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Ancient and magical

Galapitigala (off the Habarana Road)

Now an archaeological site covering about 366 acres, the Ritigala Forest Monastery lies in a strict natural reserve. It is an ancient and magical place of myth, fact, history and legend and while numerous theories have been advanced as to the exact purposes of the buildings now ruined, they remain mostly speculative. This remote forest area is said to have been used by hermits since the 3^rd century BC – around the 9^th century it was occupied by the extremely ascetic ‘pamsukulika’ monks for whom the now ruined monastery was built by Sena 1 (835 – 851 AD).

The Ritigala Forest Monastery is entered by way of a long stone paved ‘street’ with steps, leading through the forest, passing a series of ‘roundabouts’ or cleared circular spaces on the way up. The ruins of the ancient buildings include double-platforms raised on big slabbed stone walls connected by small stone bridges, an old stone tank or bathing place (Banda Pokuna) and so deeper through the trees, to the ruins of the monastery itself.

Further up, through the thick forest a steep, rough path keeps leading up to where around 70 rock caves used by the hermits and monks of the area, are located across the mountainside.