Ritigala


Ritigala is a mountain in central Sri Lanka.It was a home to ancient Buddhist monastery.The ruins and rock inscriptions of this monastery dates back to 1 century b.c.It is a mountain risen steeply from the sorrounding plain.It is consist of 4 peaks.The mountain is about 6.5km long.And it devided into nothern and southern blocks by “Maha Degala Gorge”.Ritigala is the highest mountain in central Sri Lanka.It is 766m above the sea level and 600m above the sorrounding plains.The modern name “Ritigala” was created from the ancient name “Aritta Pabbata”as mentioned in Mahawamsa.It’s elevation is higher than other tourist mountainous places like Sigiriya,Dambulla and Mihinthale in the northern plains,Sri Lanka.And also it is very important for Sri Lankas bio-diversity.


Climate


The moisture and the orographic precipitation all over the year.This makes the mountain wetter than other low lands in the surrounding.Ritigala receives the highest rainfall of rainfall about 125mm during the North East Monsoon.And during the south west monsoon,ritigala is covering by the mist and cloud cover.And it results high vapour condensation.As a result of this,Ritigala becomes wet when other low lands in the dry zone faces droughts.


Ritigala is a nature reserve with 1528hactares.It was established on 7th novenber 1941 and is managed by the Department of Wildlife of Sri Lanka together with the Forest Department of Sri Lanka.Ritigala reserve is in the Sri Lankan dry zone dry evergreen forest eco-region and is home to five types of plant communities.

844.7 or 64.9% of the reserve area covers by dry mixed evergreen forest with evergreen trees with closed canopy up to 30m high.Dialium Ovoideum,Dimocarpus Longan,Diospyros Affinis,Dry petes SepiariaMangifera Zeylanica,Mesua Ferra etc are some typical canopy trees.

Short stature forest covering 82.3 hactares or 6.3% along the ridge tops in area of high humidity and condensation and lower temperatures.


Legends

Ritigala is full of various plants with immensive herbal value.The plants found in this area are connot be found in any other area in Sri Lanka.But these plants can be found in Himalayan area.A herb plant called “Sansevi” is belived to have the power of conferring long life and curing all human pains.According to legends all the vegetation in Ritigala is protected by “Yakkas”.The term “Yakkas” denotes superhuman beings worthy of respect.

And another legend is in during the war of the Great king Ravana and Rama,many of Rama’s soldiers and also Rama’s brother got wounded  and the  Lord Hanuman brought a part of Himalayan range to obtain herbal plants to heal them.But this this legend can be thrown away because the rocks in Ritigala are same as the the other areas in Sri Lanka.  

Ruins of ancient Monastry of Ritigala


These ruins can be found in the eastern side of the mountain foot of the gorge which seperates the main peak from the northern ridge.These ruins are spreaded in a area of 24 hectares.The ancient man made reservoir is a feat of engineering with a bound of polygonal plan completeing a construction of the reservoir is credited to king Pandukabaya.This was built for visitors for bathing purpose before entering the monastery.The ruins of pedestrian path,entrance complex and this tank indicate devotees in large numbers visited the monastery.It is very similar to the Kataragama.

There are some lord Buddhas statues found in many caves in Ritigala reveals that it was a Buddhist temple a time ago but it is very different from other Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka because no Bo trees and no stupas.The first Lanka Vihara was found near Ritigalla at the foot of the mountain in the second century B.C.


Decorated Urinals



The only example of representational carving to be found at Ritigala is in the form of decorated urinals that consist of urine cup,drain hole and foot supports.It is believed that these decorated stones were meant to depict the architectural and ritualistic excesses of the orthodox monastic chapters to which the Pamsukulikaa were opposed

.