Hanuman’s Great Leap

Ancient tradition connects Ritigala with Hanuman's search for the kidnapped Sita.

According to the Ramayana, Sita was imprisoned on the island of Lanka by King Ravana.

Hanuman travelled to Sri Lanka to discover where Sita was being held.

After finding her, he needed to carry the news of his discovery back to Rama.

According to a Sri Lankan folklore record published in 1917, Hanuman used the summit of Ritigala as a launching point for an enormous leap.

From there, he was said to have crossed the ocean towards India.

Imagine the moment when his mighty body pushes away from the rocky summit and the endless ocean opens beneath him.

This story connects a real Sri Lankan landscape with one of India's most important epics.

Ritigala therefore belongs not only to the Buddhist history of the island but also to Hindu mythological geography.