Adam's Peak
Adam's Peak is a 2,243 m (7,359 ft) tall conical sacred mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well known for the Sri Pada (Śrī Pāda ; Sinhala: ශ්රී පාද, "sacred footprint"), a 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) rock formation near the summit whose name is also used for the mountain itself. In Buddhist tradition the print is held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Sri Lankan Hindu tradition that of Hanuman or Shiva (its Tamil name, சிவனொளிபாதமலை, Sivanolipaathamalai), means "Mountain of Shiva's Light") and in some Islamic and Christian traditions that of Adam or St. Thomas.
| Adam's Peak | |
|---|---|
| Sri Pada | |
Adam's Peak from a distance | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,243 m (7,359 ft) |
| Coordinates | 6°48′34″N 80°29′59″E |
| Naming | |
| Native name |
|
| Geography | |
Adam's Peak Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka | |
| Parent range | Samanala |
The mountain is also known as Mount Malaya in Buddhist sources, particularly the Mahayana Lankavatara Sutra, which states that the Buddha preached this sutra on top of the mountain. According to this sutra, the mountain was the abode of Rāvanā, overlord of the Raskshasas and ruler of Laṅkā. Other names in Sanskrit sources include Mount Lanka, Ratnagiri (Mountain of Gems), Malayagiri (Mount Malaya) or Mount Rohana.
The mountain is also seen as the abode of the deity Saman and also goes by various names associated with this, including Sumanakūta ("Sumana's Mountain") and Samanalakanda ("Mountain of Saman" or "Mountain of the Butterflies").