Climbing Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka Pilgrimage to
Sri Pada
Sri Pada is Sri Lanka's sacred mountain, it is very unique climbing that mountain hikers will never experience anywhere in the world. Every step to discovering history, culture, and scenic beauty will be a marvelous experience for the adventure-seeking traveler.
(The most challenging climb to pilgrimage is to worship the sacred footprint of the Buddha. Watch full video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6ziy3eo6yY&t=8s )
The Sri Pada mountain is situated 16km northeast of Rathnapura in Sabaragamuwa province of Sri Lanka. It is 2243m in height above sea level and about 27 km (16miles from the bottom to the top by the foot of the pointed peak.
The mountain has many names related to its beliefs. Samanalakanda refers to the butterfly's mountain that is recurrent the mountain during the annual butterflies' migration to the region. The Sinhala Buddhists believe that the peak holds the footprint of Gautama Buddha hence the name "Sri Pada".
The deity Saman who was a Buddhist in those days invited the Buddha to his region and on that visit, the Buddha was believed to be climbed to the top of the mountain. People believe that the deity Saman protects the pilgrims throughout the climb.
Sri Lanka is the home of numerous species of
magnificent butterflies and once a year they form into a long chain, sometimes
consisting of hundreds of these creatures, and go through the countryside.
Legend has it that butterflies were going to Sri Pada to pay homage to the Lord
Buddha’s footprint. Hindu tradition that of Hanuman or Shiva and In some Islamic and Christian traditions that of Adam, or that St. Thomas.
Access
to the mountain is possible by 6 trails: Ratnapura-Palabaddala,
Hatton-Nallathanni, Kuruwita-Erathna, Murraywatte, Mookuwatte, and Malimboda.
The Nallathanni & Palabaddala routes are most favored by those undertaking
the climb, while the Kuruwita-Erathna trail is used less often; these trails
are linked to major cities or towns by bus, accounting for their popular use.
The Murraywatte, Mookuwatte, and Malimboda routes are hardly used but do
intersect with the Palabaddala road midway through the ascent. The usual route
taken by most pilgrims is ascent via Hatton and descent via Ratnapura; although
the Hatton trail is the steepest, it is also shorter than any of the other
trails by approximately five kilometers.
Once
one of the starting 'nodes' of Palabadalla, Nallathanni, or Erathna is reached,
the rest of the ascent is done on foot through the forested mountainside on the
steps built into it. The greater part of the track leading from the base to the
summit consists of thousands of steps built in cement or rough stones. The
trails are illuminated with electric light, making night-time ascent possible
and safe to do even when accompanied by children. Rest stops and wayside shops
along the trails serve refreshments and supplies.
The
Pilgrimage season runs from Uduwap Poya (December) to Vesak Poya (May reaching
its peak mid-season at Medin Poya (March). At this time, there is a constant
stream of pilgrims and the top can get very crowded. The busiest period is
from January to February. At other times the temple on the summit is unused
and between May to October, the peak is obscured by clouds for much of the time.
All of us
ought to pace the ascent so that we endure physical stress to avoid
exhaustion. Warm clothes should be worn to avoid the chill and catching a cold at the
summit after sweating it out during the climb. Approximately 20,000 people
scale Adams Peak on weekends during the pilgrimage season. The endless steps can
shake the strongest knees and stretching leg muscles before and after a climb is
a good idea so that we will not be limping for the next few days.
Most people make the climb by night to reach
the mountain top to watch the “Ira Sevaya”, the sunrise over the sea. The
beauty and grandeur of the scenery that the mountain looks down upon are
eclipsed by the magic of the sunrise seen from its summit and the resulting
perfect triangular shadow was thrown across the plains below. The shadow is visible
for only about 10 minutes or so after dawn and such perfection has been
recorded for only one other mountain in the world.
Every
morning a series of intriguing phenomena can be observed from the summit of Sri
Pada. Just before sunrise, everyone will assemble on the eastern side of the
summit waiting for the sun. When it appears it seems to leap over the horizon
rather than rise gradually. At this moment the more pious people will shout
'Sadhu!' an exclamation meaning 'It is good. The Sinhalese say that the sun is
paying homage to the Buddha's footprint. Then everyone will move to the western
side of the mountain. Join them and you will see the perfectly triangular
shadow of the mountain laying over the landscape. Sometimes if there is a light
mist the shadow will appear to stand upright. Within moments, as the sun climbs
higher, the shadow will move rapidly towards the base of the mountain and
finally disappear.
The pilgrim does not isolate groups and individuals such as monks, youngsters,
families, elders, and people worldwide climb together. In the past, people pilgrim in a group called ‘Nade’. Group leader named ‘ Nade Gura’. A new pilgrim called
‘Kodukara’ who have to follow certain customs before climbing. They climb only
for religious purposes. Those days the journey was quite difficult to make
without facilities which the pilgrim benefits from today.
The Sri
pada pilgrims follow several traditions of custard oms. At a certain point during
the climb, pilgrims pause en route to throwing a threaded needle into the bushes,
commemorating the legend that Lord Buddha paused to mend a tear in his robe
during his climb. When crossing the Seetha Gangula, a stream about halfway to
the summit, pilgrims cleanse themselves with the icy water, which helps
refresh them for the final climb. Many devotees recite religious poems as
they climb to help them on their arduous journey.
