The Ritigala Mountain marked as a Strict Natural Reserve consists mainly of 4 peaks covering approximately 3776 acres. The ruins of the monastery located on the mountain are known to date back to the 1st century BCE.
Where is it?
The Ritigala Forest Monastery and the mountain range are located approximately 43 km from the ancient city of Anuradhapura.
Where to stay?
Many who wish to visit the forest range, travel from their Habarana or Sigiriya hotel as it comes as the highly recommended site. If you’re staying at Habarana Village by Cinnamon or any other accommodation in the area, check whether transfers can be arranged.
The legend
According to the legendary Ramayana epic, upon being requested to get some healing herbs from the Himalayas, Hanuman dropped a chunk of the Himalayan mountains as he was flying over Sri Lanka. This chunk was believed to have broken into three pieces, one of them is now known as Ritigala.
The Monastery
The Ritigala Monastery, or rather the ruins of it has a few granite statues of Buddha spread out in a few caves. There are also some other ruins of the temple structures that you will see during your expedition.
Catalina Forbes is a travel writer who bases her content on many thrilling escapades experienced across the world. Google+
