Sita Eliya & its Legends

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he opinions of the few notwithstanding, that the Lanka of Ravana lies submerged in the sea, Ceylon is full of reminiscence which unmistakably link scenes and stories with king Ravana and his days, scenes places all over the central uplands of Ceylon amid the gorgeous setting of the thickly wooded hills & the glorious valleys below. Intimately associated as these are with Ravana and his deeds and with stories if Sita in her sojourn in Lanka, they leaved no doubt in the mind of the student of folk culture that king Ravana’s Lanka is essentially the Ceylon today.

Ravana Ella Cave

Among such scenes & sights, is the Ravana Ella cave, traditions relating to the cave are rife all over the highlands of the district of Bandarawela. Mystery surrounds the cave, “where elephants go to die” as the folk say. The cave, hard and arduous to reach, may well have been a secret stronghold that it is supposed to have been in the legendary days, with a rest house in the Ella pass, up the zig-zag paths of which one climbs until the rocky walls of the pass gradually close in and Ravana’s cave comes to view amidst towering mountainous primeval geologic formations.

About a mile away, is the Ravana Ella or Ravana’s waterfall with a drop of 90 feet following in to the valley below. With the heavy rains that fall during six months of the year, much of the cave floor is damp. Advancing inside, the roof of the cave closes in. and crown of the head grazes the roof of the cave. The tradition of the secret passage stands discredited, recent explorations of the cave showing no way out. Whether a secret passage existed or not, Sita Eliya holds the key to the story of the days of king Ravana more than indeed any place in Ceylon.

Siat Eliya – The Plains of Sita

Redolent of stories of Sita’s life Ceylon in is Sita Eliya (the plain of sita) a charmingly undulating plain, fringed with thickly wooded hill ranges, picturesque waterfalls and silvery rivulets rushing downhill sides, dotted with rhododendron bushes tipped with clusters of crimson flowers. Beyond are the steep mountain ramparts with the thickly wooded tops, the haunts of the leopard and the sambhur. A vast amphitheatre of hills and deals, if the classic Trikuta Mount of Ramayanaya is anywhere in Ceylon, it is here, the glorious city and palace of king Ravana with its fortress, its lovely groves and terraced Gardens, a true reflection of which may be seen today in the nearby Hakgala Gardens with its charming wooded glades cleverly reclaimed & fashioned by the hands of man. A situation commanding as it does the natural approaches to the valleys on all the four sides- the Kotmale to the North East, Uva to the South East, Dambulla to the West & Uda Pussellave valley to the East, no more favorable site could have been chosen by the Rakshasa king for his fortified mountain capital.

Note worthy for the many features which find a true reflection today, is the reference in the Ramayanaya to the “little bells suspended from trees” which made music in the breeze” an appliance the various forms of which may be found distributed all over the hill county of Ceylon today. The simplest of such tree top appliances is the “ Bambraya” as it is popularly called, meaning, a “top” working as it does on the technology of a top turning on a pivot, a single noduled hollow reed within which turns a short upright stem from which branch two thin flat wooden blades set oblique on either side. This appliance is tied to the top branches of trees standing out as a conspicuous feature of the landscape as the blades turn in the wind, a whirring sound is heard. Slow at first, the sounds gains in intensity as the blowing grows strong.

In additional feature is a small reed whistle attached on either side of the blades. As it blows, the wind automatically works the whistles producing the characteristic whistling note in conjunction with the whirl and the whir of the turning blades. Rarely too, a tiny bell is tied to the Bambaraya as in a specimen collected in a Kandyan village.

These humble appliances serve the purpose today of denoting the direction of the wind as also of a device for scaring away crows and birds from vegetable and grains plots. That the early beginning of such appliances, collectively belonging to the class if Aeolian musical instruments may be traced to the days of king Ravana, is a conclusion we may justifiably draw from  the references in the Ramayana.

Ancient Dhowa Cave Temple Ella Bandarawela

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howa rock Temple is one of the great heritage showing temple  in Sri Lanka. The temple situated in Uva province. Dhowa is a beautiful small village which is situated on Badulla, Bandarawela main road. Previously it was known as kumbaltispaha Ariyagala viharaya. It was the name given by the instructor who got initiated to build this temple on behalf of a huge Cave.

This temple is thought to be done by King Walagamba in the in first century BC. This is one of the many temples built by the king while taking refuge in the Uva province after an Indian invasion. King Walagamba had so many hiding places to get protection from enemies. Some believe that the Dowa Rock temple is also such a place that used by King Walagamba.

The temple has gain popularity mainly due to its massive 38 feet uncompleted Buddha Statue carved in the granite rock; it can be identified as Mahayana iconography. But this temple also hides some secrets that time has forgotten. King walagamba was unable to complete the construction of the temple. Therefore it was completed during the Kandyan kingdom. Reference sources reveal that the statue was carved by King Walagamba himself while hiding in the temple. Unfortunately he had to leave the place remaining a half completed sculpture.

Passing through the ornamental gateway you will find a newly built stupa. is stupa is the on the same level as the road and it is the only indication of a temple to a traveler on the road. Further a sacred Bo tree and a natural water pond are located in front of the Vihara Geya. The Gal Vihara Geya or the image house is also adorned inside a rock cave.

