For Buddhists, it is the footprint the Buddha left on his third legendary visit to Sri Lanka 2,500 years ago. For Hindus, it is Lord Shiva's Sri Padam and a mountain as holy as Mount Kailas in Tibet. And for Christians and Muslims, it is the footprint made by Adam when he fell from God's grace. The tears that he and Eve shed when they were cast out from Paradise were transformed, it is said, into the rubies, garnets, cats eyes, emeralds and sapphires found in the rocky landscape nearby.
This sacred mountain lies in the Ratnapura District and is the fourth tallest peak on the island. Each year after the rains have swept over its terrain and given fresh life to the four major rivers that flow from this mountain range, the young, the old, the vigorous and the weak flood the plains to begin their pilgrimage.
Should the weather gods condescend to hear their votive pleas, the pilgrimage season starts on the Unduvap Full Moon day in December. Falling this year on the 24th of this month, it signals the end of the rainy season, when Sri Pada cascades with water, making climbing not only dangerous but well nigh impossible. The dry season lasts for five months and ends on Vesak Full Moon day in May, when the clouds gather once more to begin their deluge.
Now, however, it's not rain that fills the air, but butterflies. Millions take to the wing, giving the mountain its other popular sobriquet: ‘Butterfly Mountain' or ‘Samanala Kanda' as it is called in Sinhalese by the devotees who flock there in their thousands. They come to climb the stairway to heaven, or Swargarohanam, as ancient Tamil literature calls the pilgrimage.
Four paths lie open to the pilgrim. The first is the closest to Colombo but the least traversed. It's known as the Deraniyagala-Ihala Maliboda Trail and its starting point is only 94 km from the capital. It is the toughest, longest and loneliest way up the mountain, involving a 12 kilometre trek through dense forest and across several streams. It also entails a climb of 1,700 metres to reach the summit.
The second path is known as the Kuruwita Erathna Trail, which starts at an elevation of 400 metres. This too begins 94 kilometres from Colombo but includes a 1,850 metres climb to the top which takes 8-12 hours. The first 3 kilometres of the 12 kilometres trek is a track that demands intense continuous climbing. There are ambalamas, (resting places), on the way, and though the trail will delight outdoor enthusiasts, it is not one the ordinary pilgrim should undertake lightly.
Five thousand steps wait to be climbed on the second most popular route to the summit, known as the Ratnapura Palabaddala trail. It begins at Siripagama, 122 kilometres from Colombo. The trail to the summit is 8.5 kilometres and takes 8-12 hours. Old amabalamas are found on this path too and can be used for overnight stays. There are six peaks to be ascended before you reach Sri Pada, or Adam's Peak as the colonialists called it. Passing through evergreen rain forest, it's among the best places in Lanka to see birds and butterflies, a real treat for nature lovers. But though it's paved from start to finish, this is still a tough climb, with an elevation of 1,700 metres.
Leading to the peak from the opposite side of the rock face is the Hatton Nallathanni Trail. Known in ancient times as the Raja Mawatha, or ‘kings' path' because it was the route used by royalty, today it's the most popular path used by pilgrims. Lying 150 kilometres from Colombo, it starts at an elevation of 1,250 m. Of all the trails, this one is the shortest, at just 5 kilometres long. The first half is through a tea plantation and is no more challenging than a walk in the park: tea bushes peep from their soil beds, small shops line the route, and on the right-hand side a river flows in the valley. Then, once you've passed the Peace Pagoda, a Japanese Buddhist temple built in the 1970s, the trail enters a wildlife reserve.
Three hundred metres later you reach a small flat section of the trail called Gangule Thenna, where you'll find a permanent rest stop. From here the climb continues with only a moderate incline for a further kilometre until you reach the Seethe Gangule, a stream with water as cold as ice. If you can brave the shivers, it's an ideal spot to bathe and freshen up for the final strenuous assault on the peak, up the remaining 1.5 kilometres.
Here at Seethe Gangule, the pilgrims say their pansils, Buddhism's five precepts, followed by votive prayers. Wrapping a coin in a piece of cloth, called a pandura, they make their vows to Saman, the guardian deity of the entire mountain range, as well as one of the four guardian gods of Sri Lanka. They ask him to protect them from all harm during the ascent and descent, then, fortified by prayers, they resume the climb.
Now the going gets tough. You huff and puff your way up the steps until you come to Idikatu Pana, where the most difficult stretch of the climb begins. It's also the spot of most significance to those making their maiden pilgrimage, who, tradition says, should thread a needle and unravel the twine as they progress up the steps.
The final ascent, where 750 metres of sheer rock awaits you, is called Mahagiridamba. Today the path has handrails to steady your climb and guarantee your safety, but it wasn't the case for pilgrims climbing this stretch in the past. Spare a thought for the brave souls who dared this perilous slope - including the likes of Ibn Battuta, Faxian and Marco Polo - for they had only iron chains affixed to the rock to help them climb the final four furlongs.
In 1815, a British army officer called Major Forbes witnessed a tragic, but at the time common, accident, writing in his journal that, "Several natives were blown over the precipice, and yet continued clinging to one of the chains during a heavy gust of wind; but in such a situation, no assistance could be rendered, and they all perished".
About 50 metres from the summit, hidden in the undergrowth a few metres from the path, is the Bhagava Cave. In ancient times, this small cavern may have served as shelter for pilgrims taking refuge in bad weather. A rock inscription found within records the improvements made to the path by King Nissankamalla in the 12th century, as well as his generous offerings at its shrines. To the left of the inscription is the figure of a man making a gesture of reverence that is thought to be a sculpture of the monarch.
Another cave, referred to in the historical chronicles as Divaguha, is believed to be the cave in which the Buddha rested on his visit to the mountain. It is said to exist somewhere on the slopes of Sri Pada but has never been found.
At the summit is a small plateau covering an area 20 metres long and 15 metres wide, with a parapet wall running round its edge. The sacred footprint at its centre is set on a rock 5 metres high and is covered by a huge stone slab. Devotees file past it throwing coins or flowers while a policeman and a monk stand guard (it's only open to the public during the pilgrimage season). Adjacent to it is a shrine to Saman.
Dr John Davy, an inspector general of hospitals in the 19th century, kept a journal during his travels over much of the British Empire. Climbing Sri Pada in 1817, he described the footprint, which was still uncovered at that point.
"The footmark is a superficial flow 68 in. long, and 31 in. and 29 in. wide at the toes and the heel respectively. It is ornamented with a margin of brass and studded with few gems. The cavity bears some coarse resemblance to a human foot, but the size is gigantic, and seems partly natural and partly artificial. There are little raised partitions to represent the interstices between toes."
Sri Pada is the mountain from which Sri Lanka sees her rising sun. The great majority of pilgrims make their climb in the evening to reach the summit in the twilight hours and see dawn break upon the land. But though clouds often spoil the glorious sight of a spectacular sunrise, the pilgrims descend Sri Pada with strengthened faith and a vow to return to climb the sacred mount once again.
Words Manu Gunasena
Photography Laxman Nadaraja
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