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| Sunday, 30 January 2005 |
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Sri Pada pilgrim season begins
The Sri Pada (Adams Peak) pilgrim season has begun. It is time where devotees of all religions trek more than 3000 steps in the biting cold to pay homage according to their belief. Be they Buddhists, Christians, Hindus or Muslims, unite themselves and help each other to fulfil their vows to reach the summit. There are three routes to reach the Adams Peak. The Hatton-Maskeliya route is the closest, easiest and the most popular while the Ratnapura route is long and arduous but is most interesting and enjoyable. The Kuruwita-Eratna route is through dense jungle and, most pilgrims of the area, take this route during the Navam Full Moon Poya day. From Colombo, there are 130 kilometers to reach Hatton. On the way you can stop at the Kithulgala Rest and also visit the place where the film 'Bridge on the River Kwai' was shot. Once you reach Hatton, turn off and proceed another 30 kilometers to reach Sri Pada. The best time to start trekking is around 10.00 p.m. in the night so that you can pray and enjoy your climb slowly and reach the summit, from where you can watch the sun rise. The season starts with the Unduwap poya in December, with the portrait of Lord Saman being taken in procession from Pahala Baddala to the 'Uda Maluwa' of the Sri Pada, following the old tradition.
According to the ancient tradition, the trek to the summit is headed by a group leader called 'nade gura', who guides the party and, those who make the maiden trip, are known as 'kodu karaya'. There are two types of 'kodu karayas'. 'Kiri kodu' (children) 'dandu kodu' (elders). Once you begin the trek, you come across several special places. Before you start the journey, you should take some warm clothes to protect against cold weather and a search light. Leeni Hela According to legend, it is said that a woman named Leeni Akka who had lived in that area had fallen with her child from a precipice. Even today, people pause for a moment there to hear the echoes of the flowing 'Kalu Ganga.' There is also a resting place here. Seetha Gangula This is the place where all devotees have a bath and wear clean clothes. Indikatu paana People bring needles and thread and keep them on a branch of a tree to recall the old times when Lord Buddha came and tore his robe. Dharmaraja Rock This rock has more than 100 steps cut on it. According to legend, a hermit named Dharmaraja who had lived there had cut the steps with the help of an Arachchi named Veda Wanaraja. This is included in the Dharmaraja chronicle with the relevant picture. Haramiti Paana This is about 1909 meters above sea level. On reaching this place, you can clearly see the Sri Pada summit, which is another 321 meters away. Mahagiridamba It's somewhat difficult to climb and also it is indeed very cold since the wind starts blowing, but the chirp of the beautiful birds with the butterflies hovering around will certainly make the trip lively.
On reaching the summit, devotees pay homage by keeping their forehead on the rock and beneath it lay the rightfoot print of Lord Buddha on a stone, which has been offered by Lord Saman. Lord Buddha had trekked Sri Pada on his third visit to Sri Lanka. Hindus call this 'Siva Nadi padam', the footprint of Lord Siva. The Christians believe that this was the footprint of St. Thomas' and for Muslims it was the footprint of Adam. Comfortable accommodation can be found at restaurants at Hatton including at Tea Garden Inn, Ajantha Guest House and Restaurant, Peak Hotel and Hatton Rest House. Closer to the summit accommodation is also available at ideal places like Adams Rest Inn and Madusha Rest at Maskeliya. According to legend it is said that the first to discover the sacred footprint was King Valagambahu, around year 100 BC while he was in exile to escape the invading Cholians. He had been led to the summit by a deity in the guise of a stag. King Panditha Parakramabahu in 1236 AD had made the route accessible. Buddhists have been custodians of Adams Peak except for a short period when king Rajasinghe I embraced Hinduism and Hindus became custodians of the sacred mountain. (SG) ########### Emirates, first buyer of Airbus A380, largest operator : Pace setter in air travel- Sheikh Ahmed Emirates has played an integral role in the development of the A380 'superjumbo' that Airbus was unveiled this week in Toulouse, France during a ceremony attended by hundreds of news media representatives and thousands of VIP guests from around the world. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates, who led a delegation of senior executives from the airline for the occasion, said: "I am very proud that Emirates was the first airline to sign for the A380 - and that we are its largest customer, with 45 of them on order. I am also pleased that we are the launch customer for the freighter version of the A380." He added: "This aircraft is a key element in Emirates' future growth. Air travel is forecast to double in the next 14 years. There are continued constraints on traffic rights and the availability of landing slots - and therefore, large capacity aircraft will be vital to Emirates' need to meet the increasing passenger demand." Sheikh Ahmed concluded: "The A380 is the future of air travel." The Dubai-based international airline was not only the first customer for this next generation aircraft, but is also now its biggest customer by a large margin. Emirates has worked closely with Airbus in the design and development of the A380, as the airframe has moved from concept to the drawing board and on to the production line. April 2000 saw Emirates' first formal expression of interest in what was then the A3XX, an interest confirmed three months later at the Farnborough Air Show when it became the first airline to sign a firm commitment and place a deposit for the aircraft. |
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