It takes four to five hours to reach the according to your physical fitness and without any other distraction. Shortly before the summit, there the steps an almost vertical with stairways with handrails, during the height of the season, pilgrims may have to wait in line for as long as half an hour before proceeding to the small platform on the top.
On the summit of Adam's Peak has located a Shrine, a belfry, and a resting place. The center of attraction is a stone tablet covering the scared footprint of Lord Buddha. Most pilgrims attempt the climb solely to worship the Buddha’s Footprint. Buddhists climb the mountain at least once in their lifetime.
After completing their worship, pilgrims ring a bell, once for every visit. It is not unusual to hear the bell rung a dozen times or more by devout pilgrims who have made voyages to the holy sites. The sounds of ringing the bell add a spiritual atmosphere.
The famous footprint
itself is housed adjacent to a prayer bell, which is suspended beneath two
prostrated stone elephants. When you triumphantly ring the bell to celebrate
reaching the summit, the chimes mingle with the pilgrims’ trumpets and drums.
And as the rising sun exposes gaping valleys, ink-splotch lakes, foaming
waterfalls, and the glorious pyramid shadow cast by the peak pans across the
plain, it dawns on you that you now have to climb 5,500 steps to get back down
again
The sun's rise is real spectacular views are on the opposite side of the platform. The way back in day time you will see what you miss during your climb at night. The breathtaking views of a range of blue mountains running as far as the horizon, the clouds floating around, cool breeze make you feel like walking down from heaven and take away the tiredness for a moment.
While it’s a challenging trail, no technical climbing
is involved, just a seemingly endless number of concrete steps to trudge up.
You’ll pass septuagenarians climbing in flip-flops, and even barefoot pilgrims
forgoing shoes as a gesture of purity and sacrifice. But sports shoes are fine
for tourists.
The
Sama Chatiya, the World Peace Pagoda. This stupa was built by the famous
Japanese Buddhist monk Ven Nichi Fuji in 1976 and is maintained by several
Japanese monks. At night there is little to see but during the day the
brilliant white stupa stands out dramatically against the vast grey cliff
behind it.
Many people find the hardest part is coming down. The
endless steps can shake the strongest knees, and if your shoes don’t fit well,
you can add in crushed toes and blisters. Walking poles or even just a sturdy
stick will make the descent much less jarring on your legs. Take a hat, as the
morning sun intensifies quickly.
Whether
making the ascent by day or night it can be an arduous climb, so bring only
what you are likely to need. There are food and drink stalls all the way up the
Hatton path but prices are considerably higher than normal so you might like to
bring your own snacks and water. You are likely to be warm during the climb, but you can get very cold while waiting for the sunrise at the summit,
so bring warm clothes. If the weather is uncertain an umbrella or raincoat will
be useful. A pair of binoculars if you have them will also be most useful.
Anyone who has different religious faiths can climb
Adam's Peak and reach the holy place. Whatever religion the tourist believes,
their success in climbing the top can be dedicated to God, Adam, Buddha, Saint
Thomas, or Shiva
The most challenging climb to pilgrimage is to worship the sacred footprint of the Buddha.
Watch full video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6ziy3eo6yY&t=8s
History
Long before Buddhism came to Sri Lanka in
about 246 BCE Sri Pada was revered as the abode of the god called Samanta, or
sometimes Saman or Sumana. This local mountain god was destined to go on to
great things.
The Theravada Buddhists of Sri Lanka later
made Samanta the guardian of their land and their religion. With the rise of
Mahayana Buddhism, a movement that began in south India from where it soon
spread to the island, Samanta developed into Samantabhadra, one of the four
principles bodhisattvas of Mahayana. Like his later manifestation, Samanta is
usually depicted crowned and bejeweled, holding a lotus in his right hand and
accompanied by a white elephant.
Today there is still a shrine to Samanta on
the top of the mountain and another larger one near Ratnapura, some 19
kilometers from its foot. Buddhist devotees who climb the Peak regard
God Maha Sumana Saman as their benevolent protector. It is believed that the first person to
discover the Sacred Footprint was King Valagambahu (104-76 BC) while he was in
exile in the mountain wilderness.
He had been led to the summit of the mountain
by a deity in the guise of a stag. Thereafter not only ordinary pilgrims but
Royalty with their court retinue paid homage to the Foot Print of the Buddha
from ancient times. The Sinhalese kings alone, in their devotion and
persistence, made the Peak accessible to the crowds of devotees who annually
trekked the mountain.
The first historical mention of Sri Pada
comes during the reign of Vijayabahu. It is recorded of this monarch that he, having seen the difficulties undergone
by the pilgrims on their way to worship the Buddha’s footprint on Samanthakuta
dedicated the village named ‘Gilimale’ to provide for their needs.
Marco Polo (1254-1324 AD) who visited the Peak in the 14th century remarked
that in places flights of steps were out in the rocks but none upwards and
towards the summit.
The mountain has been climbed for at least
1000 years. King Vijayabahu (1065-1119 AD) built shelters along its route, work
continued by Parakaramabahu the 2nd (1250-1284 AD) who cleared the jungle &
built a road & bridges to the mountain. King Nissankamalla (1198 AD-1206 AD) visited the Samanthakuta with his four-fold army and worshiped
the Footprint with great devotion. He had re-granted the Village Ambagamuwa and
it has been recorded in an inscription found in a cave known as Bhagavalena. He
had constructed a concrete slab to protect the Footprint.
