Ritigala-The giant of Rajarata.

Year and Month	2015 July 31st 2012 June 02nd
Number of Days	One day
Crew	03-Siraj,My self and Wild life officer
Accommodation	Not applicable
Transport	Car and Climbing
Activities	Mountain climbing and photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Polonnaruwa->Habarana->Galapitagala junction (ගලපිටගල හන්දිය) in Anuradhapura road->Ritigala (රිටිගල)-> Back to same route to Polonnaruwa
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Start the journey in early morning. (Unfortunately we couldn’t) Carry at least 1-2 liters of water for one person. No water sources in the mountain on your way to Kodigala (කොඩිගල). We filled our bottles from the pond which is situated closer to archeology site. This is a moderate strenuous climb. No foot pathway. Climbing is continuous since it’s beginning. But it is not difficult as we had to walk under dry forest. Main challenge of Ritigala climbing is getting the permission. Ritigala is a strictly nature reserve. You have to get permission from Wild life department for research purpose. (They don’t give permission for climbing purpose) It is essentially need a guide to climb Kodigala (highest peak of Ritigala). If you get permission for a research in Ritigala strictly nature reserve, they will provide a wild life officer as a guide.
Related Resources	1.Wikipedia article about Ritigala 2. Ritigala the Dreadful Mountain (Arittha Pabbata) 766m 3. Amazing Lanka article on Ritigala 4. Biodiversity Baseline Survey: Ritigala Strict Natural Reserve
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Ritigala-The giant of Rajarata.

Highest peak of Ritigala was in my “to do list” for a long time but the main problem was to get the permission. I have been at Unakanda-උණ කන්ද (second highest peak of Ritigala) before but it was happened in unexpected way.

Map of Ritigala: Arrow shows where you have to turn. Red star shows the highest peak-Kodigala and black star shows second highest peak -Unakanda

Ritigala

Few points of Ritigala
1. It is named as Ritigala might be due to few reasons.
a) It was called as Aritta Pabbatha-අරිට්ඨ පබ්බත (Dreadful Mountain) in ancient Sri Lanka due to presence of Yakka population in Sri Lanka. Aritta Pabbatha has transformed to Ritigala.
b) Probably due to it’s acute elevation
c) Presence of number of Riti (රිටි) trees in the forest

2. It is a biologically sensitive area. Ritigala is a strictly nature reserve. It declared as strictly nature reserve in 1941. It has 3776 acres. According to the biodiversity survey done at Ritigala, it has four endemic plant species. Another seven plant species are very rare and not recorded outside Ritigala after 19th century.
The Short-Statue Forest is unique for Ritigala. There are high proportions of endemic plant taxa, endemic reptiles, indigenous fish fauna, birds species and mammals including eight nationally threatened species.

3. There is an archeological site at the base of the mountain. It shows the evidences of a Buddhist Monastery started at Anuradhapura era.

4. It is the highest peak of Northern plane of Sri Lanka. It’s height is 766m. Due to it’s elevation it carries the highest rainfall (125cm) of entire dry zone. Therefore upper part of Ritigala is cooler compared to hot climate of the region.

5. It is related to Rama-Rawana story. While Hanuman (හනුමාන්) was travelling over Ritigala, a part of Himalaya he carried has dropped. It is said as the origin of some endemic plant species found in upper part of Ritigala. Hanuman has used Ritigala Kanda to leap across Sri Lanka to South India.
The people believe the origin of Buddhism from Sri Lanka, relate Ritigala as Jethawanamaya (ජේතවනාරාමය).
King Pandukabhaya-පණ්ඩුකාභය encamped at Ritigala Mountain for seven years before the fight with his eight uncles and last battle happened at the base of Ritigala.

6. Ritigala is a mountain range has seven peaks. Kodigala (කොඩිගල) is the highest out of them and others are Unakanda (උණ කන්ද), Amarapathi Kanda (අමරාපති කන්ද), Palathuru Kanda (පළතුරු කන්ද), Andiya Kanda (ආඪියා කන්ද), Wewalthalawa (වේවැල්තලාව) and Napath Kanda (නාපත් කන්ද).

Journey to the highest peak of Ritigala-Kodigala
It was a late start and we met our guide at the entrance of Ritigala around 9.30am. As the road towards the archeology site was under renovation, we parked our car at the entrance. Ritigala information center is situated at the entrance and it was built in a nice way.
We reached the archeology site office by a motor bike and started to climb along stone footsteps. Ritigala archeology site belongs to Anuradhapura era and it’s a kind of Buddhist monastery for meditation.
After passing “Banda Pokuna”-බන්දා පොකුණ and some ruins we directed our path towards the forest. We filled our water bottles from natural water spring and began the climb.
It was a continuous climb of about two and half hours till we reach a flat area called Wewalthalawa (වේවැල්තලාව). But we walked almost always under tree canopy. There was a clear foot pathway used by wild life team for their training purpose. Just before Wewalthalawa we came across the first view point where you can see Habarana side and surroundings.

