Ritigala - Sri Lanka's Hidden Monastic Ruins

There is something romantic about a ruin, an abandoned structure, whose use has long since passed. Ellie grew up with the crumbling remains of Grosmont castle as her playground. Its half collapsed towers, and ivy grown walls providing much fuel for the imagination. Whereas John in suburban Wimbledon, escaped into books filled with adventures in abandoned and ruined places (looking at you Famous Five). More recently, we have travelled to Ayutthaya in Thailand to see the remains of the old Capital of Siam, as well as the sprawling overgrown glory of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm temples.

On this Sri Lanka trip we had already been to the incredible ruins of the ancient city of Anuradhapura but during the long lockdown Ellie had heard whispers of another, less travelled ruin (okay maybe not ‘heard whispers’ so much as read it in the Lonely Planet). Near to Habarana, is the mountain of Ritigala and spread across the mountainside are the ruins of the Ritigala monastery. 

We arranged a tuk tuk through our accommodation for the sum of 5000 LKR (£ 12.60 or $13.74). The driver would drive us to the entrance, wait for us to explore and when we were finished, ferry us home. We hopped in and set off for the site. On the way, our tuk tuk driver was very eager to point out all the local farming practices. Some of these methods would definitely not work in the UK, for example we frequently would have to switch lanes into the oncoming traffic, as half the road had been requisitioned by a local farmer in order to dry his rice harvest. We wondered how well this would go down on the M25. 

The monastery ruins stand on Ritigala mountain, the tallest in the surrounding area. A Hindu legend has it that Hanuman the monkey god needed special herbs to heal a battle wound suffered by Rama. Forgetting exactly which herb he needed, the monkey god cut entire swathes of mountain from the Himalaya. On his flight back to the injured Rama, part of one of these mountains fell out of his grip, dropping on Sri Lanka and creating Ritigala mountain. Pleasingly, Ritigala Strict Nature Reserve boasts a unique and unusual variety of plant life to this day!

Coming off the main road, our driver suggested we keep our eyes peeled as elephants were known to be in the area. We didn’t see any elephants that day, although the fresh dung in the middle of the road confirmed their previous presence. The road at this point was alternating between semi-paved sections and full on dirt track, with our tuk tuk bouncing erratically, over loose stones. Eventually, after a bumpy ride, we arrived at the entrance to Ritigala. We hopped out of our trusty tuk tuk and purchased two tickets for the price of 3660 LKR (£9.22 or $10.06). Entrance paid for, we started up the trail to the ruins. 

The monastery of Ritigala is an ancient Buddhist site with history dating back to the 1st century BC. Set within the Ritigala Strict Nature Reserve, the monastic ruins snake their way up the mountainside along a beautiful winding stone path. Originally home to an order of ascetic monks (called, quite wonderfully, the ‘Monks of the Rag Robes), the monastery was expanded over several centuries and became a popular pilgrimage site before being abandoned to the forest between the 10th and 12th centuries. 

Within seconds of us leaving the ticket counter, we encountered our first ruin.

To say it was impressive is a giant understatement. A vast square of stone steps led down to what was once a huge bathing area. Now overgrown, the stairs are cracked and run through with tree roots. The pool itself is now a green forest filled with mature trees. Even with its pool filled in, you can still see the huge scale of the bathing area. It looked to our unscientific eye, to be at least the size of a football pitch. We were in awe and this was only within 50 metres of the entrance. 

Clambering over broken steps and discarded masonry we made our way onto the path up the mountainside. The cobblestoned path looked like something from a fantasy novel and following it felt like it should have led us to Narnia or Azeroth. The path did not lead us to Rivendell, but instead guided us through beautiful forests, across stone bridges, under archways carved from boulders and through the many ruins of the monastery. As we continued to coil upwards, the forest accordioned in and out, one moment closing all around us and over the path, before retreating, and opening up to a sunlit and ruin filled clearing. 

The ruins themselves were almost like stone floor plans of what used to stand there, the foundations spread out like the blueprints of the bygone buildings. Clues as to what the structures were used for lie scattered around the forest. The ruins of a hospital, for example, still contained a sunken bath as well as grinding stones for the Ayurvedic herbal treatments. Grander ruins came the further you went up the mountain with meditation platforms, large monastic multi-chambered rooms and even decorated urinals!

Eventually we reached the final ruin, a large pavilion platform with the base of the supporting columns still clearly visible. Behind this ruin, the path wound up to what maps.me referred to as the “Big Tree”. This description turned out to be 100% accurate. The tree was enormous, with a labyrinth of above ground roots solidifying into a gargantuan trunk that towered over its neighbours. Beyond this point, the path fizzles out, this combined with a Sri Lankan Air Force sign (that we couldn’t read) and maps.me showing no further points of interest, led us to the decision that this must be the end of the trail. Turning around we thought we had seen everything and we were happy to head back down the mountain. However, Ritigala held one more treat for us. 

