EXPLORE MOST STUNNING WATERFALLs

Explore the most stunning Blue Mountains and Silver Waterfalls

We set off early in the morning for our journey on Colombo Rathnapura road. Sun was started to beam through city buildings, most of the shops and houses along the road were closed when we passed the city. We were all excited and longed for a holiday after hectic work. Getting rid of the hot sunny city, we decided our destination be o the cold, stunning hill country. After two hours of driving the surrounding alongside side, the road changed into more green with trees and long spread paddy fields.  It was really beautiful the square shape slots of paddy fields along the roadside. The wind blows through the field mad making the surroundings cooler. The flock of white storks among the paddy field was such scenery. The flocks of storks gather here because the paddy fields are rich with the food they need. The small streams of water running along the fields are full of fish and the warms coming out from the plowed ground for paddy cultivation are a feast for these birds. At distance, a few blue mountain stands like giants made a stunning view.

When we were passing the major towns Rathnapura, Pelmadulla, and Balangoda the crowd gathered to fetch their daily needs and the shops made heavy traffic. It took fea w minutes more time from our journey. Between the towns the roads are quite good.  Buildings along with the roadside increase due to the rapid rise of population and development in the area. But still, the majority of beautiful landscapes remain unchanged.  We felt the change of climate as we travel away from the city, instead of the dusty thin air and the unbearable heat in the city, here the breath cool fresh air and the beautiful nature relaxed us.

Belihuloya is a famous tourist destination among locals as well as foreigners, where a traveler can enjoy breathtaking views and lots of stunning waterfalls. We had our lunch at a small restaurant situated in an edge of a small cliff. The place was quite crowded due to the long New Year holiday in the country. Lots of families with kids made the place a little bit noisy. We wait quite bit long to get our food. The restaurant staff struggled to cope up with the customers. We ate the hot and tasty food with fresh vegetable dishes sitting near the glass window, enjoying the stunning view of the Blue Mountains. The randomly passing cool winds chill us for a moment. We were enjoying such chill after exposing year adorning hot in the city. The sun is almost p of the sky still the climate varies against the cool wind.

The Surathali Ella falls ma et few kilometers drive from Belihuloya, and between Belihuloya and Haldummulla.  Unless you carefully watch the signboard you might have missed the point to turn to see this beautiful waterfall.  It was a few meters walk the n narrow path along the grass-grown ground through shady trees to reach the fall. You can hear the never-ending sounds of water falling from a distance evidence a fall is nearby. We carefully went down, the chilly water running over the slippery stones. The waterfalls from the mountain turn the way down through stones making unique shapes to the fall. We climb a little further towards the fall stepping on the stones. We chose a good spot with a view of the waterfall there to dip our feet into the water. We stay there for a moment admiring the amazing beauty of the waterfall and enjoying the break from the tiring long drive. It was almost late evening; we reached the small cottage at Belihuloya. 

As to the owner of the, rest there are lots of waterfalls around the area. We had chosen a few to explore to match our time schedule. After breakfast, first, in the morning we went to a nearby fall Pahanthudawa fall. We found the fall after a few minutes’ walk from the cottage. The place was isolated and surrounded by mounts. Huge stones make climbing a little bit harder. The water was falling like a thread to a basin-like deep pool end of the fall. The falling shape resembled an oil lamp, so its name.   There was a mysterious atmosphere around the fall with dark clouds in the sky that morning. We were enjoying the fall at distance. Water drops on our faces signal the rain so we rush back to the rest.

We depart from Belihuloya toward Haputhale soon after we return to the rest.  The tallest waterfall in the Sri Lanka the Babarakanda fall is on our way. After one of r drives w,e reach Kalupahana Junction on our left, turned from the junction we drive about 2 km to the entrance to Babarakanda Fall. A ticket was issued at the entrance. This money had been used to develop and maintain the surrounding path to reach the fall. It had been very difficult route to reach the fall through the most difficult trek years back. But as to the development of , the area the path had been cleaned, put up some steps and rail to make the climb easy. Trekking through a path with stunning views of mountains and tall trees growing up to the sky was a great experience for an adventurer.  In the end, nature deserves a treat for your hard walk to the breathtaking waterfall, falling along a tall mountain cliff.  It was slow and thin when we were there, but in rainy season that fall widen with the heavy force of water. There was a viewing stage, where people can see the fall from a little distance. As waterfall fancies we reach down to the end of the fall, climbing stones up to the fall is one of the things we enjoy very much. There was a little crowd similar to our interest in the fall dip themselves in the cool water. It was really refreshing after such climb to get rid of the sweat and tiredness on your body. The travelers of local and foreigners were among the crowd.

