Novice Sri Pada Journey along the hardest routes / උඩමාලිබොඩ-දෙහෙනකන්ද හරහා කෝඩු සිරිපා වන්දනාව

Year and Month	2019 December 22^nd and 23^rd
Number of Days	Two
Crew	02-Tharindu and Myself
Accommodation	Andiyamalathenna Ambalama (ආඩියාමලතැන්න) at Rathnapura Route
Transport	By bus, three-wheeler and hiking
Activities	Pilgrimage, Hiking, Photography and Sight seeing
Weather	Latter part of both days were rainy and misty
Route	Colombo-> Awissawella->Deraniyagala->Maliboda->Uda Maliboda-> Sri Pada-> Dehenakanda Route->Rathnapura->Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Leech protection methods to be followed. I always believe Sri Pada is not a trip it is a pilgrimage. Therefore follow rituals as much as possible. Behave accordingly. First bus to Deraniyagala from Awissawella starts at 5 am. First bus to Maliboda from Deraniyagala starts at 6 am. Three wheel charges from Maliboda to Sri Pada trail head costs Rs 1100-1200. But it is only Rs 800 from Uda Maliboda tea factory. There is a reasonable hotel with variety of food for breakfast, situated in front of Deraniyagala bus stand. It opens at 6 am. Road condition from Uda Maliboda tea factory to Dikellekanda is not in good condition. Darmawardana Mama (ධර්මවර්ධන මාමා) is a nice person to talk before you begin the journey from Dikellekanda. I didn’t carry DSLR in this journey and photos were taken GO pro and Drone cameras. Don’t know whether you need permission to fly the drone at Sri Padaya. We Fly our drones while descend in Dehenakanda route. But the place we operated drones was not a suitable place. Be armed with cloths for cold weather even you stay at Ambalama at lower part of the trail. It is extremely cold at night. We got to know wild life department has instructed to not to clear off Dehenakanda route in this time. And Somarathna Ambalama (සෝමරත්න අම්බලම) in Dehenakanda route was collapsed. Don’t know the future of this awesome trail. We spent about Rs 1000 for the three wheel from Hapugasthenna to Rathnapura. Feel it is bit undercharged.
Related Resources	1.”Muni Siripa Simbiminne”- මුණි සිරිපා සිඹිමින්නේ by Mr. S.P.S.Weerasingh 2. Lakdasun trip report on දෙහෙනකන්දෙන් සිරිපා කරුණාකර උඩමාලිබොඩෙන් බැස්සෙමු. Sri Pada from Dehenakanda to Udamaliboda.
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Novice Sri Pada Journey along the hardest routes / උඩමාලිබොඩ-දෙහෙනකන්ද හරහා කෝඩු සිරිපා වන්දනාව

Sri Pada / Adam’s Peak is my favorite travelling destination where I have been thirteen times along different routes. Novice /Amateur /කෝඩුකාරයා is the term comes with Sri Pada Pilgrimage, used for the person who visits Sri Pada first time in his life. If that person is a child he is called as “Kiri Kodu” (කිරි කෝඩු) and if he is an adult, called as “Dandu Kodu” (දඩු කෝඩු) in folklore. My first Sri Pada pilgrimage happened when I was 9 years old.

This is my 14^th visit to Sri Pada and I have selected two longest routes of Sri Pada pathways: Udamaliboda route (up) and Dehenakanda route (down). I have visited Sri Pada along same routes in 2014 but in reverse pattern.

I have missed my regular travel friends for this journey but Tharindu who was in Sri Lanka for a short holiday has joined with me for Sri Pada Pilgrimage. Tharindu was a novice / “Kodukaraya” for Sri Pada pilgrimage and it was a challenge to debut his Sri Pada journey along hardest routes. I had no doubt of his courage and fitness in this journey and somehow we were able to finish the pilgrimage in successful way.

This is just a photo journey and not details about hardest routes.

Journey begins in early morning from Kaduwela where we got into a bus to Awissawella. From Awissawella we caught first Deraniyagala bus at 5 am and reached Deraniyagala around 5.45 am. Maliboda bus was there at that time and we had little time to gather something for our breakfast as well as lunch. Maliboda bus leaves Deraniyagala by 6 am and we got down at Maliboda tea factory where we had to get the three-wheeler to trail head at Udamaliboda, exactly at Dikellekanda (දික් ඇල්ලේකන්ද).

Here we came across Darmawardana Mama who was like a care taker of Udamaliboda Sri Pada trail head. He did some rituals (වතාවත්) for us and we started the journey with his blessings.

At Dikellekanda-Uda Maliboda Sri Pada trail head.

We met Darmawardana Mama at trail head. His house is situated closer to trial head.

At trail head of Udamaliboda

Get blessings for novice

Sri Pada pilgrimage along Udamaliboda trail/ උඩමාලිබොඩ හරහා සිරිපා කරුණාව

This was my third visit to Udamaliboda trail and it reminded my first visit at this trail as we were only two at time as well. Pandeniya River (පන්දෙනිය ගග) was the first to cross at this trail. Pandeniya River debts between Paduruthalawa and Mahapaduruthalawa but collects some tributaries from Heen Piduruthalawa as well. We have crossed Pandeniya Oya and followed the foot path was in other bank of the River.

Pandeniya River. It begins between Paduruthalawa and Mahapaduruthalawa. Pandeniya River joins with Magal Oya to form Kelani River.

