Hello friends,

It was an unplanned trip this time around with my parents. Was there in wilpattu 2 weeks back and wanted to go for a trip before my sister’s wedding. So I decided wilpattu since my sis n parents haven’t been to a jungle for a long time + this is a good opportunity to try out my newly brought 500mm lens

Started early in the morning on 4th Sept. visited St. Anne’s church Thalawila in the morning. It was raining all the way down… I was so worried. Reached the usual rest inn, L.L.T safari hotel by 11am. Raining stopped by 1.30pm. We had lunch and went for an afternoon safari…

Will let the pics to talk from now on…

.	Was near the rest inn.

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Waiting…

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Filming crew of “Wild Sri Lanka”.

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Famous “washing elephant” the only elephant running the Wilpattu show these days

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Was lucky again.. @ Borupana vila.

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Some bugs were bugging…

Was getting dark and we started to move out. Met two Sambar deers on the way.

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On 5th early morning woke up and started to move from the accommodation. Hoping that we will be lucky to see a sloth bear.

Had a small diesel leak early in the morning. Was able to tight a nut and fix it…

And guess what..?? A bear just crossed in front of us in flash and ran to the deep jungle. Was soo quick and could manage to take 1 proper pic only.

Running inside…

There were so many birds this time around. Specially different type of eagles … and sorry, I still can’t remember the names of most of the birds.. Should study hard!!!

Breakfast….

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Dead , untouched wild boar..

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We were lucky again in the evening to see a leopard just few feet’s away from us @ mahapathassa. It was inside the bush… Was not easy to take clear proper pics.. Wish it was outside… The things it did while sleeping was amazing… Acting like a little baby… was lucky to witness it by eyes at least… 

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We were there next to the big cat for more than one hour. Then the jeeps started to come one by one… so we started to move… met the last evening leopard once again at Borupana vila.

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We went out of the park around 6p.m. I was soo happy coz of seeing a sloth bear at last… it was a great day!!!
Next day was a very bad day.. Started to rain like hell. It was pointless staying inside and decided to come out from the park around 10am and head back home.

.	Gotch ya!!!!

Thanks for reading the report. Will write soon about the Kumana camping which we are planning to go on 19th!!!!

We started from Colombo around 5.30Am on 31st August. And there were 11 persons with our team. We reach Kadugannawa around 8.45 and had breakfast.

On our first day our plan was to visit Bambara kiri ella, Riverston peak , Pitawala pathana, Thelagamu oya and Sera ella. We met with heavy rain on the way of Riverston peak and we all got wet. We couldn’t reach Riverston summit because of it was not safe to visit summit while thundering. We couldn’t visit Sera ella and Thelagamu oya because we haven’t enough time.

We have enough space to have our lunch in Pitawala pathana ticketing center and it was around 3.00 pm.
It was around 7.30 pm to reach ‘Ashane holiday bungalow’ in Dunuwila wasgamuwa. It was very nice place to stay and reasonable prices. Bungalow can be booked by contacting with its owner (0714725593).

Our second day plan was Wasgamuwa safari and safari jeep has been already arranged before trip started. We took jeep from Aberathna (0724084546) and jeep was in good condition

We started safari around 11.30 in next day and Aberathna came to the bungalow to pick us with his jeep.

Kadugannawa road. Nice morning.

On the way of Riverston

On the way of riverston

On the way of riverston

On the way of riverston

Bambatakiri ella

On the way of Bambarakiri ella. Green whip snake

On the way of Riverson peak

Having deep breath on the way of Riverston peak.

Having deep breath on the way of Riverston peak.

Mini worlds end pitawala pathana.

Mini worlds end pitawala pathana.

Mini worlds end pitawala pathana.

Pitawala pathana road.

Pitawala pathana.

Riverston peak transmission tower seen from pitawala pathana.

Pitawala lpathana

Pitawala lpathana

Rural Hena/Pala seen from mini worlds end pitawala pathana.

Pitawala pathana

Traditional wee-bissa in Dunuwila village wasgamuwa.

Bird nest near Dunuwila lake wasgamuwa

Safari jeep (Aberathna – 072-4084546)

Near dunuwila lake wasgamuwa

The place we stay.(Ashane holiday bangalow).Very nice place and reasonable price. It was 10000 for 13-14 peoples per night

Eagle Ready for breakfast

Wild Elephants in wasgamuwa.

Sri lankan jungle-fowl in wasgamuwa

Having a bath in mahawali river wasgamuwa

Wild crocodile inside wasgamuwa park

Whole team together

The map – Click to enlarge

After the preceding days failed attempt in reaching Mill oya falls I decided to give it another try on the very next day. I never wanted to give up knowing that this hidden beauty will not flow as she had been doing all these years in few more months after the newly built mini hydro project starts functioning. So I reached Millebedda early as I could to try and reach the waterfall from the top because visiting it from Walas ella side was a failure.

Delan was a trishaw guy who I met at Millebedda temple and even he had not visited this waterfall but yet he was keen enough to join me on this venture. So we took the road named Kanchana which was about 1.5Km towards Lunugala(from millebedda). After traveling about 5Km’s we reached a house where we halted the trishaw and walked towards the Power hydro project work site located on top of the waterfall. Few guys who recognized me asked “ah mahattaya adath awada?” and I did give them a smile and said “ada nam meka balalamai yanne”. I was so determined that no one could stop me in doing so, we did walk along the Mill oya stream and reached the location where water was diverted and followed the concrete canal under construction for some distance. We stepped in to the jungle at a point where we thought it would be an easy approach to the base. It was a steep downhill descend and we had to crawl holding on to creepers at many instances too. Finally we reached the base of a stream but yet the waterfall couldn’t be seen. After climbing few huge boulders with uttermost difficulty we reached the base of Mill oya falls which was also known as Gona wetuna ella. This beauty has two parts and the top part could only be seen partly. The cascade is completely hidden and one needs to get to its base to have a proper view of it. Though we wanted to get to the upper part it was not possible at all. Next we started climbing from the opposite side and we were greeted by leeches and thorny wewal. After a good mud bath we reached a mini canal which diverted water from the waterfall to feed the nearby paddy fields. We did follow it all the way until the top of the fall was reached where a clear view towards Monaragala could be appreciated. Since we had done the whole circular trail we did understand that getting down from the left side of the cascade was the best option so my advice for someone would be is “get to the top and go along the canal on the left and reach the bottom”. There is nice bathing place on top of the fall if one wants to have a dip. After getting back to the wadiya we were offered pol sambol + dhal + pork with rice as lunch which we couldn’t resist! That miraculous lunch was the best medicine we had after a tiring hike.

the only glimpse of Mill oya ella, i did attempt on the very next day

shaped for milk

devastation, see what they have done to the forest

dawn on the next day

Suddas remnants

Buttala as seen from A5

rahathankanda and budugallena

foot path to the top of mill ella

the end of the waterfall is few months away

a mini cascade, good for a shower

a cave close to the fall

Mill oya falls (Gona wetuna falls )

lower part

the top part of mill oya falls

hard task

canal we followed

top of gona wetuna falls

scenery towards monaragala

uppermost cascade

plunges down

beauty

upper part

stunning view

getting down

Next place of interest was Adi hate wala which is supposed to have a waterfall too. Many locals suggested me to go and see this beauty rather than Milla oya cascade. To get to this waterfall one needs to go uphill via few line houses. I actually can’t remember the exact turn off point but better to inquire from the locals because they are aware of its where-bouts. There is a 1.5Km foot path which will lead to this beauty and it’s also a cascade of Milla oya. The base pool is said to be 60’ deep hence the name Adi hate wala was given. Downstream there is another beautiful cascade but does not have a clear path to reach it.

grey hornbill

play time

lower part

shining upper part

60 feet in depth

beauty

upper part

drops plunging down

Adi Hate wala falls

Adi Hate wala lower cascade

the path

From Hopton I went towards Yapamma and got off at a bo tree with a yellow coloured Buddha shrine. The concrete road uphill leads towards the famous “Besam wala” of Lunugala. The 2Km walk along this paved road was well worth it. After a while I reached a bridge and 50 meters upstream from it the famous Besam wala could be found. This is one of those wonderful creations of Mother Nature. The stream which is flowing downhill collects in to a rock pond and then overflows resembling a rocky basin. The depth was about 4’. I couldn’t resist not getting in to it and having a dip. Later on I ventured upstream to explore few cascades and similar bathing places but I was tormented by resident leeches . Since it was drizzling I returned back to the main road and headed towards Passara to catch a bus to Monaragala and end my day.

name board

රන් නලල් කොට්ටෝරැවා

feeling the cold

not ambewela but lunugala

Solitary

police has put up some notices on rocks close to besama

slow shutter besama lower fall

besam wala

upstream similar location

Besama upper fall

top of besama

good bye besama, I will be back

castle of electricity

Day two even before the sun decided to rise I got a bus towards Badalkumbura and reached the town where I hired a trishaw to visit a famous historical temple called Dummaletenna which was 10 Km’s away from Badalkumbura town. The road was almost washed away at some places close to the temple but we did manage it with are trishaw. This ancient temple is said to be one of those places where great king Dutugemunu rested while marching towards Anuradhapura. Also this is surrounded by Kubukkan river on three sides and the other side been occupied by a paddy field which produces some stunning landscapes. This temple has a restored pagoda where only the outer protective wall remains from the past. The image house which is under construction has some vandalized statues and it seems like the remaining bit also would be lost in time when the new one gets completed. After having a chat with the monk I took off towards Badalkumbura to have some breakfast and join my friend and his wife who was searching for a wonderful location to go on their anniversary.

