Rhumassala

Under its Sanskrit name of Lanka, the island figures prominently in the epic poem known as the Ramayana, which, tradition says, was written around 2,000 years ago by the sage Valmiki.

According to the story The Sri Lankan king Ravana captured the princess Sita, the wife of prince Rama was transported to his capital in Lanka by his flying machine - a peacock powered sky chariot called the dandumonara.

In this very long story Rhumassala becomes a very important fact that during the battle of Rama & Ravana to win Princess Sita.

The monkey-general Hanumaan featured in a similar episode when Rama's brother Lakshman was wounded in battle. A medicinal herb was required to save his life and Hanuman was dispatched to the Himalayas to fetch it. However, by the time he arrived he had forgotten its description, so he brought back a fragment of the Himalayas containing many herbs twisted in his tail in the hope that among them might be the correct one.

However, the mountain fragment slipped and fell while Hanuman was over Lanka, and it broke into three pieces. These landed in different locations, one of which was Ritigala, the second Hakgala and the third Rumassala.

Even today the mountain reserves many endemic trees & bushes that quite unusual to the local area and the under the thick layer of soil the whole mount is formed by granite which you can see while driving through the main road.

On the top of the mount the brilliant white Peace Pagoda & the temple of the Monkey God Hanumaan reserve the best views of the setting sun & port city of Galle.