Homage to the Holy Peak

By Kalakeerthi EDWIN ARIYADASA

"Not only is the quality of sacredness a mark of all religions, but is so essential to religion, that the very moment sacredness disappears religion disappears with it."

- Alice Von Hildebrand

To begin with let me pose a question: "What is the global shrine held specifically sacred by all the four major religions of the world Buddhism, Hinduism, Islamism and Christianity?"

You may respond and go on to say - it is easy - Sri Pada, Shivanadipadam, Adam's Peak.

Yes, you are spot on.

Followers of various faiths, may show a deference for shrines of other faiths, as a cultural courtesy. Those of many other religions venerate the Temple of the Tooth, for instance. But, their respect for Sri Pada, is not of the same category as the routine spiritual veneration they have for religious places - in general.

Ardour

Their ardour for Sri Pada, is fervent. To those followers of major religions, Sri Pada is an integral facet of their religion.

The lore, that has massively accumulated around Sri Pada, over long centuries, is astonishingly prolific.

The multiplicity of worldly tidings and the endless spiritual homages that continued to emerge around the sacred peak, have wafted to us - the moderns - through the vast chasm of time and space.

Gathering all these together, within the covers of one volume is a daunting challenge. Over and above that, presenting all that diverse material in an elegant, alluring, deluxe coffee-table publication, is decidedly gargantuan - as tasks go.

But, this effort-defying publishing peak, has been magnificently scaled by a duo of ardent "Pilgrims" - one, equipped with a versatile lens, the other, armed with an efficient quill.

And these towering two are - Luxshmanan Nadaraja - the photo - chronicler and Sarala Fernando - the assiduous editor.

Their joint - triumph is the publication "Sri Pada - Peak Heritage of Lanka."

Tribute

At this stage, let me put it down, directly and unambiguously. This work is the most praiseworthy tribute paid to the Holy Shrine - Sri Pada, both in text and image - to date.

The elegant portfolio of colour photographs, takes you along a conducted pilgrimage, that no previous visitor to this site may have experienced at all. Armed with an aesthetically seasoned camera, Nadaraja surprises you with angles and view points, that many would have missed in their holy tour.

His gorgeous landscapes, add a new dimension to the awe and the glory we associate with the Sacred Peak. As high-quality instances of photographic art, the portrayals by Nadaraja award - deserving material.

His studies of the Peak and its environs, at various times of the day and night, form a complete pilgrimage which the ordinary visitor to the site can never obtain.

Composite tour

What the publication provides, is not just a direct pilgrimage - but a composite tour - almost a 3-D trek. You are taken to the sacred summit, through a series of trails, enabling you to achieve the aesthetic pleasure of a multi-faceted pilgrimage.

The average pilgrim, has neither time nor inclination to take in the exotic fauna and flora in the Peak region. Through this book, you can take a vicarious trip, into the areas beyond the beaten track, into the secret gardens of the Peak, preserved by pristine nature.

An extensively profitable exegesis is provided to the image - content of the publication, by a series of essays contributed on a variety of aspects relating to the Sacred Peak.

Warning

In her beautifully penned introductory note to the publication, the Editor Sarala Fernando, sounds an essential warning about the need to be mindful of the endangered fauna and flora of the region, which have led to the declaration of the Peak wilderness a World Heritage site by the UNESCO.

The essays indicate the various cults and rituals, that have made Sri Pada, a living spiritual catalyst for a complex of religious traditions. In her essay titled Sivanoli Patha Malai, writer Yoga Rasanayagam presents the Hindu perspectives.

This collection of essays, is extremely elucidatory, in discerning the quality and the quantity of writings and popular lore, generated by this Peak, that yearns towards the skies, like a beacon held aloft by some deity.

Myths

J.B. Disanayake and Renton de Alwis, dwell on the indigenous myths and legends that have sprouted around the Holy Peak. The mutual blessings exchanged by pilgrims as they go up or come down have a haunting chorus to them: Karunawai, Karunawai (Compassion to you).

Taking a cue from the Sri Pada pilgrimage, this expression Karunawai could very well be adopted as the motto for Sri Lankan Tourism Campaign.

The publication "Sri Pada - Peak Heritage of Lanka," is an eloquent spiritual discourse, in breath-taking images and alluring text.

Ibn Batuta, who visited Sri Pada around 1342, celebrated his travels in his book Rihla. If he were reincarnate, he will add another chapter, after imbibing this publication.