A Journey in Search of Waterfalls in Colombo

A Journey in Search of Waterfalls in Colombo

ROUTE:

Polgasowita -> Goanapola -> Moragahahena - > Padukka -> Bope -> Upper Bope -> Labugama Road -> Dambora (Dambora Falls)-> Thummodara -> Thummodara Puwakpitiya Route (Ranmudu Falls) -> Ilukovita (Ella Uda Falls)-> Hewainna Route (Kumari Wala Falls) -> Puwakpitiya -> Homagama -> Polgasowita.

IMPORTANT FACTS AND POINTS TO REMEMBER:

·         It is important to have a bottle of water for consumption as well as an umbrella for protection from sunny/rainy conditions.

·         Most of these waterfalls have entry points via private properties. Therefore please do not create too much noise or engage in vandalism.

·         If you wish to have a bath, please use only the areas allocated for bathing. It is reported that over 6 people have died as a result of bathing in these waterfalls.

·         Swimming or bathing under intoxication invites death.

Dedicated to all passionate tourists:

Being citizens of Colombo, how much do we really know about our district? While doing a search on waterfalls in Sri Lanka, I came to know that 4 of them are in the district of Colombo. So my friend and I decided to take a road trip around Colombo to explore these waterfalls. We specifically chose a weekday as weekends tend to be very busy and congested.

The month of September comes in line after a month of rainfall. Hence we expected the waterfalls to be nourished by rivers and lakes that are filled with water.

We got on to a motorcycle and started our journey at 8.30 a.m. Since we were residents of Colombo, we didn’t pack anything other than a bottle of water and a set of clothes to change into after a bath. 

There are 2 routes that lead to these waterfalls:

1.      Colombo to Puwakpitiya across Kottawa, then Thunmodara route.

2.      Colombo to Padukka across Kottawa, then Bope route.

Among the two routes mentioned above, we used the later as it was more convenient to us.

We managed to reach the Dambora village by 9.15 a.m and we began to make inquiries on how to get to the fall. Astonishingly, though the distance between the Dambora Falls and Padukka is only 12 km, the villagers were ignorant of the fact that a waterfall even existed in that area. We then made inquires at a nearby temple. There we met an informant who had not heard of a waterfall but gave us directions to a stream instead. On our quest to find the stream, we were lucky enough to locate the upper end of the waterfall.

Unfortunately, though we could hear the lower end of the waterfall, we couldn’t find an avenue that will lead us to it. Hence, we quit the idea as we had more waterfalls to explore during the day.  

We travelled 1 km towards the Kaluaggala – Labugama route, then turned left and rode 1 km towards the Thummodara junction. From this point we rode1 km down the Puwakpitiya route to face the exquisite Ranmudu Falls.

To our dismay, we found that this beauty of nature was on the verge of destruction due to the garbage dump surrounding the lower end of the fall. The negligence of nearby residents and the force of rain had played a part in cluttering the clean water pool. Why do we choose to destroy mother nature which should be preserved for future generations?

 After having a heartfelt sight of this glorious beauty, we set off once again on the Puwakpitiya Thummodara main road. Thummodara is a remote village untouched by urbanization where fresh water, pure air, lush greenery and cultivated fields can be found in abundance.

We made a stop at a small tea shop on the main road to have a cup of tea with jaggery. We also had the luxury of enjoying a banana free of any form of chemicals. A few minutes later we found ourselves back on the main road with an unquenched thirst of exploring all the waterfalls. The wait was not too long for the next waterfall was only 2 km away. Using the Ilukovita Middle School as a landmark, we turned right just before the school and travelled 1.5 km till we found the entry point to the Ella Uda Falls.

The entrance to the waterfall runs through a private rubber estate, just to the right from the stream. Since it is a private property, it is advisable not to cause any havoc when using this route. Once we found our way through, we had to hold on to trees and bamboo shoots as aids to descend as the stones covered in moss were slippery after the rain.

Ella-Uda-Ella stands for Fall-over-fall in Sinhala and it is not an astounding fact as the mere appearance of the waterfall is of a fall over a fall. The large number of fish swimming in the water was also a delightful sight to the eye. Equally disturbing was the sight of beer tins floating on the water, perhaps tossed away by a tourist. It is a disheartening fact as such acts can create health and environmental threats.

The Ella-Uda Falls contains crystal clear water. I believe to have a resource of this sort is truly a blessing especially in an industrialized city like Colombo. Therefore protecting this should be considered a duty of mankind.

Three down, one to go and we were back on the main road heading towards our final destination- Kumari Wala Falls. A 3 km ride towards Puwakpitiya lead us to the Hewainna route which was on to the right of the main road. The entrance to Kumari Falls was just 0.5 km away from this point and even though the by lane was not maintained well, we reached our destination with ease. 

It is important to be cautious around the Kumari Wala Falls as it can turn out to be a beauty that kills. When the volume of water is high, the danger is high as well.

The upper section of the Kumari Wala Falls has cavities made of stone that resemble a pond. They often fill up with water during the rainy season and they can even turn out to be pretty dangerous if someone falls into it.

The water pool at the base of the fall is being used by many for bathing purposes, though it does seem to be quite deep.

The accumulation of plastic bottles and bags at the bank now seems to be a common aspect of waterfalls. All it needs is one hard force of water to push it into the pool.

Please keep in mind to take back all forms of plastic wrappers, food containers and bottles. Waterfalls are creations that add life mother earth. We can all play a part in protecting her by safeguarding the environment from pollutants. In return she will ensure the current and future generations live a fruitful life.