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Ritigala
Ritigala is a mountain in central Sri Lanka which is home to an ancient Buddhist monastery. The ruins and rock inscriptions of the monastery date back to 1st century BCE. It is located 43 km (27 mi) away from the ancient monastic city of Anuradhapura.
Ritigala mountain consists of four peaks which rise steeply from the surrounding plain. The mountain is 6.5 km in length, and divided into northern and southern blocks by Maha-Degala Gorge. The highest peak is Ritigala Kanda in the southern block.
At 766 m (2,513 ft) above sea level, and 600 m (2,000 ft) above the surrounding plains, Ritigala is the highest mountain in northern part of Sri Lanka. The modern name Ritigala is derived from the ancient name Ariṭṭha Pabbata (Dreadful Mountain), mentioned in the Mahavamsa.
Its elevation is higher than the other main tourist attractions of the north central plains, namely Sigiriya, Dambulla, and Mihintale. The significance of this topographical feature lies in the abrupt sheerness of the massif, its wooded slopes, and the wet microclimate at the summit.
The mountains intercept moisture-bearing winds and generate orographic precipitation, which makes the mountains wetter than the surrounding dry lowlands. During the northeast monsoon (December to February), Ritigala experiences the highest rainfall (125 cm) of entire dry zone.
The wet micro climate at Ritigala is a singular occurrence in the north central plains, the ancient Sri Lanka's “Wewu Bandi Rata” meaning “the land of rainwater reservoirs” in Sinhalese.
The climate at the summit is in sharp contrast to the climate at the foot; it is cooler in comparison to hot and dry climate of the region. The mist and cloud cover which cover the summit during the south-west monsoon results in high vapor condensation, in turn, turning the earth moist when the plains all around are in drought.
Ritigala is a strict nature reserve, covering 1,528 ha (3,780 acres). It was established on 7 November 1941 (Gazette Notification No. 8809), and is managed by the Department of Wildlife of Sri Lanka together with the Forest Department of Sri Lanka.
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Ritigala
Ritigala is a mountain in central Sri Lanka which is home to an ancient Buddhist monastery. The ruins and rock inscriptions of the monastery date back to 1st century BCE. It is located 43 km (27 mi) away from the ancient monastic city of Anuradhapura.
Ritigala mountain consists of four peaks which rise steeply from the surrounding plain. The mountain is 6.5 km in length, and divided into northern and southern blocks by Maha-Degala Gorge. The highest peak is Ritigala Kanda in the southern block.
At 766 m (2,513 ft) above sea level, and 600 m (2,000 ft) above the surrounding plains, Ritigala is the highest mountain in northern part of Sri Lanka. The modern name Ritigala is derived from the ancient name Ariṭṭha Pabbata (Dreadful Mountain), mentioned in the Mahavamsa.
Its elevation is higher than the other main tourist attractions of the north central plains, namely Sigiriya, Dambulla, and Mihintale. The significance of this topographical feature lies in the abrupt sheerness of the massif, its wooded slopes, and the wet microclimate at the summit.
The mountains intercept moisture-bearing winds and generate orographic precipitation, which makes the mountains wetter than the surrounding dry lowlands. During the northeast monsoon (December to February), Ritigala experiences the highest rainfall (125 cm) of entire dry zone.
The wet micro climate at Ritigala is a singular occurrence in the north central plains, the ancient Sri Lanka's “Wewu Bandi Rata” meaning “the land of rainwater reservoirs” in Sinhalese.
The climate at the summit is in sharp contrast to the climate at the foot; it is cooler in comparison to hot and dry climate of the region. The mist and cloud cover which cover the summit during the south-west monsoon results in high vapor condensation, in turn, turning the earth moist when the plains all around are in drought.
Ritigala is a strict nature reserve, covering 1,528 ha (3,780 acres). It was established on 7 November 1941 (Gazette Notification No. 8809), and is managed by the Department of Wildlife of Sri Lanka together with the Forest Department of Sri Lanka.
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