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The well-known mountain peak over the island of Sri Lanka
is known as Sri Pada or Adam's Peak, and has been respected
as a place of pilgrimage and worship for all major faiths
for many generations.
The origin of the footprint is explained in various ways
depending on religious and cultural tradition.
Buddhists believe that the Lord Buddha visited this mountain
and set his footprint. According to Buddhist traditions the
real print is actually beneath this larger marking. Imprinted
on a huge sapphire, it was left by the Buddha during the third
and final of his legendary visits to Sri Lanka.
Catholics claim it is of St. Thoma's the Christian disciple
who preached in South India.
According to Muslim tradition, the peak was the scene of the
penance of Adam. An Arab tradition tells that when Adam was
expelled from heaven, God put him on the peak to make Srilanka
the place on earth closest to and like heaven.
The Hindus say it is the footprint of the God Shiva. For Hindus,
the name of the mountain is Sivan Adi Padham, because it was
the world-creative dance of the god Shiva that left the giant
footprint. All four major religions claim Adam's Peak as a
holy mountain.
Long before the development of these religions, however, the
indigenous inhabitants of Sri Lanka, called the Veddas, worshiped
the mountain
Thousands of pilgrims climb the mountain to pay homage and
make performance starting from full-moon day of December to
the full-moon day of April the following year.
Visited by many early world travelers, Adam's Peak attained
a legendary status as a mystic pilgrimage destination. Today
the pilgrimage season commences in December and continues
until the beginning of the monsoon rains in April. Certain
parts of the path leading up the mountain are extremely steep
and Alexander the Great had placed the climbing chains. Atop
the peak is an oblong platform where stands a small Buddhist
temple and the shrine of Saman with the said footprint lies.
Offerings are made here, for recovery from sickness; and rainwater
taken from the footprint is known to have a wonderful healing
power. Adam's Peak is also called Samanalakande or the butterfly
mountain because of the large indefinite amount of small butterflies
that fly from all over the island to die upon the sacred mountain.
Whether one believes the footprint to be holy or not the
climb to view it, is well worth it for the panoramic views
of tropical forest seen from the top. The stairway up the
mountainside is believed to be the longest in the world and
climbers are entitled to ring the bell located at the top
once they have made the journey
India Srilanka Tours offers online booking for Tour Packages
to Adam's Peak in Srilanka. Please fill the form given below:
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