A Visit to Ratnapura and its important environs

As there was a long week end and (earlier months we were mostly abroad), we decided to explore the vicinities of Ranapura. We like many have been passing the town many times but not seen its historical and other important places.

With my wife and son and daughter joining us with her husband and two kids we started off towards Ratnapura on 30July afternoon after lunch. We booked the Deer Park inn close to town to stay the night over.

The next day was to see the important placed of Ranrapura town.

Near the Police station and the Gem and Jewelry Authority there is the Dutch Fort mostly unnoticed by many passing town.

Ratnapura Dutch Fort – The entrance to the Fort facing town

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The Portuguese first landed in Sri Lanka in 1505 through the Galle Port. Later the Portuguese army came through Arandara and Ruwanwella and captured Ratnapura. During the Portuguese occupation of Ratnapura, they demolished the ancient Ratnapura Maha Saman Devalaya and the Temple and built a Fort and a church called St. Salvador on this place.

Later the King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe of Kandyan Kingdom re captured the Ratnapura and, destroyed the church and the Ratnapura fort and built a temple on the site (now the Maha Saman Devalaya)..

The Dutch Landed in Sri Lanka 1655 and took over all the areas controlled by the Portuguese by 1658. The Dutch initially used the Fort Built by the Portuguese but later built a new fort on a hillock in the middle of the Ratnapura Town.

It is said that the design of this fort was similar to the Kalutara Fort with two Bastions. The fort was able to house 40 soldiers and provisions.

The fort was also used by the Dutch to house the administrative offices and storage for goods which were to be transported to ships. The fort housed the governor’s office and residence, court building, a hospital, a chapel and housing for other officials in addition to the barracks of the soldiers. The goods collected from the region was collected at the fort and then carried in boats on the Kalu Ganga River to Kalurara.

The highest point on this hillock is called Balum Gala (watch rock). It is said that this point was used as a watch tower during this time.

This Fort and 10 building has been gazette as an archeological monument in 2002 and 2005.  A 400 meter area around this fort has been gazetted as a protective buffer zone in 2005.  But unfortunately this has been ignored by the government officials and parts of the protected buildings have been demolished and renovated without any consideration

Currently the oldest building inside the fort is the Police Station now the DIG office which was started in 1st January 1864. The buildings inside the fort were used as the Kachcheri till it shifted to the current place on the new road Sarath Muthetuwagama road.

The museum and office of the Gem and Jewelry Authority is too housed on an old building whist a new two story been built alongside.

The side Rampart walls

The entrance seen from the inside of the fort

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The museum and office of the Gem and Jewelry Authority was closed that day but few shops had exhibits worth the visit. Ranapura is famous for Gems

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Next was to visit the Ratnapura Museum housed in the Ehelepola Walauwa

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Ehelapola Wijesundara Wickremasinghe Chandrasekara Amarakoon Wasala Ranamuka Mudiyanse (Sinhalese: ඇහැලෙපොළ මහ නිලමේ; 1773 – 1829) known as Ehelapola Nilame was a courtier of the Kingdom of Kandy. He was the 1st Adigar (Maha Adikaram) from 1811 to 1814 under the reign King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha. Following the brutal execution of his entire family by the King, he aided the British in launching an invasion of the Kandy Kingdom and was instrumental in the Kandyan Convention that followed which led to the annexed the Kandy Kingdom to the British Empire.

Photography was prohibited inside the museum

The museum has an excellent of prehistoric objects and vertebrate fossils of Rhinoceros and Elephants, all collected from gen pits and cave sites of the Ratnapura district. Small collections of jewelry, textiles, carvings, archaeological objects, semi-precious gem stones and zoo-logical specimens are also displayed. The museum is closed on Fridays and public holidays and open on all other days of the week from 9.00 am to 5pm.

Next we travelled on the Pelmadulla road to visit the Kirindi Ella falls

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Kirindi Ella, turn off  from Pelmadulla Main road – Pelmadulla (4 km away from Ratnapura).

It is the seventh highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. Take the Ratnapura – Pelmadulla highway and 600m before the Kuttapitiya junction, turn left down the Kuttapitiya road. Continue for 5km to find the fall.

The road leading to the site is not repaired and difficult for a car with low road clearance to travel on the road.

Near the Kirindi ella board put up by the authorities the is a flight of steps  down to visit the viewing gallery now mostly neglected.

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Since there was little rain the Water fall did not had the beauty it should have had

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The, 116m-high Kirindi Ella, 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 River; located in the Bambarakotuwa Jungle. It is said that a flight of stone steps leads down to the bottom, where a treasure trove is hidden. It is worth noting however, that the water completely dries up during times of drought and there have been no reports of found treasure. In the wooded area surrounding the fall, a multitude of plant species can be found, 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. Local villagers also believe that during Halloween, human voices can be heard near the fall. Furthermore, it is said that fireballs can be seen in the skies above the fall at night.

