For Buddhists, the footprint mark is the left foot of the Buddha, left behind when he visited Sri Lanka. Tamil Hindus consider it the footprint of Lord Shiva. Some Muslims and Christians ascribe it to Adam, the first ancestor. The mountain is also fabled to be the legendary mount Trikuta, the capital of Ravana during the Ramayana times. The pilgrimage season runs from December to May, with thousands ascending the illuminated stairway before dawn to witness a spectacular sunrise.
