Ritigala also has a place in mythology. It’s claimed to be the spot from which Hanuman leapt to India to tell Rama that he had discovered where the king of Lanka was holding Sita. Mythology also offers an explanation for the abundance of healing herbs and plants found on Ritigala.

Ritigala has a climate that's wetter and cooler than its surrounds; hence vegetation that wouldn't survive in the plains below thrives here.  While its proximity to Anuradhapura and its elevation made it attractive to royalty seeking a bolt hole, monks found Ritigala’s caves ideal for non-worldly existence. More than 70 such caves have been discovered (some have inscriptions; about 35 have been translated.)