Crossing Pandeniya Oya.

Foot path begins.

The distance from Dikellekanda to Medahinna (Kuruwita trail) is 8 km. It follows the course of Pandeniya River first and crosses three to four water streams. Here we are at the slope of Heen Piduruthalawa. Though it was few days after begin of Sri Pada 2020 season there was a clear foot pathway. According to Darmarawardana Mama, about ten villagers have cleared the path and joined with the procession of Sri Pada. We met three boys who are also going to Sri Pada, but we didn’t wait for them.

Udamaliboda-Sri Pada foot pathway.

Path is obstructed by a cob web. PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma.

Crossing a stream.

Tharindu in action

Weather was perfect at the time of beginning. PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma.

.	The path is decorated by Buddhist flags at some places.

Directions

One of a milestone of the trail.

His style. PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma.

.	Narrow escape

Narrow escape

Two man team. PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma.

මo සලකුණු

වන වදුලේ

Seetha Gangula (සීත ගගුල) of Maliboda trail is situated about 6 km from trail head. We had our lunch there and met another three boys who have just descended from Kuruwita trail to Maliboda trail. It took about six hours to come to Kuruwita trail from Maliboda trail in this time. Weather was not that much good when we came to Kuruwita Path. When you go down along Kuruwita trail it is about 100m to Medahinna Ambalama (මැදහින්න අම්බලම). It started to drizzle when we passed Indikatupana (ඉදිකටුපාණ) . Initially we thought of reaching Uda Maluwa (උඩ මළුව) in same day but changed the plan due to misty weather. Andiyamalathenna Ambalama was the place we spent night on that day. I prefer to spend the night at Andiyamalathenna Ambalama than Udamaluwa as I don’t like for crowd.

Seetha Gangula / සීත ගගුල

View of Kuruwita-Sri Pada trail from Maliboda trail.

Kuruwita-Erathna Sri Pada trail.

Indikatupana in Kuruwita trail.

Closer to Rathnapura trail

Galwangediya Ambalama.

.	Passing Makara thorana in Rathnapura trail.

Rathnapura-Sri Pada trail.

ආඩියාමලතැන්න

At Andiyamalathenna Ambalama.

Sacred peak is visible to Rathnapura trail.

Andiyamalathenna Ambalama is a good place to rest as it is closer to Uda Maluwa and you can hike to Uda Maluwa in 30-45 minutes. There are food stall and toilet closer to Andiyamalathenna Ambalama. We did early morning hike to Sri Pada Uda Maluwa in view of watching Sun rise / “Ira Sewaya” (ඉර සේවය). Viewers had partial Sun rise on that day and I couldn’t get a good picture of sun rise due to crowd at Uda Maluwa. Tharindu did his rituals as a novice and after viewing “Ude Thewawa” -උදේ තේවාව we started to get down along the same route. The plan was to get down from Dehenakanda route.

Enjoying the extreme coldness at Uda Maluwa.

Warming….

Sri Pada Uda Maluwa.

Awaiting for Sun rise

Ranged it for 14 times….

Uda Maluwa is ready for morning rituals.

View of Yaka Endu Gala, Yaka Endu Ella and Ballabendigala.

Bana Samonala, Darmarajagala, Kunudiya Parwathaya and Heen Piduruthalawa.

Bana Samonala and Darmarajagala…..PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma

Kunudiya Parwathaya and Heenpiduruthalawa. PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma

Towards Dehenakanda route…. PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma

.	Leaving Uda Maluwa.

Sri Pada-Dehenakanda route

First part of Dehenakanda-Sri Pada route is very familiar to me as I have been there few times in this year. We were able to get beautiful drone photos while getting down along Dehenakanda route. We have crossed Battalu Oya (බත්තලු ඔය) and reached “Menik Ganga” / Geththampana (මැණික් ගග /ගෙත්තම්පාන) at Dehenakanda trail. It is natural to spend much time at paradise / පැරඩයිස් to enjoy the beauty of Paradise falls and paradise. Weather was clear till we passed Paradise and it became misty later. Foot pathway was not that much clear when it is closer to the trail end. We were caught to a torrential rain before we reached Rath Ganga (රත්ගග) at trail end. Fortunately Rath Ganga was not overflowing to make the end hard. One important thing I have noted was Somarathna Ambalama was damaged.

Refer my trip report on Dehenakanda for more details and milestones in Dehenakanda route.

Get into Dehenakanda route

Dehenakanda Route….PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma

PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma

Obstacles…

Crossing Battalu Oya

Foot pathway is margined by Nelu

Trees have fallen to the foot path

Ground level

Coming to paradise

Paradise Falls

Samaposha Ready mix for the lunch

Handstand . PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma

Paradise… The hut at paradise was in good condition.

Paradise…

Back to the track

PC-Tharindu Paththapperuma

Flat terrain

Misty weather

Checking clicks….

Successful two men team

.	“Walkara Galge”-වැල්කාර ගල්ගේ

Crossing Rath Ganga in rain

We have spent about seven hours to descend along Dehenakanda route from Sri Pada. Tharindu had to finish his video clips in rain at trail head of Dehenakanda. We had to walk another 4-5 km up to Hapugasthenna to get a three-wheeler to reach Rathnapura.

Some aerial photos taken at Sri Pada in this journey.