Dummalethenna temple

vandalized and repaired

Dummalethenna temple statues

under construction

note the ancient outer wall

beautiful

poya geya

Karavila bubula

pride of uva

bordered by kumbukkan oya

We decided to visit Alupotha fort where and Archaeology board directing towards inland from Badalkumbura Passara road could be seen. Following the board we went towards Alupotha and within no time we were confused by the locals who repeatedly said there is no such thing to see. Somehow after a wild goose chase we came to know that the current Alupotha town was the fort long ago. This is the place where “Weera Keppetipola” joined the rebels according to the history books. My friend and his wife were teasing me all the way because they saw nothing interesting though there was a black archeology board. I felt like removing the board but within no time that feeling vanished away. So now I needed to compensate and satisfy my friends and that is what I did. Bambaragala pathana my favourite view point of Wellassa was where I took them next and they really enjoyed the panoramic view from that point.

is there a purpose of this board anymore

remnants of the fort

old buildings

Bambaragala pathana scenery

wellassa

towards wellawaya

From Namunukula we went towards Ella and on the way at a big elbow bend we were forced to stop and enjoy an awesome view towards Wellawaya town. We also named this as “Balleketuwa gap”. Next stop was Wellawaya Kotaweheragala temple. There is a small pagoda seen on a rocky plateau few Km’s away from Wellawaya. Since it was a scenic place we decided to climb that rock. The access point to this temple is about 2Km’s away from Wellawaya on Monaragala road. the temple is a modified place and if one wants to reach the pagoda you need to start climbing up from the image house. The task was not easy as we thought but the blissful scenery seen from the top made us forget everything. The mountain ranges of Poonagala, Namunukula , Ella rock could be seen clearly from the pagoda. To our surprise the pagoda was an ancient one which was later refurbished and the remains of the old pagoda was evidence for that. After hanging around a bit we set foot towards Badalkumbura.

Balleketuwa gap towards wellawaya

wellawaya town

Kota weheragala at wellawaya

the image house

uphill climb

leafless

note the rocks from the ancient sthupa

the view

wadinahela side

Poonagala range

wellawaya town

Ella gap

on top of kota weheragala

serene

paddyfields of wellawaya

Just before Badalkumbura we reached Punsisigama and took a right turn towards Walagamba hermitage. After tackling a 2Km road we reached the isolated cave temple on the base of a mountain range. We met the head priest and obtained permission to wonder around. There were about 4 or 5 drip ledge caves where some were modified and used. One was the image house where few bats could be found. We also came across an interesting carving of a coconut tree on a rock close to the bo tree too. It was getting all gloomy and we had to get back before dark fall. Exploring further caves was not feasible so we thanked the resident monks and returned back to Monaragala to end another interesting day!

Entering shri Walgamba hermitage punsisigama

අනිත්‍යය!

modified

inside the kutiya

image house made out of a drip ledge cave

inside the image house

kutiya at shri Walgamba hermitage punsisigama

head priest

another kutiya

a coconut tree carving

view towards badalkumbura and passara

Thanks for reading!

Year and Month	September, 2013
Number of Days	Four Day Trip
Crew	8 (between 3-35 years of age)
Accommodation	Day 1 – Gold Rest Inn Mannar Day 2 – Four Tees Rest Inn Mannar Day 3 – Thalawila Wildlife Department Bungalow
Transport	One Jeep and One Double Cab. Mannar – You can even go by car, anyway it’s better to have a vehicle to go around. Wilpattu – You need a 4WD vehicle to go around the park. If you don’t have one you can rent one from there.
Activities	Wildlife, Photography, off-road driving
Weather	Excellent – Lucky A day before we reached Mannar it was raining there and they cancelled some trips to Adam’s bridge. The day we went there weather was excellent (Not so sunny, not rainy either.  The day we left Mannar it was raining cats and dogs, but not at Wilpattu. It was perfect weather at Wilpattu.
Route	Colombo -> Puttlam -> Nochchiyagama -> Oyamaduwa -> Thanthirimale -> Settikulama -> Mannar -> Talaimannar
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Better to reserve hotels as early as possible. Initially we planned for a 3 day trip and extended it to 4 days at last minute. At that time there were no rooms at four tees in hotel, so we had to stay in another hotel which is not as good as four tees inn. Bungalows inside Wilpattu national park you have to reserve from Department of Department of Wildlife conservation office at Battaramulla. There are accommodation options outside the park too, but I prefer to stay inside so we can start safari early in the morning.
Author	sanjaya
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Four Days at Mannar and Wilpattu

We started the journey around 10 from Colombo. Our target is to reach Kudiramale point before 4. We stopped at Halawata to fill our cooler boxes. We reached Wilpattu border around 3.30, but unfortunately that road was closed because of rain. It’s better if there’s a way to know that before we turn that way from Puttalam, but even Villages did not know that. So we had to turn back and go around the park to reach Mannar.

We came back to Puttalam, and went through Nochchiyagama -> Oyamaduwa -> Thanthirimale -> Settikulama -> Mannar. Initially we thought of going via Anuradhapura, but luckily got to know that Nochchiyagama -> Settikalam road (via Oyamaduwa) is very good. We reached our destination around 10 at night.

We wanted to see Adam’s bridge on second day. We spoke to hotel owner and he said that it’s bit crowded on Sundays, but if we can reach Thalaimannar before 9 it’ll be easier. There’re about 28 Kilometers from Mannar to Thalaimannar. You can go Mannar to Thalaimannar within 20-30 minutes as road condition is good. We managed to go to Thalaimannar by 8.30 and There was not much crowd.

Spoke to Navy personal there and they said they had to cancel early morning trips because of bad weather, but we were lucky enough as weather was good at time. Boat journey started around 9.30 it took almost one hour to reach to the island. We spent there around 1 ½ hours and it’s one of the best beaches I’ve ever been.

I can spend the whole day here

My daughter loved every moment of our stay at island.

I don’t know what this plant is, but don’t try to bring it home

Enthusiasm

Puffer fish.

The crew.

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Sometimes people tries to bring this home, please do not do it. Even if you do, it wont work as it needs salt water to grow.

Nice life jacket for kids

There were quite a number of birds, the lens I had was not enough for a good capture. According to Lawrence(owner of the four tees inn) there are many more birds from November to January-February. So we are planning to go there again on

Two trustworthy vehicles

We can see this part of the beach from the place where we started “Adam’s bridge” boat ride. When we asked from Navy officials they said we can drive to this place. So we started to drive and lost our way Anyway another Navy personal came from a checkpoint and gave his number and showed us the direction to drive. That path ended up from Sea, so we turned back. Then we got a call from that Navy officer and he asked us to drive through the sea(he was watching us ) as water is shallow. We managed to reach this point only because of his help. I must say all the security personal we met are very helpful.(As usual). Anyway better not to drive there if you are alone. If you get stuck you need another vehicle to pull you out

You can see the place where my friends are standing. Yes, it is shallow

We managed to reach Dorik House before the sunset.

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A warm welcome to Wilpattu We thought he is a paid employee at Wilpattu looking at the way he poses

A friend at Thalawila Bungalow.

You can spend days at this place looking at these wild animals. (In front of Thalawila bungalow)

Life…

Cautious.

Again at Kudiramale point.

Yes, it’s deferent

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Need more zoom 70-300 is not enough at all

Finally.

Proud.

Cautious.

