Adam's Peak

Adam's Peak (Sinhala Sri Pada, Tamil Sivanolipatha Malai, Arabic Al-Rohun) is a 2,243 metre (7,360 foot) tall conical mountain in modern-day Sri Lanka, revered as a holy site by Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims.

Hindu pilgrims walk up the mountain, following a variety of routes up thousands of steps. The journey takes several hours at least. The peak pilgrimage season is in April, and the goal is to be on top of the mountain at sunrise, when the distinctive shape of the mountain casts a triangular shadow on the surrounding plain.

On top of the mountain is a shape in the rock like that of an enormous -- nearly two metre -- footprint. Muslim legend states that it is the footprint of Adam, who was placed in Sri Lanka as the next best thing to the Garden of Eden; from this comes the name Adam's Peak. Other candidates in other legends for making the print are Buddha, the Hindu god Shiva, and Saint Thomas. The Buddhist legend says that the (logically existing) other footprint is in a city about 150 kilometres distant, or possibly at Phra Sat[?] in Thailand.

A shrine to Saman[?], a deity charged with protecting the mountain top, can be found near the footprint.