Spending the morning hours in the fall we headed to Haputhale. We stop at the first restaurant we met but place was heavy with a crowd. So, we brought lunch packets on our way, we parked our vehicle on a spot with a view, and sat on a rock in the open air  to enjoy our meal.

Within one-hour drive we reach small Haputhale town. The town was congested; it was soon after New year most people visit to their relatives. They come to town to buy gifts and sweets for their visit. So, most shops are open for their customers. The majority of the crowd are Tamils were wear colorful glittering clothes, and women wearing fresh flower garlands as headdresses can see with families. And most of the city people like us, travel outstation in this vacation. So, the smells of smoke from a large number of vehicles traveling to such destinations are polluted air in the environment. However, Haputhale is a beautiful town with views of stunning misty mountains. Even on the sunny days, you can witness the mist everywhere. We Sri Lankan, enjoy the cold climate as foreigners from cold countries prefer the sunny weather.

We pass the town and turn our way to see Adisham Banglow, the most popular place among locals. The place was quite isolated when I first visit in 1989. As the place become more popular, now the place is quite crowded. When the British rule the country they had build their residence their style and the environment quite similar to their motherland, they felt quite at home in this town. The garden is beautifully maintained to attract tourists and there are some natural food products such as jam, cottage cheese, goat milk, honey, etc. to be sold at a small shop in the premises. People mostly visit to see the beauty of granite stone bungalow which was built time far back in 1893. Only part of the bungalow is exhibited for the visitors. All the furniture and accessories which were used in the past were protected to exhibit. The visitors are enjoying the stunning view, of where the bungalow is situated as well as the architecture of the bungalow. We enjoyed a few hours in the place and head back to explore another beautiful waterfall.

more reading: https://lanka.com/about/attractions/st-benedicts-monastery-adisham-bungalow/

We were driving back on the road a few kilometers and turned right to Beragala Koslanda road. After one and half hour's drive, on a road with lots of bends, with a stunning view of tall trees and breathtaking views of Blue Mountains, we saw a silver thread draw along a far away mountains. After another half an hour we reach the water fall near to a bridge along the road. Diyaluma fall is the second highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. As it is easy to access, it is very popular among locals. Anyone traveling from Katharagama on Thanamalwila road via Wellawaya to Haputhale can see this beautiful view of the fall. The fall takes three parts, the upper Diyaluma falls and the top of the fall is very popular among adventurous tourists, they climb with a guide. Most travelers cross this place and stop for a moment to view the beauty of this amazing waterfall. We stepped through a narrow path down to reach the water, climbing on huge and slippery stones we reaches a little further to have a good view. We had been dipping our legs in the freezing water for half an hour enjoying the view of w the water falling like a long veil of a bride.

We were continued our way headed through bending roads on the hill country to our next destination. You can see the roads like snakes are running below. The equally spread tea plantation covering the mountains are very unique to the upcountry of Sri Lanka. The woman plucking tea leaves, and wearing colorful sarees were a common sight on these tea plantations. There are many tea factories in this area, for those who are interested in the tea-making process, have the opportunity to visit some tea factories. And there are tea factory outlets to enjoy a good cup of tea and buy many flavors of tea products. A sip of world-famous Ceylon teacup was quite a treat for foreign or local travelers amidst the beauty of nature of this cool misty hill country.

AMAZING SIGHT OF WATER FLASH

Blow Hole (Hummanaya) Dikwella, Sri Lanka

Hambanthota district has made tremendous strides at a pace to Hummanaya in other names Kudawella Blow Hole, ranked among the top tourism destinations in Hambanthota District Sri Lanka. it is a rare geological experience made at Kudawella village of Southern province, Sri Lanka. You may hear the sounds of the blow hole on your way from Dickwella to Kudawella. It is just 1.1 km from Dikwella to Kudawella.