And lazy

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We saw this one while we are having lunch

We left Kottawa at around 6.30am and we didn’t come across much traffic as it was a Sunday morning. While we were passing the Udawalawa Dam, we saw a rather depressing sight. I guess it was the famous elephant called “Rambo” (I am not sure) who is well known for coming up to the edge of the dam to feed on fruit that ignorant people throw at it. Please do not feed this guy as it threatens his life. Elephants need a lot of vitamins in order to survive and they take those vitamins by eating leaves and grass. Walking to find food gives them the exercise needed. This guy is addicted to the fruits given it to by people.

Please don’t throw fruits at this guy if you see him on the edge of the Udawalawa Dam

We were able to reach Udawalawe National Park at around 11.00am. I arranged a Safari Jeep and here are the contact details of the guy.

We reached the Weheragolla bungalow at around 12.30pm. Talking about the bungalow, this is situated 18kms away from the entrance and a very nice place surrounded by trees. Our guide was Lionel and he told us Weheragolla is the best bungalow in the park if you are a nature lover.

Weheragolla Bungalow

We had our lunch and went to the beautiful river running beside the bungalow

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We saw a giant monitor on the river bank and it was likely 5ft long and 2ft wide

giant monitor

We left the bungalow for the evening safari at around 2.30pm and came across number of elephants, birds and some wonderful scenery. Here are some highlights

Came across a large herd of elephants

and, a loner

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Another herd of elephants

These hunters were everywhere

And some breathtaking sceneries

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We were also fortunate to see this guy, well known as the biggest “Dala Atha” in Udawalawe National Park

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We had a BBQ night and Danushka was kind enough to give all his BBQ equipment for free. We talked with him and we were able to convince him to give his lamps, tents and also his BBQ equipment for free if you say you are from Lakdasun.

Our Dinner was BBQ, bread and Pol Sambol. Bunglow keeper Saradha seasoned the chicken and Susantha (Our Driver) grilled it to perfection

Night time was really cold and breezy and therefore everyone woke up with a cold the next day. But it was worth it. So if you are going to stay at the Weheragolla Bungalow around September – December time, take some long sleeves or bed sheets with you as they will help you to stay warm and avoid catching a cold by the cold breeze.

And one important note – Please do not swim or dive in the river next to the bungalow. There are crocodiles and they are not your biggest threat. It’s the water holes made by waves and tree roots.

We made a short video and this sums up the highlights of the trip,

Thank you

Randula Fernando.

Planning a trip to Kumana Np for a long time. Finally was able to arrange everything and make it happen. Crew was only myself n two more friends since all others were busy and couldn’t make it.

We booked the campsite early and arranged everything for 3 nights. Drive up to kumana was soo long and tiring. We left Gampaha around 11.30 in the night. Stopped several times and reached Arugambay around 8.30 am. Spent around 2 hours in the beach and went to Panama to meet our jeep guy, Sena. He is the only Sinhala guy operating in the area. He has gone through a lot due to probs from the fellow Muslim jeep operators. Who doesn’t do a proper job as I heard from so many people. I’m not trying to be a racist here.

Just writing down what I heard from the locals so that it will help you guys. Regarding Sena, he is a great guy. Not a person who go after money like others. A true gentleman!! Main priority was to satisfy the customer. Highly recommend to contact him and arrange if u guys are planning a tour to Kumana. His Mob number is 0775390111.

We went to the park around 1p.m after having lunch. Tracker was Wasantha. Awesome, nice guy. We were lucky to have him to guide us throughout the tour with Sena.

The 1st thing we saw as soon as entering the park was a peacock dance. Knew we are going to be lucky again… Since it was a great start

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Brahmany Kite

Cooling down…

Changeable Hawk-Eagle

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Then we were truly stunned by what we saw. It was around 30-40 crocks having a sun bath. Was an amazing sighting that we will never forget. Couldn’t capture all of them in one pic.

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.	Painted Stork

.	The Pheasant-tailed Jacana

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Blue tailed bee eater

Was a nice sighting

1st jumbo we met.

Then we came across with another stunning sighting. It was a Changeable Hawk who has attacked a peacock and tasting it.

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We came to the campsite around 4p.m. it really was a great afternoon session. We arranged the tent and cooking items, collected wood for the camp fire and etc.

Our tent on the river bank.

Full moon was really helpful…

Woke up early in the morning and went for a round.. Will let the pictures to speak from now on… 

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.	I’m shy yar!!!

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Common K.F

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Green Bee Eater

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Walking crock

Painted Stork

Wish it was a leopard 

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Feeding the babies..

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Out of balance due to heavy winds…

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Frogs!!!

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They call it as sand bathing..

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And then we were lucky to see a leopard in Kumana. Which I never expected. It was so fast n couldn’t take a proper pic. This pic was taken by my friend Kasun. Kumana leopards are afraid of vehicles as per the guide. They are still not used to it…

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We went to the campsite, had a good river bath, prepared food and had dinner around 8pm.. We were chatting for some time and went to sleep since we were so tired. Woke up around 4.30am to prepare food. A leopard was shouting very close to us… I even gave up the idea of going to toilet till the sun comes out

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We packed our items after lunch and planned to go out from the jungle in the evening even though we have booked the site for 21st night as well. Driving all the way home isn’t an easy task. So thought of going back home in the night time like before. So that no cops, burning sun or much vehicles on the road..

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It was around 6pm and already dark. We saw a sloth bear very close to the entrance gate. We were so lucky since it wasn’t in a hurry to hide…. We all were over the moon!!!

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We came out from the Np around 6.30 pm. Thanked our helpful guide, Wasantha and start moving to Panama where we left our car. Packed everything back to the car and said bye bye to Mr. Sena and started to head back home around 8p.m. had to stop and wait around Lahugala since an elephant was on the road.. Stopped at few places as usual to freshen up and reached home by 3.am…

Thanks for reading the report

I’m a big fan of the Beach Traveler and don’t miss out watching the program on Sat at 7.30pm on Rupavahini unless I’m away on one of my own adventures writing fairy tales. So it was one of those days that I came across Gange Wadiya where the presenter, Nishanta Kahawita, visited the place and met with Sunimal, the caretaker, and enjoyed a boat ride and a night camping with BBQ.

My mind didn’t need a second invitation to start imagining about this place and its beauty surrounded by the Kalpitiya Peninsula, the Lagoon and sexy Kala Oya. My mind kept wandering from Colombo to Gange Wadiya every now and then making me crave for a feeling of the place.

After a couple of strenuous hikes which made me whine with pain, a nice, relaxing and cozy journey was just what the doctor ordered. I couldn’t think of a better place than Gange Wadiya. So thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and his thinking skills, I could send out an open invitation to my Lakdasun gang who usually join me on adventures.

The responses were a mixed one with a handful of yes’s and no’s and a few irritating maybe’s. It went right down to the wire as we had to confirm our booking to Sunimal and finally we were left with Ageless Tony, Ever-getting Young Athula, Professional Photographer Dhana, Workaholic Wumi and Getting-old me. Dana came up with a solution to our transport problem and managed to get hold of a van and a driver whose rates were very reasonable.

So everything was set for 12 and 13 October and I was getting anxious to make the journey. I called Sunimal and made arrangements to do the camping and boat ride. Finally, we were ready and Dana left Kottawa at 04.00am and soon everybody was on board and on our way. From the very beginning, the topic was on food, no matter however much I tried to steer them away to something half decent.

Tour Highlights:

1. Anawilundawa
2. Wind Mills of Puttalam
3. Salt Pan – Puttalam
4. Malwila Ruins
5. Gange Wadiya
6. Kala Oya Estuary
7. Elephant Tree
8. Limestone Quarry at Aruwakkalu
9. Nawadankulama
10. Sunset at Kochchikade
11. Collection of Panoramas

We made good time and Tony sang with the help of Dana and Wumi used his all 10 fingers playing the bongo. It was like going back to the 70s and 80s with Haroon Lantra, Jothi, Clarence, Milton and many others were brought back on stage. Hari and I discovered the singer in Tony at Makandawa while camping and he didn’t disappoint us this time either. For some reason or other, Wumi always wanted sad songs and kept humming classical tunes all the time.

Amid all the music and singing, we eventually reached Anawilundawa junction around 07.00am. We took a left and crossed the Puttalam railway line passing Anawilundawa station towards the one of six Ramsar wetlands in Sri Lanka.

Anawilundawa

We soon entered into the wetland and the sanctuary and saw the map displayed.

“Facts of Anawilundawa:”

“This was declared as the 1078th wetland on 03 August 2001. This is comprised of 1397 hectares and boasts 6 man-made fresh water tanks. Anawilundawa harbors quite a few species of threatened fish, amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles. This serves as an important refuge for migratory birds and also supports half the country’s freshwater fish species, including at least three endemic species.”

