Ritigala, the Mountain of Herbs
On an isolated mountain in Sri Lanka, the ruins of a forest monastery lie hidden among unusual plants. Legend says it's a piece of the Himalayas, dropped by a monkey god.
What was reported
Ritigala is a steep, forested mountain rising out of the dry plains of north-central Sri Lanka. On its slopes lie the ruins of an ancient monastery of forest-dwelling monks, with stone paths, bridges, pools and meditation platforms.
In the Ramayana tradition, the monkey god Hanuman was sent to the Himalayas to fetch a healing herb. Unable to tell which plant it was, he carried back a whole piece of the mountain, and pieces fell along the way. Ritigala is said to be one of them, which explains its unusual plants.
Explanations offered
The mountain does have a different climate from the plains around it, being cooler and wetter, which allows plants found nowhere else nearby to grow. The monastery ruins are protected as a strict nature reserve.
- When
- Monastery used from the first century BC
- Where
- Ritigala, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
- Witnesses
- Sri Lankan tradition and archaeologists
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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