Beauties of Ingiriya

Year and Month	2020 June 06th 2020 June 13th
Number of Days	Two separate days
Crew	Shashi, Kasun Shanaka, Chamath and Myself
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	By car and walking
Activities	Waterfalls visiting and Photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Colombo->Ingiriya
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Start the journey as early as possible. Leech protection methods to be followed. Road condition from main road to Bodhinagala hermitage is satisfactory up to the car park and a low ground vehicle is also suitable for it. It is advisable to visit Bodhinagala hermitage following morning or afternoon alms giving. Behave accordingly at Bodhinagala hermitage. Do not break the silence. Avoid visit at Nambapana Ela in weekends and holidays as it gets crowded. Most of the places are famous bathing places among locals. Ideal time to visit is soon after the rain. It takes more than one day to cover whole this. Don’t pollute water sources and surroundings.
Related Resources	“Kaluthara Disawa” by Victor Perera. Lakdasun trip report on Explore the hidden beauty-Dumbara Falls-Rathnapura Lakdasun trip report on Madakada Buddhist Hermitage and Nachchimale Dola Lakdasun trip report on Gawaragiriya to Kurauda Ella
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Beauties of Ingiriya

Ingiriya (ඉoගිරිය) is a one of the main junctions at Panadura-Rathnapura road (A 8) road and it is connected to Meepe and Bulathsinghala by two (B 285 & B 163) B grade roads. As it is situated at Kaluthara-Rathnapura district borders, Ingiriya is blessed with beautiful waterfalls. Though Ingiriya belongs to Kaluthara District some of these situated at Sabaragamuwa Province as it is the border.
Soon after Corona season I started to travel nearby areas to Horana and spent a whole day at Ingiriya to explore some unknown waterfalls. I didn’t even know about most of these places and a big thank should go to Chamath Dulshan for showing the beauty of his village.

Following waterfalls came across in my visit to Ingiriya.
1. Kurauda Falls
2. Dumbara Falls
3. Halwathura-Nidanwala cascades
4. Halwathura-Ella Pita Ella
5. Halwathura Naiwala Ella
6. Maha Peela Ella
7. Nambapana Falls

In addition we have visited Bodhinagala Hermitage at Dombagahakanda forest reserve in a separate day as it is one of the main attractions of the area.

We started the day from Dumbara Ella at Rathnapura. Don’t confuse it as Dumbara Falls in Knuckles forest.

Dumbara Falls (දුම්බර ඇල්ල) (6.724050, 80.220871)

Directions: Colombo->Ingiriya-> Ella-> Dumbara-> Dumbara Falls

The area called Dumbara will come across after passing Ella Dewalaya (ඇල්ල ලග දේවාලය) following Ingiriya town in Panadura-Rathnapura road (A 8). You have to cross the bridge over Kalu Ganga at Elle Dewalaya and turn to right to go to Dumbara. This shady road and misty tree tops give the feeling of Knuckles-Dumbara when you drive there.
I got to know Dumbara Falls first by Malith’s visit of the fall in 2014. In my waterfall visit in Gawaragiriya we attempted to visit Dumbara falls but it was not successful.
We drove along Dumbara road and halted the vehicle at “Palam Deke Bokkuwa” (පාලම් දෙකේ බෝක්කුව). Dumbara Falls is situated about 100m upstream hike from Bokkuwa. We hiked along the left side of the stream and found an abounded Graphite mine as well. Dumbara area was famous for Graphite in good old days.
Actually the real beauty of the fall can be enjoyed by a drone photo as you can’t watch the full view of the fall at it’s base. It flows in three steps and last steps slips over the slab rock.

Palam Deke Bokkuwa. Go up stream about 100m.

Real beauty of the fall

Dumbara Falls. Full view.

Dumbara Falls

Last step of the fall. People watch only this part as Dumbara Falls.

Last step of the fall

I am at base of the fall.

Side view of the fall.

Water was milky white in color

Abounded Graphite mine.

The stream after form Dumbara Falls

Nambapana Ela (නම්බපාන ඇල) is one of main feeding streams of Kalu Ganga. Pareyithota and Madakanda Buddhist Hermitage (පරෙයිතොට හා මඩකඩ ආරණය) are situated closer to Nambapana Ela. Chamath has found two waterfalls situated at higher streams of Nambapana Ela.
We have turned to Pareyithota road at Nambapana and continued along the road and passed Pareyithota. Usually this is a famous bathing spot among locals in holidays and it has become a problem for villagers. As the road condition was not good we have halted the vehicle after Pareyithota and walked parallel to Nambapana Ela and followed the foot pathway parallel to the upstream. After about 200-300m hike along the stream we found two beautiful waterfalls situated closer to each other. Actually those are formed by a sub stream of Nambapana Ela.

Cascades of Nambapana Ela (නම්බපාන ඇලේ දිය ඇලි)

These are two cascades situated closer to each other at a higher stream of Nambapana Ela. Cascade number one is about 7-8 m tall and number two is about 10 m tall (it has few steps).

Nambapana Ela. This is a crowded place during weekends.

Nambapana Ela.

Road branches here. Follow the one with arrow.

Follow a sub stream.

Along the stream.

Cascades of Nambapana Ela.

Cascades of Nambapana Ela. Cascade number 01.

Cascade 01.

Cascade 02.

