Worship “Sri pada” from Hapugasthenna-Dehenakanda way

Year and Month	February, 2015 (21st to 23rd)
Number of Days	Three Day Trip
Crew	10 (between 16-25 years of age) – Uthpala,kalum,Dulan,Mohomad,Dakshana,Suresh,Lakmal,Aravinda,Morgan & Me
Accommodation	1st day – My friends’ (Lakmal) home in Nugepola Junction 2nd day – Uda maluwa rest room
Transport	Public transport from kurunegala to Hapugasthenna, From Hapugasthenna to trail end Nallathanniya on foot, Public transport from Nallathanniya to Kurunegala.
Activities	Hiking & Trekking, Photography, Worship sacred Sri Padaya
Weather	Excellent
Route	1st day – Kurunegala -> Polgahawela -> Kegalle -> awissawella -> Rathnapura -> Galabada(ගලබඩ) -> Gal lalla(ගල් ලෑල්ල) -> Nugepola Junction (නුගේපොල හන්දිය) 2nd day – Nugepola Junction (නුගේපොල හන්දිය ) –> Hapugasthenna Estate (හපුගස්තැන්න වත්ත) –> Rathkanda (රත්කන්ද) –> Bena Samanala (බෑන සමනළ) -> Udamaluwa (උඩ මළුව) 3rd day – Uda maluwa(උඩ මළුව) –> Nallathanniya(නල්ලතන්නිය) -> Hatton (හැටන්) –> Kandy – Kurunegala
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Very special thing is the hike should start early morning as much as possible. The first bus from Rathnapura to Dehenakanda leave at about 6.30 am from Rathnapura. You must pay your attention well about the weather condition of that area before you go there. (End of February & March ideal for this trail.) There are many oblations which have to fulfill from the beginning to end. If you are believe or not about that, you must follow them and given the dignity. (You must keep your disciplines in your words also) Surely you have to face leeches attack so it’s very important to wear boots & long covering socks. Weather condition was vary sometime it was better to carry raincoats & also should pay your attention to protect your camera. Don’t put anything to this beautiful environment like polythene. It’s very essential to bring food & beverage. Leave only your footprint & bring only sweet memories.
Author	upul nandana
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Although I reached to SriPada in many times by various ways, I was eagerly waiting to reach there by using “Dehenakanda way” for a long time. When I said my idea to my friend of Lakmal who lives in Rathnapura, he also wasn’t walk to Sri Pada on this way. However we selected a date after the exam for this journey & get aware the crew.

At very first there were 15 guys, but at last we could gather 7 guys only for this. As discussed earlier all of guys who came from various areas are gathered in to Rathnapura town & our friend Lakmal was late by one hour to come Rathnapura. After bought all the things which needs to the journey, we get on a “Wewalwatta” bus to friends’ home. (It needs 40 rupees ticket to our friends’ home who said always “We are the guys of Rathnapura.”) After a hard, whacked journey we got down at Nugepola junction & reached to his rural village. :-)

Our friends’ first try is to carry us to get a bath to forget the bad experiences those we taken by now. However it was very successful & it was pass 7.00 pm when we reached to the home back after bathing. We planned to sleep early after having dinner because of next day journey. But anyone didn’t sleep until 12.00am.

However we could catch the first bus to “Dehenakanda” with awaken every guys. We got down at Sri Pada entrance which situated on “Hapugasthenna” estate at about 7.45am & also went to Kovil & journey was started from that. Lakmals’ 2 friends are joined with us from Hapugasthanna estate & we start the journey at about 8.30am from their house. We walked along the foot path which falls on middle of the tea estate and again we enter to the road. Then we enter small shrine of Lord Buddha which situated at the starting point of journey. We entered to jungle after worshiping & memorizing Saman Deviyo.

Just get down the bus

Entrance to the path – Click Image to Enlarge

Fane of “Hapugasthenna” estate

Inside of fane

Swami…

Commence the trail

Cool morning

Don’t light the fire

Dew…

Welcome to “Hapugasthenna” colony

Sacred place in colony

Looking Curiously

Nice view

Using shortcut

Go forward

Little buddha image house

Bid farewell to tea estate

Name board

Crossing Rath ganga

We entered to “Somaratna Ambalama” with crossing “Rath Ganga” & start the journey again after having breakfast at about 9.15am. Though there was a dry weather condition since few days without rain, we had faced leeches attacks continuously at the start. So some guys who wear slippers make inconvenience for that. The way is fallen along a plane area after passing small ascent & then passing “Wewalwatta dola”, again we met another small ascent. We entered to “Rama cave” at about 10.50am & again start the journey after taking a small rest.

After a hard journey like this, we pass the “Rathkanda” & take some rest at “Baana Samanala”. Because of the misty weather condition we couldn’t see “Baana Samanala” clearly & the way was fallen along the plane area & it was gain a help to our walk.

Too much of stone

Passing Somarathna ambalama

First ascent

Wild beauty

Treat well for leeches

Passing Wewal waththa dola

Green world

Enter to bamboo forest

“Wellakkara gal lena”

Want some rest

The foot path which go to the “Helakanda”

Is it leopards’ works?

Through the green world

Feeling relax

Get a rest at “Rama Guhawa”

Amazing nature…

Through the bushes

Resting place near “Bhathiya dola”

Bhathiya Dola

Road barrier

Reach to the plain area

Road block everywhere

The way is consist of long descend after this and it was finished from a beautiful valley which fallen “Baththalu Oya”. All guys taken a bath as their wish to remove the tiered & it was 2.45pm by then. The way which called as “Gettam Pahana” or “Woshimale”, who are the devotees walk and we also worship & took the permission to enter the forest of God Saman. The time was 4.30pm, when we left there, after had the lunch. There was a hard ascent from here & it cause to decrease the speed of the journey also.

There after the way is consist of plane & we could herd the “Hevisi Sound” of Udamaluwa by then. Definitely it made minds’ of everyone inspired. We could see a clear view of sacred Sri Pada after passing little distance & it seen an angle which we hadn’t ever seen before.

Long declivity

First comers rest in without stint

“Baththalu Oya” (Someone say “Menik ganga”)

It’s fall down

Lemon for bath

Ice bath

Ready to jump

swimming as he wish

Worship at “Wushimale”

කරුණාවයි!! කරුණාවයි!!

First clear view of sacred “Samanala”

Uda maluwa

We could enter to the “Sri Pada” Mountain at about 5.30pm after walking like this. It was little hard to go forward from here, because of the small ascent. Because the way is fallen an area across which covered by “Nelu Trees”. It was starting to drizzling by then & getting dusk also. It was 7.15 pm when entering to “Rathnapura way”, by using the light of our two torches.

We took the dinner from the nearest canteen & stay there small time to take a rest 7 then we enter to “Udamaluwa” rest room. We were laid on the corner of there with the intention of a good sleep.

Now enter to “sripada kanda”

Destination at hand

The moment which enter to the “Rathnapura” way

Rotti for dinner

“කෝඩු” worship “Ehala kanuwa”

Passing “මහගිරි දඹය ” at rathnapura way

The junction which connect Rathnapura way & Kuruwita way

We reached to “uda maluwa”

We couldn’t see the “Ira Sewaya” because of existing bad weather condition & we stay at “Udamaluwa” until decreasing the crowd of “Hatton way”. We start the journey to downward along the Hatton way at about 7.15am. After taking the breakfast from a shop on the way & it was remove the tired easily by a cool water spring.

It was 11.15am at Nallathanniya with ending another “Siripa” journey. Our gang was dispersing from Hatton very friendly