The morning sun tried very hard to pierce through the cloud cover and birds were up and about trying to get some breakfast. Meanwhile Dhana set up his camera equipment and was on his way looking for some rare birds.

I wonder how he manages to keep track of all those birds coz there’s virtually no bird he doesn’t know by the name. Throughout the journey, there was only one he couldn’t identify and he must’ve told hundreds of names which sounded like Greek to us, especially Tony with his limited knowledge about birds.

The farmers on the other side of the tank bund were milking their cows and that was a very rare and grand sight to us all. We kept walking along the bund and found so many wood apple trees full of fruits. Tony, being the youngest of all, wanted some of them and Dana duly obliged. Wood apple on an empty stomach can’t have been the best of the things to have but I was happy to get rid of the topic on food at least for a while.

There were plenty of birds at large and Wuminda kept complaining not having a long zoom camera and as usual vowed not to venture into the woods without one in future. Athula reminded that he’d apparently done so quite a few occasions before. However, everybody wouldn’t bother too much about not having state-of-the-art equipment and was happily shooting around.

After about 2hrs of hovering about, we bid farewell to Anawilundawa and soon were on the way towards Puttalam. They were chanting like hungry ghosts and had to stop well before to have breakfast. We were actually planning to visit Nawadankulama but decided to do it the following evening as the time didn’t seem appropriate.

Anawilundawa station

The notice

Here’s the map

Adhere to these

It says it all

6 Tanks

Heart shaped

Good Morning!

Diya Kawa, the only known bird to me

Dhana can remember all these names

Alu Koka

Ready to serve

Starting our journey

Tony showing his climbing skills

“Where are all these fish?”

There were plenty of cattle nearby

“My back’s itching”

The sun trying to penetrate

“I’m hungry mum, just stay still for a sec, will ya?”

Posing for a group pic

They are being led back into the pen

Rare seen to capture

“He’s milked you to the limit mama, there’s nothing for me”

Hundreds of unattended wood apples

“Hold it tight Dana, it’s close”

Gigantic trees bordering the tank

The road is isolated

Busy at work in the morning

Lotus in the morning

Sun rays making patterns

Colorful path

Everywhere is picturesque

Gang of birds

Kaha Kurulla, another known one

Very common flower in the water

Not sure what these are but very pretty

Like a dream

“Hey, found anything yet?”

“Just missed the fella”

Where we stopped for a breather

Brahmina Kite, if I’m not mistaken

3 Musketeers

Tried to eat but not ripe enough

Another eagle waiting for a prey

Time to say good-bye Anawilundawa

Wind Mills & Salt Pan at Puttalam

We reached Puttalam around 10.30am and saw this absolutely wonderful Buddha Statue with the lagoon in the background. The sky was blue, the lagoon is grey and the statue is pristine white. I immediately wanted to stop and we all filed out of the van shooting away. It was a magnificent view and I felt very calm looking at the serene looking Lord Buddha.

We saw one of the recent huge failures lurking in the distance, the white-elephant Norochcholai Charcoal power plant. The windmills of Kalpitiya lagoon and Puttalam were looking superb. I wanted to stop by and we all went towards Puttalam to buy the provisions and 5-litre cans of water before that. We had a nightmare trying to find sliced bread in Puttalam as none of the shops had any. Whatever they had was expired and some shops only had one or two small packets.

Surprisingly, Puttalam town doesn’t have branches of these fast moving supermarket chains. So better be prepared for this eventuality if you’re planning to travel via Puttalam. We finally managed to find a bakery after going in circles for some time and bought 4 loaves of bread along with some chicken for our barbecue. Having stocked our rations, we headed towards Wind Mills and Salt Pan. The road towards the Wind Mills and Salt Pan is about 1-1.5km away from the town to your left.

The gravel path was dusty but there was hardly any traffic. So we made it through the salt evaporation pans towards the edge of the lagoon where 25 wind mills located. The view took us by surprise and the scorching heat was taken away by the gusting winds from the lagoon. It was amazing how you feel underneath that towering wind mill which is well over 100ft. We all felt dwarfed by those mammoth architectural marvels. I wonder why not have many wind mills instead of destroying the Mother Nature by those crappy mini-hydro power plants.

We simply had to drag Dana away and reached salt pans. There are hundreds of huts built all around and they are used to storing the salt. I got into a chat with one of the workers and found some interesting things.

“Life of Salt Pan and Workers”

 “It takes 15 days from storing sea water to harvesting salt. The salt is collected and piled along the bank of the pan in huge piles and then taken by the workers in bags on their back to the nearby huts. One pile typically has about 12-15 bagful of salt which is about 480-600kg. They’re paid Rs. 500/- for clearing each pile and the one I spoke to said they (5 of them together) usually clear about 20 piles a day so that they earn around Rs. 2000/- each a day.

 This salt is then taken and iodine added and packs them into different sizes depending on the weight and distributed around. A 50-kg bag is usually sold around Rs. 200/- during the season and it goes up to Rs. 500/- during the off season. The harvesting season begins in July and goes on till late October. The workers were all living very close to the Puttalam town and it too is like fishing which has off season as well.”

Simply majestic

Serene looking Lord Buddha, makes me feel very calm

The longest lagoon, Puttalam

25 Windmills in Puttalam

Towards Kalpitiya peninsula

What a waste? Norochcholai failure

Oh ho, finally a group pic

Salt pans, couldn’t cross due to the channel

Piles of salt ready to be taken and stored

Finally found the path and reached the windmills

Making an art of their own

That’s the company’s name and logo

Gigantic

Not used any more for salt production

Every angle is picturesque

Abandoned?

Lone boat waiting for its owner

The trio tied near the beach

Trying to be a professional

No green left, must be due to saltiness and scorching sun

We didn’t loiter around

See the size of the pillar?

There seems to be a door

Finally got to the fields of salt

They’re so much used to the sun

Busy at work

Single pile of salt, which has about 400-600kg of salt

Vaporizing pans

Making a living

This is where the salt is stored for distribution during off season

Salt pans and windmills waving at us

Malwila Ruins

Having exposed too much to the sun we left for Eluwankulam and I decided to visit Malwila Ruins on the way. The Puttalama-Mannar A-32 road is being renovated and currently it’s full of dust but hopefully it’ll soon be completed. Malwila ruins are located in front of Kasamadu Estate of Chilaw Plantations and a sign from the archaeological department is also displayed on the right hand side. It’s about 3km from the main road and be sure to check ask for the directions as well.

The first half of the road is very well paved with concrete and the rest is just a gravel road. They apparently haven’t done a full investigation of the place yet. There was a soldier from the Civil Defense Force, who’s there guarding the premises from treasure hunters, helped us with some information. According to him this place goes back towards the era of Saliya-Ashokamala and yet to do a proper excavation. It could even be related to Kuweni’s era as there’s a similar place inside Wilpattue. We saw plenty of stone pillars around and remains of a Stupa as well.

He said that there are many more hidden in the jungle (This is deep inside Wilpattu) and can’t be reached as yet. Hopefully the powers-that-be will clear these as soon as possible revealing more hidden information of our history. After about an hour, we decided to head back and about 500m away from the site there’s a temple but no monks staying there. The same soldier said that monks don’t stay there for long and even if they did, the poor 20 odd families will find it difficult to look after them.

Turning point

Being invaded by the forest

So many more to be discovered

Needs protection

Being cleared and dug out

Looks like a complex of buildings

Broken pieces of major structures

There must’ve been an entrance through here

The hut is where the CDF soldiers stay 24/7 protecting this place

Ruins of the Stupa

Gange Wadiya and Kala Oya Estuary

We reached Eluwankulama around 1.00pm and took a left from the junction. There’s a huge Holcim board and you can’t miss that. Go about 2km before you reach a Y junction where the left hand road takes you to Holcim Aruwakkalu Quarry Site where they excavate limestone for manufacturing cement in their factory at Puttalam.

We took the right and after about 500m you’ll meet a railway line (in fact it ends there with no clear indication) and turn right. The path is running in parallel with the Lunu Ela where it joins Kala Oya close to Gange Wadiya village. The view was simply breath taking and the earth is scorched by the searing heat and you can see the Wilpattu Jungle on the other side of the river.

Sunimal was waiting for us; the Navy Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) has a camp of theirs behind the fisheries village. The boat was laden with the stuff we need for the journey but Atha and I wanted to charge our camera batteries and decided to stay about half hour waiting. The smell of crab and prawns were tempting and we couldn’t wait any more. This village had been attacked many times in the past by the LTTE killing many and injuring even more. We saw remains of huge limestone boulders which had piled in front of houses like bunkers.

