Ritigala

Ritigala is a mountain range that has given rise to many mysterious beliefs. Some say that Ritigala was an area inhabited by Yaksha tribes in the early days.It can be seen that some of the pilgrims who visit Anuradhapura now come to Ritigala to see its beauty. Foreign tourists also visit Ritigala. As a result, there are several hotels in the area that cater to their needs. A ticket of Rs. 20 is required to enter here.

From Maradankadawala you can see the Ritigala mountain range on the horizon. It is a spectacular sight as there are no other mountains around.

How to reach Ritigala : From Habarana to Anuradhapura via Maradankadawala. M. 15 Take a detour from Galapitagala Junction. A short distance from Galapitagala village you come to a concrete paved road in the middle of the forest. Elephants travel on this road and should avoid going in the early morning. The concrete road turns into a main road again. From there the road stretches through a dense forest cover through the Ritigala reserve. This road is well maintained and can be easily accessed by car. There is a parking lot at the foot of the hill. Distance from Galapitagala to the foothills. M. 8 p.m. If necessary, you can also get information from the Archaeological Office here.Distance from Colombo to Ritigala is 1 km. It's about 201.

Folklore : This is how Ravana connects to Ritigala. In retaliation for Ravana's insignificance, he abducted Goddess Sita, the queen of King Rama of India, and kept her safe in Lankapura. Lakshmana was wounded in the war. Hanumantha who came with him went to the Himalayas in India in search of a cure for his disease but he forgot the name of the medicine. After that the whole area where the herbs are located is rescued and brought back. Legend has it that part of the mountain was broken and a medicinal mountain was formed near Ritigala.

Why Ritigala is so special : It is the highest mountain in Kandy and is 2514 feet (765 m) high. Ritigala is the highest mountain between the Central Highlands of our country and the mountains of South India. It also has a cool climate and a cool climate. Therefore, even in the dry season, Ritigala is often clouded and hidden.

Due to this the Ritigala forest has been turned into a strict reserve as far back as 1931. The size of the strict reserve is 1528 hectares. In addition, 690 acres including the ruined monastery complex at the foot of the mountain have been declared an Archaeological Reserve. The Ritigala Range is made up of several other mountains. It includes seven mountains namely Aushadha Kanda, Kodigala Kanda, Una Kanda, Adiya Kanda, Fruit Kanda, Amarapathi Kanda and Ulpath Kanda.

Ritigala still has 74 dripstone caves, 152 inscriptions in Brahmin script, a large pond with the ruins of about 140 buildings of archeological value and a stone path. Located in the shade of large trees, these ruins take us back in time.

Forest ruins : When you climb the mountain near the Archaeological Office, the first thing you see is a large pond. It is called Banda Pokuna because it is built using stone slabs. This pond has recently been excavated and part of it has been preserved. It used to receive water from mountain streams. You can still see the water flowing down the river. From there, cross the gorge and cross a stone bridge to reach a path that runs through the forest, which is made entirely of black stone. That path is about a mile long.

After walking a short distance you can reach a ruined place. The Janthaghara building is a building that was set up for the monks to take medicine and hot baths. There is a stone wall around the building. In the center of the building is a stone basin in the shape of a swimming pool. Earlier we also met a crowd at Arankale.