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Sri Pada
The view of Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) from a distance
Elevation	2,243 metres (7,359 ft)
Location	Sabaragamuwa (Sri Lanka)
Range	Samanala
Coordinates	6°48′41″N 80°29′59″E / 6.81139, 80.49972

Adam's Peak (also Adam's Mount; Sinhalese Samanalakanda "butterfly mountain", 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 Buddhist tradition held to be the footprint of Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Shiva and in Muslim tradition that of Adam. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixels Full resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 897 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Sri Pada Metadata This file... A topographical summit is a point on a surface which is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. ... Sabaragamuwa is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main cities: Ratnapura and Kegalle. ... For exotic financial options, see Mountain range (options). ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... For other uses, see Mountain (disambiguation). ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Siddhartha and Gautama redirect here. ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... For other uses, see Shiva (disambiguation). ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... For other uses, see Adam (disambiguation). ...

Geography

The mountain is located in the southern reaches of the Central Highlands, in the Ratnapura district of the Sabaragamuwa Province - lying about 20 km northeast of the city of Ratnapura. The surrounding region is largely forested hills, with no mountain of comparable size nearby. Sabaragamuwa is a province of Sri Lanka, and contains two main cities: Ratnapura and Kegalle. ... Ratnapura (රත්නපුර in Sinhala; இரத்தினபுரி in Tamil) (City of Gems in Sinhala & Tamil) is the name of the provincial capital of Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka and the district in which the town is situated. ...

Access to the mountain is generally provided by a bus that travels between Sripada and the nearby town of Maskeliya, to the northeast. The summit of the mountain, however, may only be reached on foot.

Nomenclature

Sunrise on Adam's Peak

Due to its historical significance to the various peoples that inhabit the region, the mountain, itself, is referred to by a variety of terms. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (837x582, 79 KB) [edit] Summary Sunrise on Adams Peak, Sri Lanka, 2002. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (837x582, 79 KB) [edit] Summary Sunrise on Adams Peak, Sri Lanka, 2002. ...

Sri Pada is the term, derived from Sanskrit, used by the Sinhalese people in a religious context. This name is also understood in Pāli, and may be translated roughly 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 assert that it is the footprint of Adam, left by his first entrance into the world. Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Language(s) Sinhala Religion(s) Theravada Buddhism, Christianity, small groups of atheists, agnostics, Muslims, others Related ethnic groups Indo-Aryans, Dravidians, Veddahs, Bengalis The Sinhalese are the main ethnic group of Sri Lanka. ... Pali (IAST: ) is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... Buddhism is a variety of teachings described as a religion[1] or way of life. ... Siddhartha and Gautama redirect here. ... For other uses, see Adam (disambiguation). ...

Shivanolipatha Malai and Shiva padam are two Tamil names holding similar meanings, but both refer to the footprint as being that of the Hindu deity Shiva rather than that of the Buddha. Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... For other uses, see Shiva (disambiguation). ...

The Sinhala name of the mountain is Samanalakanda, which refers either to the deity Saman, who is said to live upon the mountain, or to the butterflies (samanalayā) that frequent the mountain during their annual migrations to the region. Sinhalese or Sinhala (සිංහල, ISO 15919: , pronounced ], earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese, the largest ethnic group of Sri Lanka. ...

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

The Sacred Mountain

The shadow on the Western side

The village of Maskeliya at the feet of the mountain, where the stairs begin

It is revered as a holy site by Buddhists, Hindus, and to a lesser extent by Jews, 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. As the 1910, Encyclopædia Britannica notes^[1] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (838x590, 76 KB) From the summit of Adams Peak one can see the mountains shadow in the mist to the Western side shortly after sunset. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (838x590, 76 KB) From the summit of Adams Peak one can see the mountains shadow in the mist to the Western side shortly after sunset. ... Buddhism is a variety of teachings described as a religion[1] or way of life. ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Languages Historical Jewish languages Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, others Liturgical languages: Hebrew and Aramaic Predominant spoken languages: The vernacular language of the home nation in the Diaspora, significantly including English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian Religions Judaism Related ethnic groups Arabs and other Semitic groups For the Jewish religion, see Judaism. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ...

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 chiefly 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 footstep of Siva, by the Buddhists of Buddha, by the Muslims of Adam, whilst the Portuguese 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. Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Siddhartha and Gautama redirect here. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... For other uses, see Adam (disambiguation). ... St. ...

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. This article is about the religious or spiritual journey. ...

Climbing at night can be a remarkable experience, with the lights of the path leading up and into the stars overhead. There are rest stops along the way.

Legends

The mountain can only be scaled from December to May. During other months it is hard to climb the mountain due to very heavy rain, extreme wind, and thick mist. It is almost impossible to hike there through lesser known jungle tracks because of flooding rivers and animals.

Buddhists say that the footprint mark is the left foot of the Buddha, left behind as he strode away, the right footprint being (depending on legend) in Amphoe Phra Phutthabat, Saraburi Province, located about 150 kilometres northeast of Bangkok, Thailand. This place is called in Thai Phra Bat or Phra Phutthabat. Phra Phutthabat (Thai พระพุทธบาท) is a district (Amphoe) located in Saraburi Province, Thailand. ... Saraburi (Thai สระบุรี) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ... Location within in Thailand Coordinates: , Country Settled Ayutthaya Period Founded as capital 21 April 1782 Government  - Type Special administrative area  - Governor Apirak Kosayothin Area  - City 1,568. ...

Tamil Hindus think it is the footprint of Shiva. For other uses, see Shiva (disambiguation). ...

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 connected to the idea that Sri Lanka was the original Eden. For other uses, see Adam (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Garden of Eden (disambiguation). ...

A shrine to Saman, a Buddhist "deity" (People who have done yeoman service to regions are deified by Sri Lankan Buddhists) 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. Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, Sri Lankabhimanya (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was a British (lived in Sri Lanka since 1956) science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, most famous for the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, written in collaboration with director Stanley Kubrick, a collaboration which led also to... The Fountains of Paradise is a 1979 novel by Arthur C. Clarke. ...

This mountain also produces a very high grade white tea, known as Sri Pada White Tea. This white tea is especially rare and only 30 kilograms are made on a weekly basis because only the best fresh shoots are selected and then withered and sun dried.

This mountain is also the setting and title of the Pahan Silu song Siripada (2007). Pahan Silu, which roughly translates to dancing candlelight from its original Sinhala (one of the three primary languages spoken on the island of Sri Lanka); is also the name of the band formed in late 2002 by American-born musician Priyan Weerappuli. ...

References

See also

• Petrosomatoglyph

This footprint carved into the rock on Dunadd, in Argyll, is linked to the crowning of the Scots kings of Dál Riata. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sri Pada

• Sri Pada or Adam's Peak web site
• Sri pada: Buddhism's most sacred mountain
• Sri Pada - The holiest of the holy hills
• Adam's Peak - Sri Pada
• Mountains of Sri Lanka - Sri pada

Coordinates: 6°48′41″N, 80°29′59″E Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...