Funday Times

Gaveshaka takes you on a fascinating trip in association with Lanka Council on Waterfalls
Is Kirindi Falls a treasure trove?
Kirindi Falls in the Ratnapura district is 116m tall. The source of this breath-taking, 116m-high fall is the Kirindi Ela (stream), which flows from its starting point 940m up the Kuttapitiya mountain. The stream travels 13km before the cascading point in the Kaluwaramukalana Jungle. It then flows via the Denawaka River to the Kaluganga, located in the Bambarakotuwa Jungle. Local villagers say that there is a picture of a tortoise etched into stone here.

At the base of the fall, the water plunges into a deep pool called Diyagathwala. A popular story is that a flight of stone steps leads down to the bottom, where a treasure trove is hidden. But this may only be a myth since although the water completely dries up during times of drought, there have been no reports of a treasure being found here.

In the wooded area surrounding the fall, there is a multitude of plant species together with wildlife including wild boar, cobra, monkeys and reptiles. This area was previously known as 'Kustapitiya', meaning itch, as folklore has it that a king suffering from an itch had lived here. While villagers believe that sometimes human voices can be heard near the fall, they also say that fireballs can be seen in the skies above the fall at night. The nearest town to Kirindi Falls is Pelmadulla. The fall can be easily reached through the Ratnapura-Pelmadulla road turning left before the Kuttapitiya junction and proceeding for about five kilometers.

Ramboda Falls on the Nuwara Eliya - Pusselawa road is 109m tall. It is a double fall borne of the many convergent brooks in the area that flow into the Puna Oya Reservoir, a tributary of the Kotmala River. Take the Nuwara Eliya - Pussellawa road for 12km.The fall is located 1.5km from the highway. It is 10km from Pusselawa Resthouse.

Uranwetuna Falls in the Ratnapura district is a staggering 108m high. The name of the fall is derived from the numerous wild boar found in the vicinity that come to drink water and often get swept away by the gushing waters. The river flows onto a rocky ledge, which creates a three-tier fall. Further downstream, the river passes another fall called Kottun, before joining the Kaluganga.

Even in severe droughts, the fall never dries up and supplies the nearby Kiribathgala State Plantations estates and hospital with water. A wide variety of trees and medicinal plants grow in the fall's lush surroundings. The fall flows from the Mirishena jungle from the Pettiyagala mountain in the Opanaike Divisional Secretariat division.

Demali Falls, also in the Ratnapura district is 105m in height and flows to the Deni River. There is a massive crevasse at the base of the fall. Many are the theories as to how the fall got its name. One is that it has got its name from 'de-mala', meaning 'twin falls'. Other tales of folklore are all connected with Tamils. One is that a young Tamil (demali) shepherd woman who was carrying a pale of milk from Ambagaha Arawa village to Kiri Kandula village was startled by a nefarious king. The woman panicked and fled but tripped, fell into the fall and got drowned.

Another story tells of the mansion of a Tamil minister. When he left to go to war, he told his seven queens that if he was defeated, a white flag would be hoisted from his ship's sails. If the white flag is hoisted, he instructed them to flee in disguise. However, the white flag was hoisted by mistake, so the queens naturally assumed the war had been lost and preferred to commit suicide rather than flee.

Another tale tells of how King Walagamba was waging war on the Tamils and as he passed the fall, a Tamil woman reacted by jumping into the water. The nearby Hakgala mountain is also associated with the Ravana epic. The arrow released in war games by King Ravana is said to have pierced seven mountains and penetrated two more mountain peaks. This narrowed the gap between the two peaks at Hakgala. The passage through the mountain is called the Ravana Passage. The closest town is Balangoda, Ratnapura District. Take the road from there to Pasaramulla and turn right. Continue for 3km to find the fall.

Mahakandura Falls - 102m high - is situated in the Nuwara Eliya district. It is served by water from the Katukelle Estate (1200m). Below the fall is a canal network, constructed in 1888. It can be reached through the Ragala - Kandy road. The fall is located between the 25th and 26th mile posts. The nearest town is Hanguranketha.

Ratana Falls (in picture) - also known as the Navaratne Fall - is 101m high and is the highest fall in the Kandy district. The stream that serves it irrigates the paddy fields of the surrounding villages.

Superstitious villagers say that there were seven vessels filled with precious stones hidden close to the fall, but that five have now been found. However, anyone attempting to find the final two is said to meet with an untimely death at the bottom of the fall.

The route to the fall winds through villages between the Hunasgiriya mountain range and dense jungle. It can be reached by travelling on the Kandy - Mahiyangana highway from Hasalaka towards Wasgamuwa National Park to the Eke Ela Agri-Colony. From here, turn left onto a side road and continue until the footpath which leads to the fall after 4km. It is 7km from Hasalaka.

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