Rajanawa Falls.

Mawadalla village is found about 4 miles from Nivitnigala Main road when coming from Ratnapura. In Mawudalla town, take a left turn from a place called ‘Mahapalama’ (main bridge) and you will arrive at this waterfall

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The photo above is the Rajanawa dola as there was little water we did not have the wish to go down the steps to see the falls.

Katugas Falls

To reach the 6m-high Katugas Falls, which is situated in the Ratnapura District, take the road from Colombo to Ratnapura and turn off at Weralupa junction. Head towards Koswinna for 2.5km until the small bridge, where there is a minor road. The fall can be found 100m down this road.From Weralupa junction and take a left hand turn towards Kospelawinna. After traveling 2Km’s you will approach a junction where you need to take a left hand turn and come to a location with a cricket ground and a nearby bridge.. Walk few hundred meters along the stream and continued up stream tackling rocks and streams and you will reach a small cascade of Katugas dola which will easily fool any person as Katugas falls. Actually the main waterfall is found further upstream

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Here too lack of rain the water fall was not of a beautiful fall. But there were young adults with arrack and food enjoying and spoiling the environment

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Next we went to the  Delgamuwa Rajamaha Viharaya 

Take the right turn just before the 86th kilometer post of the A4 down to Delgamuwa, the reputed hiding place of the Tooth Relic after it was removed from Kotte where it was housed unit the 1550s. With the assistance and guidance of kind Mayadunne the Tooth Relic was brought up to Delgamuwa and kept in a huge grinding stone at the vihare premises. Now this has become an important exhibit of the period. In 1593 the relic was taken to Kandy from here, by king Wimaladharmasooriya I, who housed the relic in a temple originally built for the purpose. This ended the forty two year period of the relic at Delgamuwa Rajamaha viharaya.

Soon after the viharaya was demolished by the Portuguese who constructed a fort there. The present viharaya, which lies close to the old Sinhalese road from Sitawaka to Uva, was built at the site of this fort.

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We visited the Batatota cave temple on our way to Ratnapura on the 31st July.

The sleepy village of Erathna, a mountainous hamlet, lies just 20 kilometres from Kuruwita. Nature has blessed this village and one can see the profusion of wilderness on all sides. It is on the foothills of Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak.

We travelled eight kilometres on the narrow Kuruwita – Erathna road, and reached a small junction called Batatota. We then preceded another one-and-a-half kilometres on the steep incline and arrived at a car park right in the center of the incline.

It is a cave system in Sudagala, 5 km away from the town of Kuruwita.

From the car park, just over a quarter of a kilometre away, the neatly built vertical steps flanked by vendors on both sides lead to the Batatota cave temple, which is also believed by some to be the ancient site of Diwaguhawa. The site is not only famous for its ancient monastery, but also for its majestic dagaba and ancient murals. What appeals to visitors is the wilderness and the panoramic view of Sri Pada, which is about 15 kilometres from the east of this spot.

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The Flight of steps to the cave

The Flight of steps to the cave

Since the spot has gained popularity, villagers make a livelihood, selling Kitul jaggery and hand-made souvenirs to visitors who trek to the sacred precincts. The road to the cave is lined by these vendors.

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On the left of the main cave is the devale dedicated to God Vishnu and on the right is another large cave with drip ledges, believed to have been inhabited by monks, many years ago. A cave in the shape of a tunnel called “Sthripura” the city of women) named after the many wives of a king, who are said to have inhabited it, sited just below the maini cave can be reached by passing several meters along the same rock slab of the Batatota cave.

The Vishnu Devalaya in the cave

The Vishnu Devalaya in the cave

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Legend says that this cave temple was built by King Nissankamalla (1178-1207) during the Polonnaruwa period in which the King had accidently discovered the temple, on his way to Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak). Batatota cave temple is also venerated for ‘Diwaguhawa’ where Lord Buddha is said to have spent the rest of his day with 500 disciples on his return from the Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak). Legend also cites that Lord Buddha has taken rest in this cave after placing the footprint on Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) on the invitation of God Sumana Saman.

The most remarkable feature in this cave temple is that drops of water dripping from the ceiling even in dry weather. There is also a water pond in the cave itself and the sun’s rays fall inside the cave from dawn to dusk.

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The scenic beauty from the top of the mountain

We ended the trip before returning to Colombo by visiting the Bo Path Ella for a cooling dip

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The Deer park hotel where we stayed the night out.

Deer Park is located at a kilometer distance from the heart of Ratnapura city in a small village called Muwagama, The place is ideal as a stopover on a long journey or for a short break to visit local attractions.

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After w full one and half day trip we arrived in Colombo at about 7.30pm on the 1st of July 2015

Happy reading

Harsha Soysa

(historical facts obtained from internet)