Sunimal is a Civil Defense Force soldier who had fought to keep his people and village safe from the terrorists with many other villagers. The terrorists on many occasions had crossed the river trying to attack the village without success. SL Navy had then deployed one of their elite commando units into the place in the form of RABS with fast moving arrow boats. It must have been very scary for those people living in fear of their lives.

Having heard all those brutal activities of the LTTE, we decided to leave for our camping site around 2.30pm. We left the village with Sunimal and his friend Shantha and went upstream along Lunu Ela and turned onto Kala Oya.

The water levels were low due to less rain but Sunimal said the rains are on the way and will soon be with them. We saw quite a lot of tiny boats (Theppam) coming down the river carrying numerous containers of water. This is due to the saltiness of the water near the village and they have to travel further upstream to bathe and bring in drinking water. If not, you have to go all the way to Eluwankulama in a vehicle to bring in water for drinking and cooking.

It was a tedious task to paddle with a long stick and we saw most of the times it was women who did the peddling. Sunimal said when it‘s raining the river is not easy to maneuver around but the water gets better close to the village cutting down the distance to get drinking water. They carry all their dirty linen and go upstream in the morning, then wash them and bathe and come in the afternoon carrying water for the rest of the day. Every day they have to do this like a ritual.

After some time the river got narrower and very shallow making Shantha get down to the river bed and push the boat along with him as using the motor was not possible. There were many people, mostly the villagers, already bathing, waiting and having meals or simply getting drunk. The surrounding was sadly was littered with beer cans, plastic bottles and polythene bags. Sunimal said the rains will send all these to the lagoon and then onto the sea with the flooding river.

We soon reached a place where the getting was very difficult and the boat was simply impassable. We decided to take a break and have lunch and try after that. The lunch was superb with Crab, Prawns, Beans, Gotukola Sambol and Yellow Rice. We simply wolfed down the generous helpings by Shantha and Sunimal. Tony was simply unstoppable and Dana wouldn’t simply eat sea food as he was allergic to them which he piled onto Wumi and Tony’s plates.

Thank goodness we took three 5-litre bottles as the water was simply not up to our taste. After that it was time to check the stamina of our boys and they did live up to it. Everybody except me (who had to get that on record) got into water and started pushing the boat with all the energy they could muster. We soon crossed a sand bank into the water and padded along searching a better place.

There was a family camping on the river bank and we went further upstream and found this beautiful sandy spot with plenty of shade. We anchored down and took our stuff and set up the tent and laid the mats. Sunimal had even brought 3 plastic chairs which Atha, Tony and Dana soon lowered them into with a grunt. The place was tailor made for a relaxing journey and we soon unpacked and got into the water.

After a tiring day, the water felt great on our body but Wumi kept sniffing it feeling a bit doubtful. We stayed in about an hour and the sun was ready to go down. Shantha treated us with a cup of ripe Maa Dan (berries) and they were delicious. Having changed into some comfy shorts, we decided to take a short walk into the jungle and Sunimal advised not to venture deep into the jungle as elephants are very common there.

We found a jeep track where it leads to a village near Eluwankulam and found some other villagers camping further up and they had come in their motor bikes. We saw a roof over the top of trees and decided to take a peek at it. There was this almost dead but very much alive prickly bush with vicious thorns and it was a nightmare avoiding them.

There were remains of a house and a disused well surrounded by hundreds of elephant dung. We later found out that it used to be a forest department bungalow abandoned due to LTTE activities in the Wilpattu jungle. After a recce in the jungle we came back to the camp site to find Sunimal and Shantha busily arranging the campfire collecting firewood and fixing the BBQ place as well. To our great amazement, there was this green hammock tied between two trees and I immediately jumped onto it. It was like floating on a pool and felt very much heavenly

It was time to relax and that’s exactly what we did.

After some time, Sunimal and Shantha started cutting and washing fish and chicken for our BBQ. It was one of those days that we played guest and them host. There was nothing for us to do except wait and relax. We had our torches and Sunimal had even brought a lamp which he traditionally hung on a stick. The BBQ got underway by Sunimal and Shantha while two of his friends brought provisions for our breakfast and tea. They too helped with making the dinner.

Sunimal informed us that we were the first group to arrive without any liquor. Everybody who went on camping took loads of them and got drunk on the way let alone enjoying the view but we were a completely different matter. Sunimal and Shantha were very surprised to hear that and in the end they too were pleased not having to look after a bunch of drunks.

After a while, a plate laden with cooked fish and chicken was brought to us and we all dug into it like a pack of wolves. The food was tasty and we soon emptied the whole plate and Sunimal had a lot in his hand trying to keep up with our demanding tummies. The second helping didn’t last long either and was soon followed by the third and the last along with some left over crab which had no mercy from Tony.

After a bellyful dinner, we got ready to tuck in for the night, but not before another short musical show by Tony and Wumi. That combination worked like a dream throughout the day. The moon was out in full force and the river and trees were illuminated by that soothing golden brown light. The sky was cloudless and many millions of stars were on display as if trying to welcome us. We saw many shooting stars and satellites but not sure if the Supreme Sat did a fly over.

The tent was a tight fit for the 6 of us but not having any of gigantic members, we all squeezed in. it was hot inside but nobody volunteered to sleep on the sand. After a little conversation, we were dead to the world. I was soon awoken by the opening of the tent and saw Tony getting out. I feared he might be sleep walking and followed him to find it was just a comfy break. It was very cool outside and Wumi too followed us out and wanted to sleep on the mat outside.

Tony decided to bunk down on one of the comfy chairs but I went in to get my head down. I could hear Wumi and Tony having a long conversation about stars. Wumi was giving him a long lesson in astronomy when I fell asleep for the second time of the night. All of a sudden I heard Tony’s voice urging us banging on the tent and I got the shock of the life. We all got up to see that a pack of elephants had crossed the river about 100ft away from the tent and about 20ft away from the camp fire where Sunimal and Shatha were sleeping.

Tony had apparently seen a black oval shape moving but Shantha and Sunimal had seen the elephants clearly. They however decided not to bother us even though we heard those elephants breaking branches of the trees nearby probably having a late night snack. Since then, nobody fell asleep, even Dana, who had been dreaming of animals, was up. Suddenly he shouted saying that a frog jumped into the campfire committing suicide. It was the first time I ever heard something like that and that poor frog had sacrificed his life for what reason, we didn’t know.

It was soon the morning and we all started crawling out of the tent and Shantha was already busy with making tea. The morning sun brought the birds out who started flying around and the water level of the river had risen a bit making our journey downhill easier.

After tea we decided to try to venture into a Villu where we can observe elephants and Sunimal led the way in. The undergrowth was too thick with prickly bushes and we had to tread very carefully. We found plenty of trees of berries which we munched hungrily and the ripe fruits kept us plucking more and more of the unending supply. The forest was full of them and all of a sudden, Dana came running towards us and everybody up front started running after him.

Even Sunimal came back hurriedly having heard a sound and thought it was an elephant. It was so hilarious to see everyone was so banged up but there was no elephant but a bunch of monkeys. We ate more berries to chase our fears and were got on track. However, after about a km or so, we found the path is so over grown with thorn bushes and decided to take a turn back. Sunimal then informed that the LTTE had frequently roamed the jungle targeting civilians who come to collect drinking water, what brutes they had been.

After this everyone wanted a cool dip in the river. This might have been the result of being scared to death in the jungle and they were feeling hungry too.

Soon the breakfast was ready with fried eggs and buttered bread; unfortunately a whole bread was full of ants who had decided to feed on our expense. We had no option other than giving it to the fish that were early waiting.

In about half an hour, we packed our stuff back onto the boat and were on the way with a half empty tummy, but the going was easy this time due to the rise of water levels.

After the Eluwankulama, the Y junction, turn right to Gange Wadiya, left is Aruwakkalu Quarry

End of the railway line, good signage

The road towards Gange Wadiya

This is the Lunu Ela

The electricity is there at the village thanks to the Navy Camp and the Cement Factory

Sunimal’s boat service

Would’ve been grand if these were big enough

Is this legal?

