his status as the Apostle of India, though these are usually placed in adjacent peninsular India.

Some Islamic traditions too hold that Adam and his companion were moved to Sri Lanka as the next best thing to Eden.

A shrine to Saman, a Buddhist deity charged with protecting the mountain top, can be found near the footprint.

Other information

This mountain played a role in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel The Fountains of Paradise.

External links

http://sripada.org
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/sri-pada.htm
http://www.lankalibrary.com/heritage/sripada2.htm
http://www.futtrup.name/srilanka/adam/adamspeak.html