I did the walk on the holy mountain in the year 1977 and again in 1978. I lived in Nuwara Eliza. It is great video to see. Now I am too old do it again. Thank you for your contribution.😢
There was no Buddha statues few decades ago. And most the Hindu shrines gone missing! Same thing is happening in kadirgamam and Munesvaram temples too.
Please dont spread racism without knowing proper history . Sri pada is not another relegious place . It has a long history ,a different culture , even different vocabulary is used in this premises !! Sri pada is first documented as a buddhist worship place in 3rd century CE . It is in Deepavamsa as "Samantha koota" . Later Mahavansa also mentions this in 5th century CE. After this many buddhist records have documented this as a buddhist worship place. Eg - Samantha pasadhika, Samantha koota varnana etc. Shiva and Hanuman were connected to this temple by indian tamil people brought by british for wirk in tea plantations in hatton area. Some indian tamils started to beleave this as the foot print of hanuman who due to their beleafs in ramayana . Others started to say it is shiva foot print. But beleave me, there are no written historical records for any of these. They are just beleafs of lay people. Can yiu mention any hindu book mentioned about a foot print of shiva in sabaragamu province of sri lanka?
There is a huge buddhist culture developed atound sri pada brother . Sabaragamuwa was inhabited by a Sinhalese tribe called "Sabaru" of ancient sri lanka. Their leader was "Sumana" . Sumana became a buddhist god after the death and historically he is worshiped as god Sumana saman by sinhalese people of Sabaragamuwa province . Sabaragamu dancing is their traditional dancing . There are many rituals to be done in different places while climbing this mountain . Eg - Idhikatupana Geththampana Heramitipana Leeni hela Dharmaraja gala Seethgangula Mahagiri Dambe Himey Do you beleave ? Sinhala lsnguage has a different vocabulary used in this mountain ? This was as a respect not to use certain common words in this premises. Eg - Climbing - Naginava is normal sinhala word for this. But in sri pada people use a different word " Karuna karanava" Which is only used in sri pada . There are special devotional songs that were sung by ancient Sinhalese while climbing Sri pada . they are called " Thun saraney ". Even today buddhists sing these traditional songs while climbing sri pada. Sri pada is not another buddhist temple as the ones you see in Anuradhapura, polonnaruwa ,Dambulla or Kandy. It is a separate "CULTURE ". The culture of ancient Sinhalese tribals called " Sabaru " . Tamils of north and east might not knowing anything about the historical and cultural significance of Sri pada for the locals of Sabaragamuva. Sti pada is the cultural identity of Sabaragamu Sinhalese . ❤