This curious feature of Ho-ho-hoo sound makes you hurry to reach the destination. Kudawella Blow hole area is embellished with rocky cliffs. There is a rock boulder in the middle of the rocky cliffs with a breakage in the middle. When the sea waves hit the rock, the water force passes out through the hole at the bottom of the rock and shoots about few meters high into the air. It needs two powerful sea waves from two different directions to be waddled each other. A windy climate will worth very much. If so you will be astonished by the ‘jet of water’. It is a must to say that this scenery is breathtakingly mysterious in monsoon rain season. Perchance it will take about 10-15 minutes to get ready for a new shoot up. This stunning blow hole is almost visited by tourists. 

Most try to capture this thrilling experience into photographs. But it is quite hard to be done. If you are taking your kids, make sure to look after them well. If the sea waves are rough and strong it blows up about 25- 30 meters up into the air. Hummanaya is not a calm and quiet place. Actually, it is another hustle a bustle of nature. 

Nowadays this marvelous fountain area is being developed to attract many more tourists. On your way to Hummanaya, you can buy different kinds of fried fishes, cool drinks and different kinds of Sea food from stalls. Salayas, Kumbalawas, Thalapaths and much more are cooked and adorned, referring to various cooking recipes. So don’t forget to feel the taste of the sea food at Kudawella Blow Hole area. Local handicraft makers are selling their goods at the nearby stalls.

R.L Brohier who was a journalist and a traveler have noted the Hummanaya in his records of Ceylon in 1965. (‘The hoarse gurgling roar gathers in volume then suddenly a pillar of water churned into a dazzling whiteness gushes out somewhere up the cliff and for the moment you stand aghast’-R.L Brohier)

More Reading of Dikwella, Sri Lanka

Dikwella, which means long beach, is an unprepossessing coastal town 2 1/2 hours drive from Galle and 11/2hours drive from Mirissa. Its is not mentioned in any of the old guide books, because it only started to attract foreign visitors in recent decades after guesthouses and a hotel sprung up along the beach. Buddhist pilgrims have also started to frequent Dikwella in the last thirty years, for about 2km from the town on the road towards Beliatte is their real destination, the Wewurukannala Vihara, the location of the tallest statue in Sri Lanka. This is a seated image 50 metres high, which was completed in 1970. There is an eight- story building behind that emphasizes the size of the statue. Inside is a staircase from which can be visited comic strip painting of the Buddha's life 

6km east of Dikwella at Kudawella there is a turning to the right that leads to a cliff  to the blow hole is located. This spectacular natural phenomenon is known as Hoomanaya, which is a redering of the sounds that it makes just before the water shoots up into the air. Water in a cave at the sea level below the cliff is forced upwards through a fissure in the rock in high seas, especially during the southwest monsoon in June and July. After travelling several meters through the fissure to the top of the cliff, the water is then propelled into the air, sometimes to a height of 20 meters or more. 

Dikwella beach is ideal for people who are looking at a very relaxing holiday by  the beach. The beach not crowded and very touristic, locals are very friendly, great local delicacies and sefood. The beach is very stretchy and sandy. Visitin local Temples, Snorkeling off the beach of Dikwella. Whale watching off the coast of Mirissa, visiting Mulkirigala ancient temole are some of the excursions you can do in Dikwella. Popular seaside village of Tangalle is 30 minutes drive. With the opening of new Colombo Gall highway, Dickwella can be reached in 3 1/2 hours as opposed to 6 hours drive previously. Thalassa Villa, Dikwella Beach Resort and Mahara Beach Cottages are interesting places for accommodation.

PILGRIMAGE TO KATHARAGAMA

Pilgrimage to sacred god village Katharagama, Sri Lanka

On the April holiday in  2018,  we decided to pilgrimage to  Katharagama.  The southern highway was the easiest and fastest route to reach our final destination the scared town of Katharagama. It took 2 hours of the undisturbed drive along the highway to Mathara the exist to southern main road run along with the sea. We stopped near to beach to have our breakfast which we brought from home. Stretch ourselves from aches made by sitting for a long time. We had our breakfast sitting on a rock admiring the beauty of the stunning view of the sea. The cool breezes relax our tired bodies. The sounds of breaking waves continuously hummed against our ears. After breakfast we dipped our feet into refreshing seawater, it’s tempting to put the whole body into the water. A few minutes later we continue our journey along the southern coastal way.