කදුරු

We were able to visit three sets of waterfalls situated at Halwathura (හල්වතුර) area. Actually Halwathura area can be approached from Dumbara but the road condition is not good. We drove along Ingiriya-Egal Oya (ඉoගිරිය-ඈගල් ඔය) road and turned to Kongasthenna Road at Halwathura junction. Nidanwala Eli was our first place of visit. It is situated at short distance from Kongasthenna road but crossing the provincial border in Sabaragamuwa.

Sri Pada over Kalu Ganga at Halwathura Bridge.

Nidanwala Falls /නිදන්වල ඇලි (6.701768, 80.212787)
There are three small waterfalls situated in one stream. Nidanwala is situated at the base of top fall. Nidanwala is also a crowded place in weekends.

Nidanwala and Nidanwala Falls-1

Nidanwala Falls-2.

Along the stream

Nidanwala Falls-3. Second fall is also seen above.

Nidanwala Falls.

We were back to Kongasthenna Road and drove towards Halwathura junction. Our next place of visit was Maha Peela. We followed another by road from Kosgasthenna road and end up at a rubber estate where road condition was not good for a low ground vehicle. Then we parked the vehicle and walked for another 1 km along the gravel road which ends at private premises. Entrance to Maha Peela is through this private land.

Maha Peela is another beautiful place where the stream gently flows over the slab rock to form the fall. It seems about 10 m height but actual height might be more than this as we can’t see the full course of the fall from it’s base.

Maha Peela (මහ පීල්ල)

The fall at Maha Peela

Actual height of the fall can’t be assessed from here.

The fall at Maha Peela.

It was a nice place to spend the time.

Bathing at the pool seems safe.

The stream after forming the fall

Next two sets of waterfalls situated adjacent to each other: Ella Pita Ella and Naiwala. We returned back to Kongasthenna Road and followed the by road to famous “Kaluwala” (කළුවල). Again the same problem raised as road condition was bad we had to halt the car and walk. But if you travel by a motor bike you can reach closer to most of these falls.
Ella Pita Ella is kind of a wide place of the river where the stream drops to form about 2-3 height waterfall. This reminded me Balangoda Alikata Fall (බලoගොඩ අලිකට ඇල්ල).

Ella Pita Ella (ඇල්ල පිට ඇල්ල)

Ella Pita Ella

Ella Pita Ella-closer view

On top of Ella Pita Ella

Crossing to other side

View from other side

Framed view

The river continues after forming the fall

Ella Pita Ella…wide angle view

Naiwala and it’s fall is also situated closer to Ella Pita Ella but in another stream. We were back to the road and walked through the Rubber estate to reach Naiwala. It is also a small waterfall (might be 3-4 m in height) and forms a base pool.
Famous Kaluwala is also situated closer to this but we kept it for another day as we were running out of time.

Naiwala Falls (නයිවල ඇල්ල)

The path through rubber estate

Coming to the stream

Naiwala Falls and stream

Naiwala Ella…distance view

Naiwala Ella

Back to rubber estate

Kurauda Fall is another small fall situated towards Padukka from Ingiriya.

Kurauda Ella (කූරාඋඩ ඇල්ල) (6.800148, 80.164851)

Directions: Colombo-> Ingiriya->Kotiyagala junction at Ingiriya-Meepe road-> Kurauda Road->Kurauda->Kurauda Falls

This small waterfall (height is about 5 m all together) is situated at Madakada forest reserve. The stream starting from Madakanda-Heranchikanda (මඩකඩ-හෙරන්චිකන්ද) forms Kurauda falls at Kurauda area. We have turned to Kurauda road (6.801011, 80.144133) at Kotiyagala Junction and followed the road towards Dahamkanda Hermitage (දහම්කන්ද ආරණය). The road is good up to certain extent till we come across a nice stream for bathing. This is the same stream forms the waterfall. We have parked the vehicle there and followed the gravel road with guidance of locals. The road goes on the side of the fall and we crossed a tea patch to reach the base of the fall. Kurauda falls has two steps.

The same stream forms nice bathing place on side of the road.

Reflection…..

Turn here towards the hermitage

The road goes above and side of the fall

This place is situated just above the waterfall

Kurauda Falls

Lower part of Kurauda Falls

Upper part of the fall. Have to go along the stream to reach there.

Upper part of the fall

Kurauda Falls…lower part

Bodhinagala Hermitage at Dombagahakanda Forest reserve. (බෝධිනාගල ආරණය)
Bodhinagala Hermitage is situated at Dombagahakanda Forest reserve (දොඹගහකන්ද රක්ෂිතය) at Ingiriya. This hermitage was started in 1955 and it has few caves converted into “kuti” for meditation. The road to Bodhinagala lies through the tropical forest patch and it was a nice experience to walk to the hermitage.
We have turned from Bodhinagala junction at Panadura-Rathnapura road towards the hermitage and it was about 2-3 km drive to the car park. We were urged to stop the vehicle in middle of the path and walked to the hermitage. There were streams seeking their way to Kalu Ganga through this tropical forest patch. Dombagahakanda forest reserve is a famous place for bird watching.
They allow to visit the hermitage for visitors after “Dahawal Danaya” (දවල් දානය) but we went there at the time of “Ude Danaya” (උදේ දානය). The feeling of walking in this silent forest was fantastic. Other than meditation kuti of Bikku’s, there are stupa, Bodhiya and shrine houses.