Big Tree Selfie!

As we headed down, we noticed what looked like the remains of a path slightly off of the main trail. There was also a yellow information sign hiding in an overgrown bush. What the sign said remained a mystery to us as we couldn't read the Singhalese. Reasoning that no one would put an information tag in a bush without good reason, we decided to investigate further. Initially this investigation was not promising, the path quickly disappeared, fading into the forest floor. Propelled forward more by our curiosity and a sense of hope than any real sense of direction we continued on. Our hope was soon rewarded, as we rounded a tree and a another ruin hoved into sight. 

A stone bridge led out onto a promontory with a tall square structure perched atop a rock, that looked down the mountain and out across the valley. There was no one else here so, feeling like we were budget versions of Indiana Jones, we crossed the stone bridge and climbed up the ruin. We have since learnt that this building was probably a library used to store religious manuscripts.

The view from the top was stunning, a clear v-shaped vista with forests lining the sides stretched out in front of us. We could see for miles. 

Overjoyed by our “discovery” and having snapped the requisite selfies, we made our way back along the stone bridge and noticed another path down the mountain. Following this path made us feel a lot less like Indiana Jones as it was well maintained and had signs directing people to where we had just been. It is worth noting that the signs were very underwhelming, simply saying “Stone Bridge 2” and giving no indication that one of the most impressive ruins of the complex lay that way. The ruin is easily missed as it is not visible from the main route. We didn’t see anyone else head up to see it which is a shame. As wonderful as the other ruins are, none have such a spectacular view down the mountainside.

Archaeological urges satisfied, we headed back to our waiting tuk tuk.

There she is, Indiana Ellie!

Ritigala was amazing. Definitely worth a trip.  Situated near the “cultural triangle” you can access the ruins from Dambulla, Sigiriya, Habarana or Anuradhapura. The ruins were stunning, the walk itself was beautiful and, an odd thing to say we know, the path itself was incredible. 

Check out below, our attempts at videoing our day in Ritigala:

One of the many things we loved about our day in Ritigala was how ‘unfenced off’ the ruins were.

Look no signs!

We were free to explore, clamber around and generally get as lost as we saw fit. In so many historic places you are hemmed in to a strict path, your experience of the place curated to the point of it almost being on rails.

In Ritigala you were allowed off the leash. It was also refreshing not to have every ruin, tree and path festooned with warning signs. 

There is a danger with vast sites like Anuradhapura, Angkor Wat and (we assume) Polonnaruwa; they are almost too big. There is just too much to see and by the sixth or seventh ruin, you run the risk of being“ruined out” with all the experiences melding together and becoming a blur of masonry. Ritigala was the perfect size for a day exploring, a few hours spent walking through peaceful forests on ancient pathways was magical. Varied, beautiful, and mysterious, the Ritigala ruins were incredible.

The Practical Stuff

Where is Ritigala:

Please note that you approach the site from the east. Google Maps sometimes routes you west but this is not right as it takes you into the nature reserve not the ruins!

Entry fee:

One ticket to enter the ruins costs 1830 LKR (£4.50 or $4.98). Bring cash as they do not accept cards.

Services available:

There is a toilet by the entrance. We did not use this so cannot comment on what style of luxury you will have…

When we visited in August 2022 there were no refreshment stalls or gift shops so make sure you pack accordingly.

How long to spend at Ritigala:

We spent two and half to three hours exploring. It is an easy walk up the mountain, but there are some sections that involve clambering over uneven steps and worn masonry.

Can I take a tour of Ritigala?

Yes you definitely can! You will be arrange a tour at pretty much any guesthouse or hotel in the surrounding area. Or, if you like to have things organised in advance, check out what is available on here.

Where can I stay near Ritigala?

We stayed in the nearby town of Habarana at the lovely Dudley’s Nature Resort which had a pool and amazing breakfasts. Habarana is the main hub for visiting central Sri Lankan sites, have a look at the map below for the accommodation on offer (zoom in and out to see all the options):

Top tips:

Hire a tuk tuk to bring you there and back. There is no passing traffic here so you won’t be able to pick one up on your way back. Walking to the reserve from the main road is not advised as there are wild elephants in the area.

Bring lots of water and any snacks you may want (we were very jealous of a Sri Lankan tour group behind us who had brought a full feast with them). 

You are walking through the jungle, so make sure you spray yourself with mosquito repellent and wear sun cream!

Thanks for reading,

John & Ellie x

#adventuresofjellie

*Prices correct at time of writing in 2022