First day of Sri Pada season-2015 with procession

Year and Month	2014 December 05^th and 06^th
Number of Days	Two days
Crew	3Ns- Nirosh, Niroshan and Nadeesha
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	By train, bus and climbing
Activities	Mountain climbing, Photography and spiritual activities
Weather	Slight showers and misty. Overall weather is good.
Route	Colombo -> Hatton -> Nallathanniya (නල්ලතන්නිය) -> Sri Pada peak -> Palabathgala (පලාබත්ගල) -> Rathnapura -> Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	First day of annual Sri Pada season is one of the crowded days as it always happens with December full moon poya day. Therefore if you really like to travel with a lot of pilgrims do it on that day. We waited at Uda Maluwa (උඩමළුව) nearly for 4hours till it is opened at auspicious time. If Uda Maluwa is crowded with pilgrims they make two lines down main routes. Then you have to be standing for few hours. Travelling Sri Pada in first day of it’s season provides some benefits as well. a) There are ample of Dansala (දන්සැල්) along two main routes. Therefore you don’t need to worry about food and drinks. b) Two main routes are fresh following off season and polythene cleaning programmes done by volunteers. c) Can watch the traditional procession which brings idol of God Saman’s and casket of sacred relics. On top of the peak:Unable to predict whether you can find a place to get a rest with the crowd. Sometimes policemen will send you down forcibly as they can’t accommodate the whole crowd.Be prepared for extreme cold and windy condition.Sanitary facilities and drinking water is still satisfactory. There is a cross road between Hatton and Rathnapura trails somewhere down Mahagiri Dambaya (මහගිරි දඹය).If you are stucked at Hatton trail better you enter Rathnapura trail as it is usually less crowded. Please be kind enough to not to put plastic and polythene items. Put it only to bins. Or you can bring back what you carried up. If everyone thinks like that since first day of the season, we can keep holy peak clean throughout the season. If you are an amateur (“Kodu”)-කෝඩු for this journey follow some rituals as much as possible. Luxury compartments (Rajadhani and Expo) are attached only to 9.45am Badulla train from Fort. You can make online bookings. Rajadhani is cheaper than Expo and we costs only Rs 1300 per head from Colombo to Hatton. (You have to book till Nanu-oya). Since beginning of annual Sri Pada season there are bus services from Hatton station to Nallathanniya. They target the crowd come by the train. Therefore once you get down from the train a bus would be there at Hatton station.Otherwise have to get a bus from Hatton bus stand. Usually the traditional procession happens on December poya day of that year. But this time it occurred on the day before Poya day. Therefore better be aware of the correct day if you like to worship Sri Pada on the day of traditional procession.I confirmed my information from Hatton police. T.P: 0512224444 Last bus from Palabathgala to Rathnapura at 5.00pm.
Related Resources & Articles	“Muni Siripa Simbiminne”-Book මුනි සිරිපා සිඹිමින්නේ by MR. S.P.S Weerasingha.
Author	Niroshan
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After two months of break of travelling I decided to restart from Sri Pada journey. This was my 10th visit to Sri Pada peak and I wanted to make it special for me. I decided to use most conventional routes of climbing-Hatton and Rathnapura trails but climb up with the procession which accompanies gold painted idol and casket of sacred relics.

Traditional procession
Traditional procession of Sri Pada starts on the first day of the season-usually on full moon poya day of December month. It begins at Galpoththawala RMV (ගල්පොත්තාවල රජමහා විහාරය)-Pelmadulla. Some rituals are carried since one week duration at Saman Dewalaya of Galpoththawala RMV. Then it comes to Rathnapura Saman Dewalaya. Procession gets divide into two and make two lines up along Hatton and Rathnapura routes. From Pelmadulla to starting of main routes it goes as a motorcade. Along the way people worship and do some rituals to procession. Once it reaches Nallathanniya and Palabathgala, “Kapu Mahathun” කපු මහතුන් (devoted men for god) will take over it. They carry things up with traditional music. They will place idol and casket at “Pahatha Maluwa” (පහත මළුව) for a while and bring to “Uda Maluwa” (උඩ මළුව) at auspicious time. After doing some rituals (Thewawa-තේවාව) Sri Pada is opened for public. This will mark the beginning of annual Sri Pada season.
This time another procession climbed up in Kuruwita route as well.
We selected the train as the mode of transport from Fort to Hatton. As I have not been at luxury compartment before, I wanted to go by that. It was planned to reach Hatton by 2.45pm but came to Hatton at 4.30pm. Main disadvantage of this compartment is we can’t move to the foot board and enjoy the sceneries of railway side with cool breeze. If you value the comfortable travelling this is ideal.