The distance from entrance to archeology site was 2.5Kms.

At the entrance of archeology site

Madhuca clavata (Ritigala) Wana Mee-Endemic to Sri Lanka

Madhuca clavata (Ritigala) Wana Mee-වන මී-Endemic to Sri Lanka

Natural water spring-This is the only water source was found on our way up

Going up…

This is not a part of dry zone

Might be old-වනස්පති

Further up…..

Nests of Swifts

With aid of creeper

At the edge of the rock

There was a nice foot pathway

Reaching the first view point

Final climb

Reaching Wewalthalawa

Thorny bamboo at Wewalthalawa

Kodigala Kanda-Top of Ritigala

Though Kodigala is the highest peak, it has no archeology value. Only a part of a transmission tower used by wild life can be seen. Kodigala provides nice panoramic view of surroundings. We were able to see Mana kanda (මානා කන්ද), Hurulu Wewa (හුරුළු වැව), Kala Wewa (කලා වැව) and many nearby lakes. Though I have noted Ritigala from many surrounding tops, I was not able to pin point those peaks from Ritigala due to gloomy weather.

Other peaks and valley of Malwathu Oya- මල්වතු ඔය

Adiya kanda and Wewalthalawa. Remaining of transmission tower can be seen.

Na Path Kanda and valley of Malwathu Oya

Highest point-Kodigala-2513 feet

Ritigala Information and Training Centre.

Mana Kanda (381.3m)

Ganewalpola town-ගනේවැල්පොල is zoomed

Kala Wewa

Towards Rajarata

Nearby Tank

Two man team

After enjoying surrounding view we started to go down around 1.30pm. But after passing Wewalthalawa we missed the foot pathway and our guide decided to descend straightaway. Somehow we managed to reach the initial water spring around 3.30pm.
After thanking our guide we headed towards Polonnaruwa.

Getting down

Straightaway coming down

Reaching the base of the mountain

Back to foot pathway……

Scattered ruins were found

Scattered ruins…..

We were there….

Journey to second highest peak of Ritigala-Unakanda (උණ කන්ද)
This is kind of an old story happened in 2012. Tharaka and I climbed up to the second highest peak of Ritigala. Actually we wanted to visit Archeology site and elephant orphanage center. But suddenly we decided to go ahead following the last site of ruins. There was a board mentioning not to enter the forest without permission and an elephant fence was there. As Tharaka has visited there before, he guided me.
There was no clear pathway to top of Unakanda like Kodigala. Therefore we lost our way back and fortunately we found elephant fence at the end.
Unakanda doesn’t provide a good panoramic view. We hardly saw Anuradhapura side through the forest cover. Then it is difficult to attempt Kodigala from Unakanda.

Rising up….

View of Kodigala on the way to Unakanda

On the way to Unakanda

On top of Unakanda

View from top of Unakanda

Lost in the forest on our way back

Ritigala Information and Research Center
Ritigala Information Center is established in 2010. It is situated at the entrance of Ritigala. It provides a good knowledge about Ritigala for visitors.

The entrance

Displayed Knowledge

Wild Life Museum

Built in a nice way

Ritigala Archeology site
This is the main tourist attraction of Ritigala. Ancient ruins are situated on the eastern side of the mountain and it spreads over an area of 59acres.
At the entrance you will see the ruined pond called Banda Pokuna. Following Banda Pokuna you will enter the monastery along the nicely made stone pathway with bridges, platforms and courtyards. Stone structures in Ritigala named as double-platforms. Other ancient places of this kind of double platform structures are Arankale-අරන්කැලේ and Weherabandigala-වෙහෙරබැදිගල . These structures were used for meditation, teaching and ceremony.
Ritigala Buddhist monastery was a place of Buddhist Monks who were meditating to search enlightenment. Therefore we were not able to see Stupa, Bo trees and Buddha statues among ruins.

Ancient pond called Banda Pokuna…Built by King Pandukabhaya (437-367BC)

Banda Pokuna has circumference of 366m and polygonal structure. Considered as the largest pond

Stone steps

The Stone Bridge crossing the feeding stream the pond.

How nice it is…..

Stone paved pathway with 1.5m wide made in interlocking system.

Resting station in between stone pathways.

Double-platform structures in Ritigala.

Double-platform structures with courtyard.

Another resting place.

Decorated Urinals…symbolic act of dissociation.

Ritigala Elephant Orphanage Center

At Galapitagala junction you may see a board mentioning “Ritigala Elephant Orphanage Center”. But this does no longer exist. In my previous visit to Ritigala at 2012, we went there. Wild life department has abounded the place as it is difficult to find water sources in dry season.