He was wondering who these fellows are

The view from the boat yard

Majestic Kala Oya separating the village and Wilpattu…

The LTTE had crossed this river to attack the village

Theppama resting

Plenty of hawks hovering above

The team ready to go in

Laden with food and our baggage

Oh yeah, push it

Shantha the navigator at the front

Right is the Lunu Ela, to the left is Kala Oya

We took the left

Difficulty of carrying water from upstream

Diya kawa waiting for us to pass

Water is too shallow for the engine so Shantha got down to pull it

Coming down with full containers

The area is beginning to look like a heaven for campers

Maneuvering was a nightmare at places

Gigantic Kumbuk Trees providing the shade

Having a bath before going back with water

Sunimal too had to pull us with the boat

Kingfisher waiting for something

An ideal place for camping but there were already a few drunks

Couldn’t go any more coz feeling ravenous

Salivating

Mine…

After a hearty meal, look at the contended looks, Wumi’s rubbing his near bursting tummy

“What shall we do today?”

Athula is asking: “Kohomada Kema?”, Tony replies: “Athi Wishishtai Machan”

Ok, enough resting, let’s go find a place to camp

Hardly any water for the boat to cross

No option, but to drag it along the sandy bank

Ara Soysa!!!

I chose to venture into the woods

A Theppama full of containers idling

Commandos after a mission accomplished

No idea what this weapon is

Willus of Wilpattu

“That place is good for us”, shouted Dana

I was all about going along the banks

There had been people before too

Finally the tired boat got a much deserved rest

Tent is ready and our towels getting dried up

Yum Yum Yum!!!

Shantha was laboring with the heavy work

We’re ready to explore a bit

Gigantic but looks abandoned

Fully shaded

We found this path that leads to a village on the other side

Extremely prickly and hurting

“Dude, somebody’s coming”

“Sweet heart, don’t look, we’ve got strangers looking at us”

Abandoned tourist bungalow

This must’ve been the well that fed the bungalow

Along the path, found this

“Hiya, anybody home?”

Getting dark and thought of turning around

What a surprise

I’m in heaven baby…

Tony playing the nanny

Half-moon ready to lighten the night

More wood for the campfire

Moon is finally ready

Our tent and the light hanging on a pole, surrounded by thousands of insects

Elephants are on the other side

Recalling the days’ events and Dana like a huge beetle with a flashlight

With flash, the hammock

Kumbuk trees making the environment artistic

Ready for the BBQ. Tony’s asking Shantha, “How long will it take?”

Fire is ready with the grill

Fish and the Chicken we brought

There it goes

The first plateful with BBQed fish and chicken

“Malli Wena Nedda?”

After an eventful night, the dawn arrives

Shantha is making tea

Tea’s ready…

Ready to do more adventures and Sunimal leading the way

Juicy berries kept us busy all the time

Never ending supply

“Anna Atha Kurullek, penawada?”

A stranger

“Kollane, me wayasaka matath tikak thiyapalla bolavu”

Grapes???

Being very cautious

Trying to avoid treading on Elephant dung

Dead end, not a hope of crossing this thorny bushes, you need an Elephant’s rough skin

Heading back

Off to a flying start

River bathing is always fun

“Hiya matey”

Eggs are being cooked

Almost done

Loosing one whole bread made us go half hungry

Let’s go

Still water is too shallow

“See you folks”

Coming for the daily collection of water

This area is very wide

Back at the village

Elephant Tree and Aruwakkalu Quarry

We reached the village around 10.00am and unloaded everything and set off yet again towards the lagoon looking for the Elephant tree. We reached the lagoon at a ferocious speed and the journey along the lagoon was a roller coaster ride, the boat bumping up and down and swaying left and right. The water splashed all over us making Wumi duck underneath the front of the boat and Tony very kindly offered him his comfy seat. We turned into Kumburawa River which runs right through the Wilpattu jungle and went along about 2km till we saw the top of Elephant tree.

It was actually a huge Baobab tree with a circumference of well over 40ft (measured by Nishanta and Sunimal during their journey) being second only to the giant in Mannar which is more than 60ft. We anchored the boat and got onto the land and the tree felt huge compared to others. We’d have needed more than a dozen people to surround it completely. The skin was so thick just like an elephant’s.

Sunimal pointed that the age of the tree is about 750 years, calculated by some people who knows what they’re doing. There was a small baobab tree too about 100m into the jungle which is about 12-15ft. It was super cool watching this giant from up close and we had to very sadly go back.

We saw the communication towers at Kalpitiya and the peninsula was visible as if they were very close to us. Fishermen from Gange Wadiya usually go to Kalpitiya by sea and it’s about 12km to the town and according to Suniaml it takes about half hour to get there. If you, on the other hand wanna visit Kalpitiya, you need to go back to Puttalam and take the road along the peninsula which is more than 70km away.

I wish we could build a bridge along the lagoon to the peninsula making it easy to travel between. There were a lot of islands such as Uchchimunai, Illippantivu, Periya and Sinna Arichchalai, etc. You can go to Baththalangunduwa too from here which is a long way from Kalpitiya. We came back to the village and got everything loaded onto the van and got ready for the next in line of our agenda which is visiting Limestone Quarry at Aruwakkalu.

As I mentioned in Notes, you need to get permission at least 2 days prior to your journey from the Colombo Head Office. Having bid farewell to Gange Wadiya, we left with contented hearts.We left for Aruwakkalu Quarry took the left turn from the Y junction and went on a dusty but ramrod straight road to the factory. We were met by the supervisor and took us along the quarry to the top where we got a panoramic view of the site.

It was like an Australian Gold Mine, spreading in a vast area and huge monstrous vehicles busy at work. We saw the Kalpitiya very close across the lagoon and the supervisor told us a very mysterious tale. A tunnel which had apparently been done by the Portugese, had been found about a decade ago dug between Kalpitiya Fort and Jaffna Fort. It’s said that a white couple had got in and vanished without a trace. It was later closed down burying centuries of history with it.

The earth looks similar to what you find in Ussangoda, very reddish and full of minerals. This jungle is where you find plenty of Camellias and Dana badly wanted to picture of them. It was one of the few that is missing from his collection. There is a railway track running from here to Puttalam Cement Factory carrying dug limestone back and forth.

We left the quarry and came back to the Eluwankulama and bid farewell to Sunimal.

Dana and Tony got the comfy seats

Have to go straight and then turn left beyond those trees

At full throttle

Trying to catch some

After a bumpy ride at the lagoon we turned onto Kumburawa

Can see a structure at the right hand corner… there are plans to build a hotel here

Along Kumburawa towards the Elephant’s tree

The top bit is seen from here

Endless supply of landscapes

There it is

Ready to jump

Looks like two separate ones but it’s the same

Not many leaves

Huge at the base

Skin like an Elephant’s

The small one

Not so small up close

Well, time to go heavies

Back to the bumpy ride

Finally at the village

The Y junction and the Quarry is 4km away

Straight like an arrow

Just arrived at the gate

Getting in

Piles of limestone in the distance

Those tires are as high as our van

Ready to send to Puttalam

The mammoth quarry, just like a gold mine in Aussie

Towards Kalpitiya, pretty close

Busy at work

Drilling the limestone rocks

Look at the earth, very reddish

Never seen one like this in real life before

We’re going

What’s that?

Oh! An eagle’s nest

Nawadankulama and Sunset at Kochchikade

We followed the Puttalam road and stopped about 10km passing Puttalam town for lunch. Everybody was might hungry and gobbled up every morsel they could get their hands on. That’s when Tony showed me a specially made tri-wheeler and its owner was a handicapped lottery vendor. There was this saying written behind his vehicle. Its English meaning is something like “I don’t give a damn about ships when I don’t even have a paddle”.

Having had a hearty meal, we came to Nawadankulama junction where we took a left and the tank was 4km away. Dana had visited the place before and told us there were two other tiny tanks before it. By the time we reached those, the drought had made sure no water was remaining and it was nothing but a ground where you can play Elle or Cricket.

We had our doubts about Nawadankulama but she had kept some water despite the unforgiving sun. There were birds and the landscapes were absolutely wonderful and we simply savored every second of it. Dana claimed he’d never seen so many stunning landscapes and his landscape lens was doing overtime right throughout the journey.

Sometime later, we left Nawadankulama and headed back towards Colombo when I wanted to see the sunset sometime close to Mundala but we were too early. Then Dana asked if we could see those primitive yachts at Kochchikade with the setting sun and we headed towards there. However, the traffic was becoming a nightmare and we were held off quite a long time and by the time we reached Kochchikade beach, the sun had already gone down but the sky was still full of vivid colors.

We jumped out of the van as if the end of the world had come and ran to the beach shooting like Blackhawk-debussed US Marines. It was simply spectacular view, the whole sky was painted with different shades of Red, Orange, Blue and Grey and they had to drag me out of the beach. What an end to a majestic journey, couldn’t have been better.