Train gets its turn

Inside Rajadhani compartment

Trio of the journey

Luckily Nallathanniya bus was waiting for us at Hatton station. Though we planned to have late lunch from Hatton, gave up the idea and got into the bus. Early part of Nallathanniya (Dell House) had good food stalls. Following the Lunch+Dinner at 6pm we started the journey.
Procession has not arrived to Nallathanniya at that time. People were decorating the road to welcome the procession. We were blessed with our first Dansala at Nallathanniya. People said it would take at least another 2-3hours for procession to reach Nallathanniya. Therefore we decided to climb up leisurely and wait at Uda Maluwa for procession

Welcome for procession

Trail map

God Sumana Saman-සුමන සමන් දෙවියෝ

Entering to Hatton trail

“Flower Dansala” -මල් දන්සැල

There were number of Saman Dewalaya on our way up

Some important telephone numbers

Passing Makara Thorana-මකර තොරණ

Crossing red bridge-රතු පාලම

Rotti Dansala-රොටී දන්සැල

Siri Pada pathway is lightened

Japanese Peace Pagoda

December Full Moon

Supposed to be the “Diwa Guhawa” -දිවා ගුහාව of Hatton trail

Gangulathanna Old Ambalama-ගගුලතැන්න අම්බලම

Dansala at Gangulathanna

Gangulathanna Siddhalepa Dansala

Passing “Seetha Gangula” (සීත ගගුල). Amateurs are supposed to have a bath here. There are some rituals done at here when procession passes there.

අදුරෙන් එලියට

“Rathu Ambalama” රතු අම්බලම

Indikatupana/Geththampana (ඉදිකටුපාන/ගෙත්තම්පාන).

Warm coffee for cold

වදින්න යන මේ නඩේට සුමන සමන් දෙවි පිහිටයි

Just before Mahagiri Dambaya we were heard the sound of traditional drums somewhere down. Procession has reached us. We spent there for a while to join with the procession.

First glance of procession

We let it pass

Reaching Maluwa

Procession was welcome by devotees at Maluwa

It was 3.30am when we reached Maluwa. The premise was packed with devotees and somehow we were able to find a place to sit. Sacred things were kept at Pahatha Maluwa and it was supposed to bring to Uda Maluwa at auspicious time. Once God Sumana Saman’s idol and casket of relics were kept at Uda Maluwa, rituals were done till about 8am. Thereafter sacred foot print was opened for devotees for new season.

Bringing of sacred things at auspicious time to Uda Maluwa

Entering to Uda Maluwa

Passing over devotees’ hands

සාධු සාධු……….

Uda Maluwa is filled with devotees

I was lucky enough to enjoy the sun set in this time as well

Awaiting for sun rise of new Sri Pada season

Pre sun rise sky

Pre sun rise sky…..

Sun rise started

First sun rise of the season

View of Hortain Plains from Sri Pada

Following worship of sacred foot print, we started to get down along Rathnapura-Palabaththala route

Important points at Rathnapura-Palabaththala route

Getting down along “Mahagiri Damba”

Pathway is covered with mist

The point where Mukkuwaththa (මුක්කුවත්ත) trail ends. This is the first pump house will come across when you go down in Rathnapura road.

“Ehela Kanuwa” ඇහැළ කණුව

Pilot view of Adiya Malathanna Ambalama-ආඩියා මල තැන්න අම්බලම

View of Sri Pada at Adiya Malathanna Ambalama

It is 53years old. All these pump houses and stairs of Mahagiri Dambaya were built by Walkers and sons Pvt Ltd.

Makara Thorana of Rathnapura trail. (Elevation is 1650m).

Haramitipana Ambalama. Just before this Kuruwita trail joined with Rathnapura trail. At this junction Galwangediya (ගල්වoගෙඩිය) boutique is situated

එක කුඩය යටින් ……..

“Heen Gangula” හීන් ගගුල- The place where water is pumped to Uda Maluwa.

“Seetha Gangula” සීත ගගුල- A tributary of Kuru River. Some rituals are done here when procession passes this place.

Newly made steps.

Getting down along “Darmarajagala” ධර්මරාජගල- During Kotte Era a person called Darmaraja has made these stairs with assistance of Perumal Arachchi (පෙරුමාල් ආරච්චි).

Unusual placement of this rock adds an extra beauty to the path.

“Gaja Mansala” (ගජ මoසල)-Sometimes ago a rest (Ambalama) was here. Now it is not there. This was built by famous poet called “Gajaman Nona” (ගජමන් නෝනා).

Geththampana/Indikatupana (ඉදිකටුපාන/ගෙත්තම්පාන). – A tributary of Kuru River flows over here

A porter who carries goods to shops in Rathnapura road. Usually shops of upper part of Rathnapura trail get supply via Hatton trail.

Origin of Kalu Ganga

“Kodiya Kade” (කොඩිය කඩේ)

Gatunil (ගැටුනිල)

“Katu Kithula” (කටු කිතුල)- Large number of Kithul trees are present here to give name Katu Kithula.

It was so nice to walk there

“Lihini Hela” (ලිහිණි හෙල)-People get used to shout and hear echo of it. A woman called Lihini has been fallen from here and died. Therefore it is called Lihini Hela.