Ritigala is a towering mountain found in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and it is where you’ll find the Ritigala Forest Monastery. This is an ancient Buddhist monastery that dates back many centuries and is among one of the oldest structures of its kind found in the island. Located around 40 kilometres away from Anuradhapura, a trek up the mountain to visit this site can make for a fantastic day’s excursion.
The mountain itself has four peaks which tower over the surrounding landscape. According to legend, the monkey god Hanuman created Ritigala when he dropped a bit of the Himalayan Mountains as he carried them across Lanka. The monastery itself is found on the eastern side of the mountain, right at the foot of a gorge that main peak of Ritigala from its northern ridge. Right near the entrance of the monastery, you’ll find a large man-made reservoir called the Banda Pokuna. It is believed that the ancient Sri Lankan ruler King Pandukabhya constructed this, all the way back around 400 BC!
The monastery itself is distinguished by elaborate stone bridges, raised platforms and large courtyards. These were all common features associated with other contemporary monasteries of the time. What’s interesting about the Ritigala Monastery is the absence of the main structures that are present in almost every other Buddhist temple or monastery – namely a stupa and a bo tree.
Now, a visit to the Ritigala Forest Monastery isn’t all about the monastery and its ruins either. As you trek along this mountain range, you’ll be able to spot a fantastic array of wildlife and avifauna as well. The dry evergreen forest that covers much of the mountain is home to iconic species like the Sri Lankan leopard and Hanuman langur.
