ritigala

Sri Lanka is blessed with such a number of archaeological sites of historical & cultural importance, you would be spoilt for a choice. With all its diversity in topography, geography, terrain & climate, Sri Lanka being an island of just 65,525 square kilometres (25,299 Sq. miles), travelling from one site to other wouldn't be too tiring or time killing. Always few hours drive even when arriving at sharply contrasting terrain & climate. Having seen Rainwater reservoirs, Stupas (Dagobas) & Temples, we may still pursue a compact combination of ruins, cave monastery, natural reserve of great beauty & micro-climate topped by a fascinating epic no less than Ramayana itself. Ritigala. The true meaning of Ritigala is not yet established. While the word Riti could have been derived form the word arittha, meaning "safety" in ancient Pali language, gala means rock in Sinhala.

Ritigala. A mountain steeped in legend, history, mystery, mist crowned with cool & wet micro-climate. We are in between Anurdhapura & Polonnaruwa. We are at an archaeological site. The site is Indescribable. We are in central plains, dry & humid. And we are still in the foot of the mountain, yet cool with the mountain range shrouded by mist. and mystery. With the exceptions of broken granite Buddha statues in a number of caves, Ritigala has none of the usual icons: no bodhi tree, no stupas. The first Lanka Vihare (temple) was founded near Ritigala at the foot of the mountain in the second century BC. The Aritta Vihare was founded a century afterwards. Royals proved generous patrons. In the ninth century AD, King Sena made endowment of the monastery, a larger complex higher up the slope for a group of ascetics-priests called the Pansukulikas (rag robes) monks who devoted themselves to extreme austerity.

Rediscovery
Ritigala is referred to as "Aristha" in Ramayana & "arittha-pabbata" (Rock of Refugee) in the Mahavamsa, the great historical chronicle, appears to have been a site of refuge & recoup for hero of the nation King Dutugamunu of Ruhuna (161-136 BC) & for King Jetthatissa (623 AD) in their battles against marauding Dravidian invaders from South India. Ritigala was abandoned following the Chola invasions in the 10th & 11th centuries, after which it lay deserted & largely forgotten until it was rediscovered by colonial surveyor James Mantell in 1872. It was explored & mapped by first Commissioner of Archaeology of Ceylon, H.C.P. Bell in 1938.

An archaeological site
Ritigala. We are at a 366 acre archaeological site. Brahmi inscriptions here date the site from the third & second centuries BC. We are at the highest mountain (2513 ft above sea level) in the north central plains. As we enter the site, from the foot of the mountain, we clamber over ruined steps leading down to an impressive feet of engineering, now overgrown two-acre terraced (inner face is lined with continuous stone steps) bathing tank (Bandha pokuna) built by King Pandukabhaya in 437 BC. The bathing tank possibly served a ritual purpose, with visitors bathing here before entering the monastery.

Bubbling streams, huge boulders & noble trees
Ritigala. At the far end of the tank, crossing the bed of the stream feeding the bathing pool are steep steps that lead up to a beautifully constructed pavement, a stone path 1.5 meters wide that meander upwards running through the forest. It links all the major buildings of the monastery, in perfect harmony with huge boulders, noble trees & burbling streams of the sylvan environment. The path that testifies to superior craftsmanship is beautifully laid with interlocking ashlars (irregular quadrilateral slabs of hewn stone) in patterns of two, three & four. Stillmore, it is edged with proportionate curbstones. Overhanging branches over & along the stone path provides shelter to such an extent even during the fierce High Noon sun rays into the path is reduced to a soft glow. The three large circular platforms at intervals along the pavement were probably resting places.

Stone bridges, raised platforms & courtyards
Ritigala. Then we are at the remains of some extraordinary stone srtuctures known as double-platforms, which are characteristic of Ritigala & other forest monasteries such as Arankele and the western monasteries at Anuradhapura. A stone bridge connects two raised platforms, created by building retaining walls on the slope. These structures, which were quite likely roofed & divided into rooms, were used for solitary practices such as meditation, as well as congregational functions such as teaching & ceremony.

Over an original stone bridge, following a part-restored pathway, a few meters to the right-hand (east) laid with interlocking ashlars, to the first major clearing, & we come across ruins of a monastery hospital, where we can still see the medicinal herbs-leaves & roots-grinding stones and huge stone Auyrvedic oil baths.

The pavement continues straight ahead to reach one of the roundabouts. About 20 meters before reaching the round about, a path heads off to the right, leading through enormous tree roots to a lookout, reached by a stone high above a burbling stream. Further up is another lookout. Then we encounter an artificial waterfall contrived by placing a stone slab between two rocks.

Another 500 meters & we reach two further sunken courtyards. The first courtyard contains a large double platform structure, one of the largest stone structures in the entire monastery; one of the platforms preserves the remains of the pillars which once supported a building. A few meters beyond lies the second courtyard & another large double platform.