Southern high way

 view of southern coastal road

The fastest development of the area changed most of the places which had been very rural years ago but still, the hot climate of the dry zone has never been changed. The dusty bushes, thorny trees, dried paddy fields after the harvest, and the herds of buffaloes grazing on the dried grassland remain as same. The huts build with sticks and clay; the roof is covered with hay or dried coconut leaves are seen alongside the road. The villagers selling fruits, vegetables, corn, curds, and sweets in those huts were unique in this part of the country. You can see people buy from these stalls, which help the villagers with little income other than the selling of their paddy. Down south of Sri Lanka is the major province that produces salt for the country.

buffaloes  grazing grass on drylands of Hambantota

The facilities enhanced with development in the area, restaurants and even the houses have been built to a standard. But we found it difficult to find a place to take the lunch till around 2.00 pm because of the Sinhala Tamil New year Holidays. Finally, we found a place near a lagoon to dine. The foods were hot and felt tastier to our hungry stomachs. The place was quite cool with the lagoon around the restaurant. But still, the warmth of the hot sun made us sweat.  After two hours of driving along the isolated road the dry bushy jungles we reached the Thissamaharama Town. The Tissa lake, the boats near the bank of the lake, and the huge trees add beauty to the town. From distance, the huge Tissamaharam dagoba stands solemnly above all.  Katharagama is few kilometers from Tissa. We reached our hotel by 3.00 pm and rest for half an hour, refresh with a bath put on white clothes go to Katharagama temple.

Restaurant near the lagoon 

Tissa wewa (lake) at Tissamaharama Town

Despite the differences in caste and creed. Many Sri Lankan shows great reverence for God Katharagama. They honor him as a very powerful deity and beg divine help to overcome their personal problems or for success in business enterprises etc., with the fervent hope that their requests will be granted. They believe that God Katharagama exists and is vested with extraordinary power to assist those who appeal to him with faith and devotion in times of distress or calamity.

Bo tree in Katharagama

Shrine of God Katharagama 

Thirty years ago the last stage of the pilgrimage to Kataragama was to be covered on foot through a jungle infested with wild elephants, leopards, bears, and poisonous reptiles. The twelve-mile walk was then a memorable experience and a test of faith and devotion. Groups of pilgrims would set out from Tissa usually before dawn and make a leisurely journey through the jungle singing hymns or shouting praises of the god. Hindu belief Katharagama god is an incarnation of god shade mentioned in the sacred book of Sanskrit literature. They undergo all sorts of hardships and perform all sorts of penance for they believe that salvation can be gained by rigorous self-mortification and extreme penance to the body.

pilgrims taking footpath to Katharagama

First, we went to the Kiri Vehera. The Buddhist Kiri Vehera Dagoba which stands close to the Katharagama Devalaya was built by King Mahasena. According to the legend, the Buddha, on his third and last visit to Sri Lanka, was believed to have met king Mahasena, who ruled over the Katharagama area in 580 B.C. it is said that king Mahsena met Lord Buddha and listened to his discourse. As a token of gratitude, the Dagoba was built on that exact spot where it now stands.

The path to Kiri Vehera runs through a shaded road with trees and a bridge across a stream. We heard the scream of peacocks living in the dry bushy forest beside the road. Anthills witness the habitat of snakes.  The road to Kiri Vehera was decorated with Buddhist flags. Streams of the crowd in white cloths walk through the flag-waving path towards the Dagoba. The smells of burning oil lamps and incense sticks fill the entire surrounding with spiritual existence. People arranged colorful flowers on the stands around the Dagoba with faith as an offering to the Buddha. Some walk around worshipping and others sit on the grounding staring their eyes towards the dagoba.  We sat on the ground after offering flowers and incense and close our eyes to experience a spirit of calmness despite the crowd.

Flower stalls along the roads to Kiri Vehera

Worshiping Kiri Vehera

Manic River

Then we walk towards Katharagama Devalaya and spend some time under the Bo tree. A jingle of bells from Devaya signaled the offering time to the god. A crowd of pilgrims lined up with baskets of fresh fruits, a coin wrapped in red cloth, and a colorful artificial garland or necklace on top of the fruits as an offering to God Katharagama. Most of them come to pay their gratitude to god after the prayers had been fulfilled. Scented smoke fill around the room unlike the quietness near the dagoba the Devalaya was noisy with chanting and jiggling of bells as the priest called to the god. The devotees stared at the statue with deep concentration. The priest wave a huge peacock feather on the head and smeared the ash on the forehead to bless and tie up the wrapped coin with a wish on a pole stand in the Devalaya. Keeping some fruits as a sign of acceptance, the priest returned the fruit basket. People share these fruits with others.  We wandered around the street and spent some time on the bank of the Manic River, even the night falls the place was crowded with pilgrims.

