Bulath Kohupitiya to Kotamle along the Ritigaha Oya valley
Colombo/Veyangoda -> Nittambuwa -> Galapitamada -> Anguruwella -> Bulath Kohupitiya -> Ulapane -> Kotmale -> Gampola -> Mawanella -> Veyangoda.
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.
• It is better to travel across Nittambuwa and Ruvanwella to get to Anguruwella as the road between the Dunumaala junction and
Galapitamada is currently under renovation.
• The route between Pallampitiya and Dolosbage will be quite difficult to use as it is steep and bears slopes and elbow bends. The road is not smooth and contains many sharp stones that can harm the tires of your vehicle. At times this route can even become unclear due to the mist but it does offer views rich in nature’s beauty. Therefore, if you wish to travel down this route, do make sure the vehicle is strong and suitable for rough conditions.
• As the area is quite isolated, you may not get much help at junctions. So, do take a map along with you.
• Do not attempt to have a bath in unknown waters.
• Do not leave anything behind except for your footprints. Do take back everything that you bring in.
Dedicated to all passionate tourists.
A pleasant sight to the eager eye that gazed at the cloudy sky. The rain had finally come to a halt and the lawn was lit with morning rays of sunlight. The Vesak full moon had come around the rainy season and this most certainly was not the best of days to go on an open jeep excursion. Nevertheless, considering the importance of Vesak and its value in Buddhism, we decided to set off on a pilgrimage to a historical temple, rich in spiritual values.
During our excursion we came across an important town named Bulath Kohupitiya. This is a small town in Kegalle district undisturbed by urbanization or pollution. Just 42 m above sea level, BulathKohupitiya is blessed with Ritigaha Oya, a stream that flows through the town. Beginning its journey from the Dolosbage mountain range, the Ritigaha Oya is also responsible for creating several amazing waterfalls before joining the Kelani River.
Rikilla Alla was the first waterfall we came across on the Dedugala Route. Villagers state that this dainty fall was once known as Shivagiri Ella but after its natural water source was compromised and the water volume decreased, the fall began to resemble a twig (Rikilla). Thus derived the name Rikilla Ella.
5 km away from Bulath Kohupitiya and we faced no difficulty travelling but the worst was yet to come. Once we passed the 00/00 bridge, the road to Pallampitiya took a spin on us becoming more and more narrow. We had to pass greater than 25 elbow bends, quite similar to the famous 18 elbow bend on the Hunnassagiriya-Mahiyangana route. At the first bend, we made a right turn and we drove down a rough by-road which lead us to Nalangana Ella- one of the 25 most beautiful waterfalls in Sri Lanka.
Nalangana Ella is an unsafe location to have a dive. However, if you wish to refresh yourselves, drive further up on the main road till you reach the Nalangana Ella power station. Just above its intake, you should find bathing ports allocated for villagers and small shops that sell essential supplies, perfect for a quick swim. However, do keep in mind not use soap while enjoying a bath.
Up the hill, our next stop was at Rukmal Ella. This is a waterfall that is nourished by a branch of Ritigaha Oya and can be viewed from the roadside. Ritigaha Oya breathes life into several small scale power plants. To this reason many beautiful waterfalls that depend on Ritigaha Oya have had to compromise the display of their beauty.
According to a villager this will soon be the fate of Rukmal Ella as authorities have planned to set up another intake at the upper end of the fall.
From this point onwards the road takes an incline till upper Pallampitiya. However, we never lost sight of the Ritigaha Oya as it accompanied us right up to Pallampitiya, thinning slowly till it vanished completely.
The town of upper Pallampitiya is a wonderful shopping market with buildings that resemble the background set of early cinema productions. Just a few miles down the hill, you will be able to find another beautiful waterfall but the road tends to be rather rough on the travelers. As we had senior citizens travelling with us, we chose not to make that turn, though I encourage all tourists to have a peek if you are in the neighborhood.
The tarred and well developed road ends at upper Pallampitiya. The road till Dolosbage consists of many pits and dangerous zigzag turns and as such it is safer to travel by motorcycles or rough, tall vehicles like jeeps. Nonetheless, I can guarantee the risk will be worth it for the view is breathtaking every step of the way and the camera lens will have no break for itself once you start clicking.
After a tedious journey conquering tough weather and road conditions we reached the town of Dolosbage with the hope of driving straight ahead to Nawalapitiya. Unfortunately, to our dismay, the road ahead was closed as a nearby culvert had broken down and travelers were diverted to by lanes.
The city of Nawalapitiya is far more urbanized than other towns in this area. It has a touch of modern civilization with carpet roads and buildings lit with electricity. While travelling from Ulapane to Kotmale, we also made a stop to have a glance at the Fools’s Bridge. During the British rule in Sri Lanka, many locals were against the construction of this bridge. Regardless, the bridge was built and the furious locals named this the Fool’s Bridge as they felt they made a mistake by giving into the British.
Due to the delay in starting the journey and rough conditions while travelling, we finally reached Kotmale past noon. So we decided not to spend much time at the viewing gates of the Kotmale Reservoir. Instead we chose to drive down along the dam.
Generally, it is not permitted to view the dam while driving but if the occupants are on a pilgrimage to the Pusulpitiya Temple, they will be allowed to drive through.
We then set off to Mahaweli Seya. The road to the temple was through a narrow by lane, up the hill, next to a spot named “Kadadora” (the place where Prince Dutugamunu entered Kotmale). After a 15 minute drive we finally reached our destination, the glorious Mahaweli Seya. Designed by the late engineer A.N.S Kulasinghe, Mahaweli Seya is the second largest temple in Sri Lanka.
The construction of this magnificent temple started on March 20th, 1983 and as of now refurbishments are taking place. The idea of building this temple was introduced by the late Gamini Dissanayake, founder of the Mahaweli Development Project in order to remember the little temples that were destroyed by the Kotmale Dam project. To this all Sri Lankans shall always remain grateful to him.
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