Adam's Peak (also Adam's Mount; Sinhalese Samanalakanda - ???? ????

"butterfly m
ountain", Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai - ??????? ??????), is a 2,243 metres (7,359
ft) tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well-known for the
Sri Pada "sacred footprint", a 1.8 m rock formation near the summit, in Buddhis
t tradition held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of S
hiva and in Muslim tradition that of Adam.
The mountain is located in the southern reaches of the Central Highlands, in the
Ratnapura district of the Sabaragamuwa Province - lying about 40 km northeast o
f the city of Ratnapura. The surrounding region is largely forested hills, with
no mountain of comparable size nearby. The region along the mountain is a wildli
fe reserve housing many species varying from elephants to leopards, and includin
g many endemic species.
Trails
Access to the mountain is possible by 6 trails (Ratnapura-Palabaddala, Hatton-Na
llathanni, Kuruwita-Erathna, Murraywatte, Mookuwatte & Malimboda). Out of these
the Nallathanni & Palabaddala routes are the most popular. Kuruwita-Erathna road
is somewhat popular as well. The other 3 roads are almost obscure. It joins the
Palabaddala road midway through the ascent. Buses connect the final nodes of Na
llanthanni to Hatton, Palabaddala to Ratnapura & Erathna to Kuruwita. There afte
r it's a difficult journey through the forest on foot. Most of the pilgrims use
Hatton route as the journey on foot can be reduced by more than five kilometers
even though the slope of this route is much greater than other routes.
Due to its historical significance to the various peoples that inhabit the regio
n, the mountain, itself, is referred to by a variety of terms.
Sri Pada is the term, derived from Sanskrit, used by the Sinhalese people in a r
eligious context. This name is also understood in Pali, and may be translated ro
ughly as "the sacred foot". It refers to the footprint-shaped mark at the summit
, which is believed by Buddhists to be that of the Buddha. Other traditions asse
rt that it is the footprint of Adam, left by his first entrance into the world.
Shivanolipatha Malai and Shiva padam are two Tamil names holding similar meaning
s, but both refer to the footprint as being that of the Hindu deity Shiva rather
than that of the Buddha.
The Sinhala name of the mountain is Samanalakanda, which refers either to the de
ity Saman, who is said to live upon the mountain, or to the butterflies (samanal
aya) that frequent the mountain during their annual migrations to the region.
Other local and historic names include Ratnagiri ("jewelled hill"), Samantakuta
("Peak of Saman"), Svargarohanam ("the climb to heaven"), Mount Rohana and other
variations on the root Rohana.
It is revered as a holy site by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. It ha
s specific qualities that cause it to stand out and be noticed; including its do
minant and outstanding profile, and the boulder at the peak that contains an ind
entation resembling a footprint. As the 1910, Encyclopædia Britannica notes[1]
For a long period Adam's Peak was supposed to be the highest mountain in Ceylon,
but actual survey makes it only 7353 ft. above sea-level. This elevation is chi
efly remarkable as the resort of pilgrims from all parts of the East. The hollow
in the lofty rock that crowns the summit is said by the Brahmans to be the foot
step of Siva, by the Buddhists of Buddha, by the Muslims of Adam, whilst the Por
tuguese Christians were divided between the conflicting claims of St Thomas and
the eunuch of Candace, queen of Ethiopia. The footstep is covered by a handsome
roof, and is guarded by the priests of a rich monastery half-way up the mountain
, who maintain a shrine on the summit of the peak.
It is an important pilgrimage site, especially for Hindus and Buddhists. Pilgrim
s 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, a
nd the goal is to be on top of the mountain at sunrise, when the distinctive sha
pe of the mountain casts a triangular shadow on the surrounding plain and can be
seen to move quickly downward as the sun rises.
Climbing at night can be a remarkable experience, with the lights of the path le
ading up and into the stars overhead. There are rest stops along the way.

A view of Adam's peak from Maskeliya townThe mountain is most often scaled from
December to May. During other months it is hard to climb the mountain due to ver
y heavy rain, extreme wind, and thick mist.
Buddhists say that the footprint mark is the left foot of the Buddha, left behin
d as he strode away, the right footprint being (depending on legend) in Amphoe P
hra Phutthabat, Saraburi Province, located about 150 kilometres northeast of Ban
gkok, Thailand. This place is called in Thai Phra Bat or Phra Phutthabat.
Tamil Hindus think it is the footprint of Shiva.
Muslims and Christians in Sri Lanka ascribe it to where Adam, the first Ancestor
, set foot as he was exiled from the Garden of Eden. The legends of Adam are con
nected to the idea that Sri Lanka was the original Eden.
A shrine to Saman, a Buddhist "deity" (People who have spent spiritual life duri
ng their life on earth and done pacificism service to regions are deified by Sri
Lankan Buddhists) charged with protecting the mountain top, can be found near t
he footprint.