Adam’s Peak or Śrī Pāda is a 2,243 m (7,359 ft) tall conical sacred mountain located in central Sri Lanka. It is well known for the “Śrī Pāda” , “sacred footprint”, a 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) rock formation near the summit. In Buddhist tradition the print is held to be the footprint of the Buddha, in Hindu tradition that of Hanuman or Shiva , “Mountain of Shiva’s Light”, and in some Islamic and Christian traditions that of Adam, or that of St. Thomas.
It is revered as a holy site by Buddhists, Hindus, some Muslims and Christians. It has specific qualities that cause it to stand out and be noticed, including its dominant and outstanding profile, and the boulder at the peak containing an indentation resembling a footprint.
The mountain is most often scaled from December to May. During other months it is hard to climb the mountain due to very heavy rain, extreme wind, and thick mist. The peak pilgrimage season is in April, and the goal is to be on top of the mountain at sunrise, when the distinctive shape of the mountain casts a triangular shadow on the surrounding plain and can be seen to move quickly downward as the sun rises.