Mountains of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's Major Mountains (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ කඳු; Tamil: இலங்கையின் மலைகள்) are located in the central part of the island popularly known as the hill country or the central massif.

The shape of the central massif over 1,500 m in height appears in the form of an inverted "T" or anchor, with a central ridge (or central backbone) forming the shank on which are some of the highest peaks in the country such as Pidurutalagala (2,524 m), Kirigalpotta (2,395 m) and Totapolakanda [(2,357 m) Sri Lanka Year Book, 1982]. The central ridge extends from Bopatalawa to Katugastota past Pidurutalagala and among the high plains of this ridge are Bopatalawa (Horton Plains), Hawa-Eliya (Moon Plains), Mipilimana (Elk Plains), Sita Eliya (Kandapola Plains) and Ambewela Plains (Vithanage, 1988). At the base of the central ridge (or the shank of the anchor) is Kirigalpotta from where one arm of the anchor extends westwards to terminate at Sri Pada while the other arm towards the east extends through Haputale and continues northeast to form Namunukula which is part of the north-south aligned Lunugala ridge (Sri Lanka Year Book, 1982).

On either side of this central ridge are two plateaux, the Ambatalawa (Hatton) Plateau to the west and Uva Basin (or Welimada Plateau) to the east averaging 1,200 m in height (Sri Lanka Year Book, 1982). There are also two regions detached from the central massif; the Dumbara massif (Matale Hills) and the Bulutota massif [(Rakwana Hills) Vithanage, 1988]. To the northwest of the central massif are Matale hills with Knuckles (1,863 m) forming the highest point (Sri Lanka Year Book, 1982). Forming the other detached portion from the central massif to the southwest lies the Rakwana hills and Bulutota massif averaging 900 m (Sri Lanka Year Book, 1982). Meanwhile, the east and southeast parts of the country are dotted with isolated hills with somewhat flat tops such as Monaragala, Govinda Hela and Kataragama.

The list of principal mountain peaks in Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka Year Book, 1982, Vithanage, 1988)

No.	Mountain	Height (MAMSL)	District(s)	Province(s)
1	Pidurutalagala	2,524 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
2	Kirigalpotta	2,395 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
3	Totapolakanda	2,357 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
4	Kudahagala	2,320 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
5	Sri Pada/Adam's Peak	2,243 m	Ratnapura	Sabaragamuwa
6	Kikilimana	2,240 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
7	Great Western	2,216 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
8	Hakgala	2,170 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
9	Conical Hill	2,166 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
10	One Tree Hill	2,100 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
11	Mahakudagala	2,100 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
12	Waterfall Point	2,074 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
13	Namunukula	2,036 m	Badulla	Uva
14	Gonmollikanda	2,034 m	Ratnapura-Badulla	Sabaragamuwa-Uva
15	Knuckles	1,863 m	Ratnapura-Badulla	Sabaragamuwa-Uva
16	Kotagala	1,753 m	Kandy-Nuwara Eliya	Central

Other popular mountain peaks

Mountain	Height (MAMSL)	District(s)	Province(s)
Saptha Kanya	1,571 m	Ratnapura-Nuwara Eliya	Sabaragamuwa-Central
Monaragala	1,520 m	Kandy	Central
Kondagala	1,511 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
Kabaragala (part of the Dolosbage Mountain Range)	1,509 m	Nuwara Eliya	Central
Riverston View Point (part of the Knuckles Mountain Range)	1,480 m	Matale	Central
Madulsima	1,480 m	Badulla	Uva
Kallebokka	1,460 m	Matale	Central
Hanthana Peaks including Katusu Konda	1,322 m & 1,140 m	Kandy	Central
Yahangala (part of the Knuckles Mountain Range)	1,261 m	Kandy	Central
Lakegala	1,255 m	Matale	Central
Little Adam's Peak	1,151 m	Badulla	Uva
Ambuluwawa	1,071 m	Kandy	Central
Alagalla	1,033 m	Kegalle	Sabaragamuwa
Batalegala	798 m	Kegalle	Sabaragamuwa
Nelligala	771 m	Kandy	Central
Ritigala	753 m	Anuradhapura	North Central
Pettigala	673 m	Kandy	Central
Kukulugala	673 m	Ratnapura	Sabaragamuwa
Bahirawakanda	600 m	Kandy	Central
Govinda Hela	565 m	Monaragala	Uva
Uthuwankanda	430 m	Kegalle	Sabaragamuwa
Mawaragala	385 m	Badulla	Uva
Manakanda	378 m	Anuradhapura	North Central
Sigiriya	363 m	Matale	Central
Pidurangala	340 m	Matale	Central
Nuwaragala	332 m	Ampara	Eastern
Jathika Namal Uyana	320 m	Anuradhapura	North Central
Rajagala	316 m	Ampara	Eastern
Danigala	314 m	Polonnaruwa	North Central

References

1) Sri Lanka Year Book, 1982. Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka. pp.4-5.

2) Vithanage, P.W., 1988. Relief and Drainage. The National Atlas of Sri Lanka. Survey Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN: 9559059009. pp.22-23.

This page was last updated on 10 October 2023