A Buddha near the Foot Print of Prophet Adam (A.S)
Jutting sharply
skyward from the lush jungles of southwestern Sri Lanka is the 7362 foot
(2243 meter) peak of Sri Pada, the 'Holy Footprint'. Also called
Adam’s Peak, the mountain has the
unique distinction of being sacred to the followers of four of the
world's major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.
Long before the development of these religions, however, the mountain
was worshipped by the aboriginal inhabitants of Sri Lanka, the Veddas.
Their name for the peak was Samanala Kanda; Saman being one of the four
guardian deities of the island. For Hindus, the name of the mountain is
Sivan Adi Padham, because it was the world-creative dance of the god
Shiva that left the giant footprint (5 feet 7 inches by 2 feet 6
inches). According to Buddhist traditions from as early as 300 BC, the
real print is actually beneath this larger marking. Imprinted on a huge
sapphire, it was left by the Buddha during the third and final of his
legendary visits to Sri Lanka. When Portuguese Christians came to the
island in the 16th century they claimed the impression to be the
footprint of St. Thomas who, according to legend, first brought
Christianity to Sri Lanka.
But in fact, it is the footprint of Prophet Adam (A.S) where he stood for a thousand years of penance on one foot. When Prophet Adam (A.S) was expelled from heaven, God put him on the peak to make the shock less terrible - Ceylon being that place on earth closest to and most like heaven.
The mountain is more easily seen from the
sea than from land, and also more impressive. Early 
Arab
seafarers fascinated with the pyramidal peak wrote of it as "the
highest mountain in the world" (it is not even the highest in Sri
Lanka), and "visible from three days sail". The ancient
Sinhalese also believed it to be of great height and a native legend
tells "from Seyllan to Paradise is forty miles, and the sound of
the fountains of Paradise is heard here". Visited by many early
world travelers, among them the Arab Ibn Batuta (1304-1368) and the
Venetian Marco Polo (1254-1324), Adam’s Peak attained a legendary
status as a mystic pilgrimage destination. Today the pilgrimage season
commences in December and continues until the beginning of the monsoon
rains in April (from May to October the mountain is obscurred by
clouds). Certain parts of the path leading up the mountain are extremely
steep and the climbing chains secured in these sections are said to have
been placed by Alexander the Great (365-323 BC), though there is no
evidence that he made it this far south on his Asia travels. Atop the
peak is an oblong platform (74 x 24 feet) where stands a small Buddhist
temple and the shrine of Saman with the strange footprint. Votive
offerings are made here, especially of a coil of silver as long as the
donor is tall, for recovery from sickness; and rain-water taken from the
footprint is known to have a wonderful healing power. Adam’s Peak is
also called Samanalakande or the 'butterfly mountain' because of the
myriads of small butterflies that fly from all over the island to die
upon the sacred mountain.
Prophet Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka
Longest way of mountain