Unlike other journeys, we reached Colombo at a more humanly acceptable hour and reached our homes by 08.00–09.00pm. Everything fell into place like a nicely done jigsaw puzzle and it was a very welcome leisurely journey for our battered bodies and minds.

Well folks, that’s the end of another of my fairy tales, hope you enjoyed it and planning to do more but wanna do something different.

Take care

Sri

We saw this on our way too and he was waiting where we had lunch

Not far to go

Having passed two empty tanks, this was a relief

From the professional to the amateur

Splitting but it was such artistic after all

There’s hardly anything for them to eat

“Where have they all gone?”

Herd of Goats being taken back home

“Hey, don’t photograph me, ok?”

“Hamine, moke koranne?”

Wow	Gotcha buddy

What a combination!

Just got off, the sun had gone but still grand enough

Sky is on fire

From left: Dana, me, Tony and Wumi

Trying everything

“Let’s go to heaven”

An airliner off from Katunayake

Time to go

The Collection of Panoramas during the whole journey will be an ideal summary.

Pano 1

Pano 2

Pano 3

Pano 4

Pano 5

Pano 6

Pano 7

Pano 8

Pano 9

Pano 10

Pano 11

Pano 12

Pano 13

Pano 14

The map – Click to enlarge

Neelagiri hela been the only prominent rocky mountain around Lahugala was on my list for many months not because of it been a mountain but the archeological value it had. Last year when I visited Neelagiri Sthupa I was told that there’s plenty to see around Neelagiriya in addition to the huge extensive complex of Neelagiri seya. The forest which engulfs this area extends for miles with ancient buildings belonging to Neelagiri monastery. I got the opportunity to re visit the gigantic sthupa with few of my colleagues few days back and when we reached the sthupa I met Amila who was on duty. My first question was “do you know how to get to the ruins at Neelagiri hela?” and he promptly replied by saying If I wanted he could show me the way.

It only took me 4 days and I was all ready to explore Neelagiriya. With a short notice Amila and Priyanjan was prepared to join me on this venture. My self and Amila proceeded to Arugam bay because we had some spare time until Priyanjan arrived and we spent it by visiting Muhudu maha viharaya, Thune kanuwe ruins and Lahugala Kotawehera. I would only mention few words about 3ne Kanuwa ruins here because I had already written about the other two places previously in an old report. 3^rd mile post ruins could be seen beside Potuvil – Siyambalanduwa road and only few pillars and a Pagoda was found at the site. From here we proceeded towards Kotawehera where we enjoyed some panoramic scenery and headed towards Lahugala. After meeting up with Priyanjan we took a tuk tuk and arrived at the Neelagiri Sthupa. Other than Amila(guide) , Danushka and Krishantha also joined us. We were followed and routinely disturbed by two dogs and out of them the black one almost gave us death scares by running towards us like a bear.

dawn at arugam bay

fishing at arugam bay

the only RDA board sponsered by department of archaeology

old pagoda

lonely pillar at 3ne kanuwa

kota wehera

forgotten era

kitulana tank

Komari

Neelagiri hela as seen from kota wehera

100% natural

restoration begun

We were now walking along animal foot paths with ears and eyes wide open since this is elephant country and closing on to the rock the chances of meeting sloth bears also increased. After about a 2Km hike we reached the opposite side of the mountain where the ancient steps towards the cave complex could be found. The steps were done craft-fully and guard stones were placed after every five steps or so. The steps ended at a cave with a brick wall and in it we saw frescoes on a plaster. Only few parts were spared by time and local visitors who have scribbled on it. The colours were green, red and orange mainly and it seemed there was a painting behind the Buddha statue which once stood in this image house. Close to this image house there were few more caves connected to each other and some were filled with fallen pillars and rock plates. Some even did have inscriptions and well carved drip ledges signifying the importance of this place.

the hut where the arche boys spend the night

off we go

deiyanta bara wenawa

elephants have rubbed the back

bin kohomba

A.R=Archaeology reserve

steps to heaven

more to climb

a cave with a drip ledge

guard stones

moon stone

still in good shape

entrance to the cave

Budda statue vandalized

what remains

more

culprits

patterns

another cave

note the inscription

more remains

cobra hood

outlet

remaining wall

note the plaster

our friend

We decided to get to the top of the mountain so we proceeded uphill from the caves. The dried out fallen leaves were ever so challenging but somehow we managed to get to the top. The mountain has two parts and we climbed up the western peak which had a huge rocky plateau. The endless view towards many wildlife parks and forest reservations was simply a bonus. The cleared off Neelagiri sthupa was noted as a mini mountain in the greenly dry zone forest. One could enjoy a panoramic view of Lahugala national park, Lahugala and Kitulana tanks, Komari forest, Yala, Kumana and Kudumbigala areas, Arugam bay lagoon, Komari lagoon, Magul maha viharaya, Kota wehera and mountains of Gal oya which includes Wadinagala, Govinda hela and etc. All over the summit pieces of pots could be found and also we came across two Pagodas. The lower one had a circular drainage cut which protected it once from dripping water along the rock and the main sthupa which once stood tall all mighty on the summit was said to be the glorious “Akasha chaitya” of Magama kingdom (according to El. Medhananda thero). Now only few bricks could be found at this historically important sthupa. There is also a 6’ tall stone wall bordering a Bo maluwa at the edge of the mountain which still stands tall. After raising the fallen flag we decided to begin our downhill journey which was done cautiously.

almost at the top

rest after a tough climb

stay away

the blue sky

towards wadinagala

degal hela

Pano of lahugala

Neelagiri seya

more to walk on

the old rock wall on the rock

maragalakanda

pottery pieces

the twin summit

potuvil…komari

Lahugala

not edible

protection to the pagoda from water

beauty…so close to the ocean

wow

colours

Akasha chaitya of magama

a rock pond

shadow of the cloud

kudumbigala

kotiyagala, yala

our flag

our second trouble

After getting to the base we decided to visit some ruins said to be remains of a palace. There were a row of pillars placed as a wall enclosing a ruin site and from there we climbed up few steps which were carved on a rock to get to and interesting cave where plenty of Vedda paintings were found. As always seen Vedda paintings brings me extreme ecstasy. We saw paintings of few veddas, a flower and few four legged creatures. The vedda paintings part was excluded from the cave at a later stage when it was redone and offered to the monks, the wall which separates the paintings justifies our observation too. The drip ledge inscription of this cave was so unique in the sense it was so small and hardly noticeable. We returned back to the ruin site and had our afternoon lunch before we started our return journey towards Neelagiri sthupa.

After a highly satisfactory adventure we reached the mighty Neelagiri sthupa and lied down for half an hour before saying good bye to our newly met friends and headed back towards our destinations.

giant foot print

a boundary

remains of the maligawa

an altar

steps

Vedda drawings

samber painting

a flower

more drawings

miniature inscription

the wall seperating the drawings

the cave

getting back

open area

team minus Priyanjan and the two doggies

elephants at lahugala

Thanks for reading!

Map 1 – Click to enlarge

Map 2 – Click to enlarge

Kingdom of Magama which is also guarded by lord Katharagama is one of the most visited areas by Sri Lankans and most of the time they only manage to visit few places which are commonly known. First of all Hasitha’s report was the guide I used to plan my journey and succeeded with what I attempted in! Im not going to mention anything related to the history of Magama kingdom in detail since Hasitha has done a good job in his report! As the title says this is a summery on Kataragama, please do enjoy the images!

Sithulpawwa rock temple (6°23’15.20″N, 81°27’1.84″E)

An ancient Buddhist monastery, believed to have been occupied by 12,000 Arahant monks at one time. Thought to have been built in the 2nd Century BC by King Kawantissa, who ruled the area then, Sithulpawwa derives its name from Chiththalapabbatha, which meant, the hill of the quiet mind.

friends i met at katagamuwa

old bodhiya at sithulpawwa

a cave kutiya at sithulpawwa

kuda sithulpawuwa

maha sithulpawuwa

towards yala

a lake at sithupawwa entrance

ancient pagodas ‘s

the main inscription

the caved image house

prathimagaraya

kings of magama?

highly dangerous

more ruins

another kutiya

how maha situlpawwa is seen from the lake

to be excavated

ancient path

on the way to the summit

kuda situlpawwa

temple premises

buttala

gal kudaya

kataragama and thissa

more drip ledge caves

the lake with crocs

lake side inscription

ruins

Arjuna been fed by visitors

wild samber

Sella Kataragama (6°26’10.19″N,  81°18’11.44″E)

Sella Kataragama is the place where god Kataragama first met his first consort Valli Amma. And the ancient mahasen viharaya also is in close proximity. There is another devalaya called Lakshmi devalaya which seems to be only a money oriented place and I would not recommend the place to any traveler.

a dip in menik ganga

Sella kataragama

not devatha eli

the bo tree at sella

Ancient Ruhunu Kataragama festival

Kataragama festival this year was held during August month; though the crowds were reduced a bit the festival didn’t lack anything! For the second consecutive year I was lucky enough to witness the Perahera too.