Entrance to the Katharagama Devalaya

The crowd of pilgrims

Governor Leonard Woolf was in the Ceylon Civil Service when the British ruled Sri Lanka in 1904. The naval he written  “the village in the jungle” well explain how the pilgrim took place in the early 19’s. Here is an extract from the naval, still it can be applied the same with little moderation. Some pilgrims take the footpath and follow all the traditions to pay their devotion to the god Katharagama.   “ The pilgrimages at least six days. The road the whole day led them through thick jungle, villagers were few, and what otherwise consisted only of a few squalid huts. They carried their food with them and slept at night on the bare earth under bushes or trees. The woman carried large bundles of food and chatting, wrapped up in cloths, upon their head. It is the hottest time of the year when the jungle is withered with drought, the grass had died down, the earth is caked and cracked with hand eat, the trees along the paths and roads are white with dust. The pools had dried up, and the little streams were mere channels of gleaming sand. The sun beat down upon them fiercely, the quivering heat from the white roads beat up into their faces, and the windswept them with its burning gusts and eddies of dust. Their feet were torn by the thorns and swollen and blistered by the hot roads.

They continually met little bands of pilgrims, the majority of them were Tamils, Hindus from India, from tea estates, and from North and east of the island. Strange looking men, very dark, with bodies naked to the waist, with lines of white and red paint on shoulders, their foreheads smeared with ashes, and the mark of God’s eye between their eyebrows. They wore clothes of fine white cotton, caught up between the legs, and they carried brass bowls and brass tongs. Their women, heavy and sullen-looking, followed, carrying bundles and children.

There were, however, also little bands of Buddhists Sinhalese like themselves. They were taking a blind child to see whether, if they called upon the god, he would hear them and give him sight. There were a fisher and his wife from the coast, they were childless, and the woman had vowed to go to the festival and touch the heel of the so that order the god might remove from her the curse of barrenness. There was an old man walking reading or chanting from a large religious book. The rest of the party did not understand a word of what he read, but they felt that he was acquiring merit, and they would share a little of it.

It was the tank and village of Maha Pothana (Thissamaharama) and when the weary band of pilgrims suddenly saw the monotony of the trees and of the parched jungle give place to the water, and the green fields, and the white dagobas, the shrine build by kings long ago to hold the relics of the Buddha. They raised their hands, slamming and cried aloud, ‘Sadhu! Sadhu!’. They picked lotus flowers, and went to the great dagoba, and laid the flowers upon the shrine as an offering, and walked three times around, crying, ‘Sadhu!, Sadhu!’ and thus acquired merit.

They leave the village and for two days their path led them through a low thorny jungle. Then, once again the jungle parted suddenly they stood upon the bank of a great stream. Up and down the stream were innumerable pilgrims, washing from them in the scared waters the dust of the journey and the impurities of a lie, before they entered the village. They put on white clean clothes and climbed a path on the opposite bank which led them into the village of gods Beragama. (Katharagama).

They found themselves on a long, very broad street, on each side of which were boutiques and houses and larges buildings resting places for the pilgrims. The street was thronged with pilgrims, idling, buying provisions, hurrying to the temple. At either end of the broad street stood temples. The one at the north end belonged to the Beragama Deviyo. (God Katharagama) the temple itself was a small, squat, oblong building, above which at one end rose the customary dome-like erection of Hindu temples, on which are fantastically carved the images of gods. Around the temple was an enormous courtyard enclosed by red walls of roughly baked bricks. Just outside the wall of the courtyard on the east side was another and a smaller temple belonging to the god’s lawful wife. The only entrance to the shrine itself was through a doorway in the front, which was screened by a large curtain ornamented crudely with the figures of gods and goddesses. No one was allowed to enter behind this curtain except the Kapuralas, for the temple belonged to the mistress of the Beragama Deviyo.

The solemnity of the pilgrimage was intensified in the minds of the pilgrims, by the mystery which surrounds the god. On the road and around the fires at night, in the streets of the village, and in the very  courtyard of the temple, they listened to the tales and legends, and believing them all without hesitation or speculation they felt, through their strangeness, far more than they had ever felt with the Buddha of dagobas and viharas that this god was very near their own lives.”