Serene atmosphere & cool air
Ritigala. The consummate combination of serene atmosphere & cool air makes it easier for you to appreciate why the Buddhist Bhikhus had chosen this place for their contemplative perambulations. An alms giving hall, ruins of a palace. Next to the ruins of the palace of King Pandukabhaya are the ruins of the entrance to the tunnel that led to Anuradhapura. The next set of ruins is believed to be a library, now partly restored, and perched atop a rock with magnificent views across to the jungle below.

Where trekkers dare
Ritigala We are at platform 17 which marks the end of the excavated territory. Excavations continue, so more would be revealed. Beyond these are ruins too, that runs up to the summit at 766m, but then there is dense vegetation. Worse still are wild beasts: elephants, sloth bear & leopard. Wildlife dept workers have been killed or maimed in higher slope by the wild elephants. Do we turn tail? Do we take a step back? We have already encountered a bull elephant. Will the guide from the archaeological dept post (it was at the foot of the hill) who accompanied us so far, dare?

Mythology
Ritigala. We are at the mountain site where Lord Hanuman, the warrior king of non-human Vanara tribe of India leapt from Lanka to India, having discovered where Sita, the consort of most righteous Lord Rama (one of the nine avatars of God Vishnu), was held captive by flamboyant King Rawana of Raksasa tribe of Lanka. Oh! that's from non other than Ramayana, the epic of India together with Mahabarata that relegate great epics The Iliad, The Odyssey & Aeneid to the distant runners up.

The lone long-ranger
Ritigala. According to popular belief, Lord Hanuman of supernatural powers, who could rise up to the occasion & become bigger than the task assigned, become bigger than the problem (with apologies to Suda Murthy of Infosys, India) flew, jump, travelled over Ritigala, by accident, dropping one of the chunks of the Himalaya, which he was carrying from India to Lanka for its medicinal herbs. Lord Rama's brother, Prince Lakshmana was mortally wounded in battle & only a rare herb in the Himalaya could save his life. Well, come to think of it, the pocket of vegetation of healing herbs & plants at the strange mini-plateau at the summit of Ritigala that is distinct from the dry-zone flora of the lower slopes & surrounding plains at Ritigala could be accounted for. Perhaps.

The spy who found her
Ritigala Well, that was during the epic battle. Lord Hanuman has visited Lanka on a previous occasion too. That was when he was sent by Lord Rama in search of his consort Sita. It was King Ravana, a devotee of God Siva, who seized Sita from Parnasali in India, the holy hut of Lord Rama & brought her to Asok Vana, a beautiful park at Seetha Eliya (close to Nuwara Eliya, or Little England, as the British called it three millennium later) on the Pusparaga (Dadumonara) an air chariot-without touching her. Having found the location where Sita was held, Hanuman then made use of Ritigala mountain range as launching pad to take one hell of a simian leap across to South India. Come to think of it, Ritigala is in fact the highest prominence between the central plains of Sri Lanka & coast of Southern India.

History
Ritigala. We are at the mountain site (well, if you don't like mythological epics, would history do?) of which impenetrable terrain & strategic position close to Anuradhapura led to it becoming a favourite hiding place for rebels, from the time of King Pandukhabaya in the 3rd century BC right up 1971, when Sinhalese Marxist rebels of JVP who took up arms against the state hid for several weeks before being flushed out by the Sri Lankan army. The prince in exile at Ritigala went onto fulfil the prophecy on his mother, who was imprisoned by her ten brothers, in a high single chamber tower to prevent her conceiving, killed all his maternal uncles in battle, at the foot of the mountain, to become the king of Lanka & found the glorious city of Anuradhapura. His mother, Ummadacitta (meaning "The beauty that overwhelm one and all with maddening desire" in Sinhalese) smuggled out, at birth, her son, sired by Prince Digagamini, to prevent their son being kiiled by her brothers.

Strict Nature Reserve - no entry, unless you are on a recognized eco project
Ritigala. We are, if the history wouldn't do either, at an eco site unlike any other in the island. We are at a 3878-acre Strict Nature Reserve, where wildlife includes elephants, sloth bear, leopard & varied bird life. This is the watershed of the Malwatu Oya (river) which feeds the Nachaduwa tank & Kalueba Ela (canal) which feeds Huruluweva (reservoir).The area, the 6.5km (4-mile) range of hills & about two miles wide at its widest point is rich in unusual plants & rarest medicinal herbs. It is an oasis of vegetation. Following his research in the mountain range, Henry Trimen, in the colonial era scribed "The hand book of Flora of Ceylon". Ritigala is also rich in endangered bird species, including black eagle, grey hornbill, Sri Lanka spurfowl, Malabar pied hornbill and spot-winged thrush.