Hiking the Rose Quartz Mountain at Jathika Namal Uyana

About 15 kilometers from Dambulla lies the Rose Quartz Mountain, home to the largest known rose quartz formation in South Asia. Because it sits within a protected nature reserve, mining is strictly banned. Surrounding the pink-hued quartz hills is the ancient ironwood forest of Jathika Namal Uyana—the biggest man-made forest in the region. Scattered throughout the forest are remnants of a Buddhist monastery dating back to the 3rd century. Historical accounts suggest that long ago, convicted criminals sought sanctuary here, and the monks instructed them to plant ironwood trees as an act of repentance. Although the monastery eventually fell into ruin, the ironwood grove continued to flourish.