❤️🙏Sri Padasthana 🙏❤️

 

Sri Pada Kanda is located in the Central Highlands of the Ratnapura District of the Sabaragamuwa Province.  It is about 2243 meters high.Sri Padasthana is a place of worship for Buddhists. The area around Mount Sri Pada is surrounded by large mountain ranges. It is home to elephants, tigers, bears and other endemic species. There are about 6 ways to reach Sri Pada Kanda.

                                   

    Due to the historical value of Sri Padasthana, various ethnic groups call Sri Padasthana by their own names. Buddhists have been naming this sacred mountain "Sri Pada" since ancient times, 236 BCE. It is a word derived from the Pali language. Buddhists believe that the Supreme Buddha marked his left sole on the top of the Sri Pada hill. Sri Padasthana is also known as Samanala Kanda. Butterflies are so called because they are considered to live in the foothills during their annual migration. Sumana Saman God is also known as "Samantha Koota" considering that Sri Padasthana resides. The real right here belongs to the Sinhala Buddhists. Climbing the Sri Pada mountain is a difficult task. It takes thousands of steps, and it takes hours to reach the top. Pilgrimage to Sri Pada begins on Unduvap Poya Day every year. Vesak ends on Poya Day. In other months it is difficult to climb Mount Sri Pada. During those months, Mount Sripada receives heavy rainfall, strong winds and heavy fog.🌧️🌧️🌪️. There are traditional rituals associated with climbing Sri Pada🙂.  The first pilgrim to ascend the Sri Pada is called the "Kodukara" and must bathe in the stream called the "Seetha Gangula".🥶🥶. Needles and threads are attached at a place called a "needlepoint". While climbing the mountain, the devotees sing various folk poems. After climbing the mountain, they ring the bell according to the number of times they have visited the shrine. It is a wonderful experience to visit Sri Pada Kanda at night🥰. The path illuminated by light bulbs appears to the pilgrim as a path to the stars😍. The intention of the Sri Pada pilgrim is to climb to the top of the hill before sunrise. Popularly known as "Ira Sevaya", watching the sunrise on a hilltop is an unforgettable experience.Sunlight falls on the mountain tops and casts a triangular shadow over the surrounding plains☀️. As the sun rises, so does the shadow.  Called the Sun Service. Every year, Buddhists come to Sri Padasthana with great enthusiasm to pay homage to Sri Pada.

 We must all do our part to ensure that this sacred shrine remains unpolluted for many more years to come.❤️🙏.