Day two was all about visiting Kiri vehera and Wedihitikanda.

awaiting

simply awesome

the bands

lighting up using traditional lamps

gini paganno

smoked

wewal dance

kohomba kale

fine movements

kawadi too

යක් නැටුම්

a peacock dancer

the karaduwa been caried

worshiping

Kiri vehera (6°25’26.43″N, 81°19’56.38″E) and the kataragama museum (6°25’4.74″N, 81°20’4.95″E)

Kiri Vehera is an ancient stupa built by King Mahasena. It is 95 ft. in height with a circumference of 280 ft. This structure probably dates back to the 3rd century BC. There are some ruins, inscriptions that the general public doesn’t even notice and I was focused mainly on those. Also the museum is a must visit place they even show a mini film regarding Kataragama. Few ruin sites found at Veheragala have been transferred to the museum premises.

dawn at kataragama

kataragama devalaya

the dances

rituals

Kiri vehera

the චුදා මානික්‍ය

an inscription at kiri vehera

honeymoon couple

variation

Kataragama museum

bodhigaraya found at weheragala

inscription pillars

another pillar

Detagamuwa lake

striving

on the hunt

caught you

lovely landscape

kataragama season

Wedihiti kanda/Kataragama peak (6°23’12.39″N, 81°20’9.11″E)

400m tall mighty wedihiti kanda was a dream that came true for me and climbing it at 12pm was ever so challenging but the stunning scenery and the climb resembling adams peak was worth the trouble. There is an access route for vehicles too or you could hire a vehicle to the summit from the base. One could enjoy a panoramic view of Kataragama, Kirinda, Thissamaharama and Yala without any difficulty at Wedihitikanda.

Day 2 ended with a bath in Thissa wewa and I went back to Monaragala planning to return back on the next day.

Wedihitikanda pano

endless steps

a family we came across

wow we are almost there

thissa wewa

note yatala and thiss sthupas

yodha wewa

detagamuwa lake and kataragama

yala

pano towards kataragama

endless view

kiri wehera

few more lakes

kirinda side

gods high up in the sky

the southern ocean

wedihitikanda sthupa

bo tree

wow	getting down

Day three my focus was on Thissamaharama and Kirinda areas so I got down at weerawila lake to do some bird watching before reaching Debarawewa to start my archaeology hunt.

Weerawila lake (6°17’33.90″N, 81°14’7.31″E)

Since it was the season of drought there were plenty of birds to see also the landscape was stunning.

Weerawila tank

Black winged Stilt

fishing at weerawila tank

peaks of Katharagama

halted

plenty of these guys too

the picturesque road

grey heron

open bill

ibis, herons and spoon bills together

all together

dried out tank

painted gang

art of mother nature

Debarawewa Pashchimarama Raja maha viharaya (6°16’51.37″N, 81°15’55.69″E)

It is located few hundred meters from Debarawewa junction on Hambanthota road. There are few scattered ruins and a wonderful ancient statue of Buddha!

Debarawewa Pashchimarama RMV pagoda

ancient statue at Debarawewa Pashchimarama RMV

Menik vehera (6°17’6.88″N, 81°16’15.58″E)

Menik vehera is the first place one would come across while traveling to thissa wewa from Debarawewa. This is believed to be a creation of king Maha naga the brother of king Devanampiyatissa

Menik vehera

menik vehera sthupa

pillars at Menik vehera

guard stone at Menik vehera

Etha Bendi gala (6°17’8.97″N, 81°16’19.80″E) & Remains of a four storied building (6°17’8.43″N, 81°16’21.31″E)

Etha bendi gala is believed to be where Kadol etha (King dutugemunu’s) was tied on to. The four storied building is said to be a palace. Both these places are found next to Menik vehera.

Etha bendi gala

where it was tied

pillars which once held a four storied palace

plenty of pillars

Yatala sthupa and the museum (6°17’8.34″N, 81°16’33.25″E)

This was built 2200 years ago by king Maha naga where his son Yatalathissa was born. Since then this had been restored many times and now the original shape of it had been completely lost. The museum was closed for renovations so I had to be satisfied with the artifacts seen in the garden. Yatala temple which is on the opposite side of the road has one of the largest Asanagaraya’s in SL.

Yatala sthupa

Yatala museum

ruins

inscription at yatala

wow	another interesting carving

muthra gala

the stone used to wash away

prathimagaraya

an image house

a statue

king maha naga

wow	i love this pink

submerged pa dowanaya

a huge asanagaraya at yatala temple

Tissa lake (6°17’5.95″N,  81°17’20.11″E) and Akurugoda pillar (6°17’8.91″N, 81°17’34.22″E)

Tissa lake is a picturesque lake built by king Mana naga. Akurugoda is believed to be the main city of Ruhuna but unfortunately many ruins are covered with reestablished civilization. The Akurugoda pillar could be reached by taking the road to the right from the makara thorana on Kataragama rd. the pillar is the largest inscription pillar I have seen in Sri Lanka.

dried out thissa lake

scavenging

life line

wow

gulping

a jacana

beautiful thissa lake

Akurugoda inscription pillar

pieces of history

Tissamaharama vehera (6°16’47.30″N, 81°17’29.17″E)

This gigantic masterpiece was done by king Kavanthissa and this is one of the solosmasthana in the country. Lord Buddha’s remains are said to be placed in this pagoda.

before repairing process started (2010)

under renovation

chatra stone of thissa sthupa

old + new

Sandagiri Seya and ruins (6°16’50.80″N, 81°17’42.36″E)

Sandagiriya is just behind Tissa dhageba and there is an actual model of the sthupa in its athulu maluwa too. To get to the image house one should take the road near the archeology office for few hundred meters.

Sandagiri seya

proper replica of sandagiriya

yupagala

chatra gala

inscription at sandagiriya

beautiful guard stone

prathimagaraya

Yoda wewa (6°15’40.03″N, 81°18’30.81″E) and Kirinda (6°12’47.60″N, 81°20’7.14″E)

Yoda wewa is believed to be done by king Maha naga and its one of those giant lakes in the area. Next I took a bus to Kirinda. It started to rain but I just loved the drizzle. Kirinda was the place where princess Viharamahadevi drifted ashore after being sacrificed to the sea by her farther.

yoda wewa

beautiful giant

Kirinda

the statue at kirinda

a devalaya

the rock with inscriptions

sri pathula carved on the rock

vihara maha devi

pagoda at kirinda

maha devalaya

rough sea at kirinda

another inscription

Telulla archaeology site (6°11’46.54″N, 81°17’30.08″E) & Kirindi oya estuary

Telulla was not in my plans but after giving some calls to Priyanjan and NG it was included as my final destination. From Kirinda I got to Yala junction and hired a trishaw guy who had no idea about this place near the moya kata of Kirindi oya. So google maps aided us all the way until we reached the site. This is a must visit place but be careful of wild elephants especially in evenings since this belongs to Bundala park. We also managed to visit Kirindi oya fall out to the great oceans and that sight was enough to satisfy my tired sole and end up my expedition around ancient Magama.

ran goyama

thelulla beach

sand dunes

Kirindi oya moya kata

colour of the sand was red

wow

Thelulla ruined pagoda

Telulla ruined pagoda (another one)

pillars at telulla

history hidden in bundala reserve

Thanks for reading!

I was home alone and since I will have to go back to ship somewhere in November, came up with an instant idea to visit Wilpattu once more. Called the usual resting place, L.L.T safari rest inn 1 day before to check the availability.I was lucky. One room was available. Spoke to my friends but no one could come in a short notice + since it’s during the week days. So, thought of going by bus instead of driving alone.

Started the Journey around 9.50am from Colombo and came to the rest inn by 3p.m. it started to rain in the evening… I was really worried. Started the safari next day morning. Sun was out till around 2p.m n started to rain. Will post the pics now on.

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.	Finally took a pic of some female peacocks

Perfect pose

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What???

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Friendly fight??

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Wet!!

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.	Close-up!!

Changeable Hawk in action

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.	Crested Serpent Eagle

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