Sri Pada, the most prominent and famous physical feature of Sri Lanka, visible for miles from land, air and sea, is an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians.
The height of the mountain Sri Pada is 2,243 meters. On the top of this religious rock the Sacred Footprint of Lord Buddha has printed. But the Hindus believe that the footprint is of their god Shiva, Muslims think that Adam, the first man, planted his foot here when he was thrown out of paradise, and Christians consider the footprint to be that of the apostle Thomas, imprinted there on one his missionary voyages.
Hill climb of a different type, a pilgrimage for the locals but famous for the spectacular sun rise and the panoramic views of Sri Lanka or simply for adventure. The summit is famous for the footprint said to be now covered under a huge rock. Thousands of Sri Lankans of all of the world's major religions make this ardous pilgrimage to the summit during the season therefore the most popular hill trail in Sri Lanka to 2200m above the sea level . The season is between December and April when the summit is not misty and relatively dry. There are two popular starting points from the directions of Hatton or Ratnapura.
Easily recognisable from many areas of the western / southern parts of the country because of it's triangle shape summit as well as from the sea to the west. Secret to Christians Muslims as well as Hindus while to Buddhist it is one of the places where Buddha has visited and left a footprint. Today it has been covered by a boulder. The first climbs dates back to 1000AD by then king Vijayabahu I who had built resting places for travellers. Travellers like Ibn Batuta a Arab pilgrim (1304-1377), and Marco Polo (1254-1324) have recorded visiting the summit.

Routes to Sri Pada
There are few routes to Sri Pada the most used routes are from Ratnapura side or from Hatton/Maskeliya. Public bus services are available from both towns as well as from Colombo and other major towns during the season.
From Ratnapura Side. The difficult path start from about 30km from via Kuruwita, Gilimale, Ratnapura. The climb is about 4-6 hours.
Busses are From Hatton, Special Bus service to Sri Pada is available from various destinations. Alternatively visitors by bus from Colombo (or else where) may first go to Maskeliya and then to Delhousie where vehicular approaches end. The trail is around 8 kM. And the climb would take 2-3 hours minimum depending on how fit you are.
The forest around the area is a wild life sanctuary famous for its butterflies but also and contains a wealth of flora and fauna.

Watching The Sunrise From The Top
The sunrise is spectacular and the scenic beauty of the climb is superb. Most people climb to watch the sunrise from the summit and therefore start at late night. There are several resting places along the routes. Both routes are well lit and marked.