The Image house built inside the cave is full of colourful murals and Buddha Images and consist of 3 chambers  with kandyn style. The cave constitutes of 28 buddha statues, Samadhi Buddha statue, God statues and paintings On the sides of the main entrance to the image house is two guardians, one with a elephant in its mouth and the other with a bull in its mouth. It is said to be they are Watuka and Kuvera, two Rakshasa tribal leaders, guarding the entrance to the shrine room. The door frame of the Image House in the temple is made out of solid rock and has a inscription to say it was built in 1880. The outer most chamber is filled with murals from the Kandyan Era. Entrance to the second chamber is decorated with a elaborated Makara Thorana . In the second chamber is a row of Buddha images along with paintings.

At the rear of the image house is a small stupa inside a cave. Behind this stupa, inside the cave is a tunnel called the Ravana Guhawa guarded by a figure of a Clay King Cobra. Eventually this secret tunnel, a kingdom of bats, was supposed to be used by king walgamba to escape. No one has got the permission to enter the tunnel .This 11 km long tunnel is said to be connecting the Ravana Maha Viharaya at Ella and the Bogoda Raja Maha Viharaya. But unfortunately this tunnel entrance has been sealed off with cement by the temple due to various vandalism acts by treasure hunters. It said that the king walagamba disappeared from the area overnight using the the tunnels and thus the working on the Buddha Statue was abruptly stopped.

On the way you will get feelings of peace and tranquility when visiting the Dowa temple. Even today the ending point of the tunnel is unknown. Due to the folktale’s hided among the people, believe that the tunnel is being guarded by a huge snake. The 38 feet Buddha statue and the beautiful gateway to the temple are the most valuable attractions of the temple. Hence a beautiful river was flown near the temple. But today the river has turned into a stream due to the lack of water resources.

Ella - Little Paradise Of Hill Country Sri Lanka

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lla is a little village paradise in the mountains of central highlands in the Badulla district Uva province of Sri Lanka( 200 kilometers east of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 1,041 meters (3,415 ft) above the sea level). This little paradise has sustain with high bio-diversity dense with numerous varieties of flora and fauna and surrounded by hills covered with cloud forests

This sleepy mountain village, with a view, is the perfect base for relaxing, whilst also offering lots of fantastic walks through tea plantations to temples and waterfalls. Ella with its perfect climate soothes your mind and makes your day to day anxieties feel a world away. Most visitors to Ella only spend a couple of days there. But if you are willing to travel out of town, you can find plenty of things to do to keep you occupied.

What To Sea In Ella & Badulla District


Ella Gap:  Overlooks a spectacular gap in the southern mountain wall where the land falls away in a scenic drop of 3,000 feet to the southern plains and the sea. On a clear night, you can see the Great Basses lighthouse. For a well written essay on the Ella Gap, visit 'Elle Gap', a place to reconnect with nature by Daniel R. Rauchman.

Bambaragala Peak : Bambaragala is a 1,643 ft / 501 m mountain peak  Badulla Based on peakery data, it ranks as the 47th highest mountain in Uva and the 205th highest mountain in Sri Lanka.

Little Adam’s Peak (Breathtaking View):  Little Adams Peak whether considering the word ‘Little’,it is named after the sacred Adams Peak (Sri Pada –where the foot print of Lord Buddha is preserved) regarding the similarity between the two mountains. Therefore the mountain was called as Little Adams Peak.
“Punchi Sri Pada” is another name for this peak. It is 1141 m in height. Little Adam’s Peak attracts many travelers who come to Sri Lanka. Gradually with an easy hike up to the mountain of Little Adams Peak you can consummation a worth panoramic view. You have to walk through lush green tea plantations, waterfalls and paddy fields while enjoying the sceneries.
It will be priceless if you could visit the place in the morning when the clouds roll in. Further places like Little Adams Peak deliberates ‘How far Sri Lanka is worth and rich with beautiful natural destinations of Sri Lankan tourism’. It will feel like a neck exercise for the visitors as you have to rotate your body to seek the views outstanding for 360 degrees.

Ravana Ella (A fantastic cascade of water adjacent the main road) : This waterfall measures approximately 25 m in height and cascades from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop. During the local wet season, the waterfall turns into what is said to resemble an areca flower withering petals. But this is not the case in the dry season, where the flow of water reduces dramatically. The falls form part of the Ravana Ella Wildlife Sanctuary, and is located 6 km (3.7 mi) away from the local railway station at Ella.

According to Ramayanaya legend, it is said that Ravana (who was the king of Sri Lanka at the time) had kidnapped princess Sita, and had hidden her in 0 the caves behind this waterfall, now simply known as the Ravana Ella Cave. At the time, the cave was surrounded with thick forests in the midst of wilderness. It is also believed that Rama’s queen bathed in a pool that accumulated the water falling from this waterfall.

Ella Rock (Interesting Hiking With Beautiful Views ) :Ella rock located at Ella town is a great answer to the travelers whom are expecting astonishment. The destination is connected with hiking, nature, panorama, train tracks, tea plantations and waterfalls. The journey will take you up to the hill for a stupendous view of mountain ranges and the valley.

It will be awesome if you could travel to the area early in the morning. If so you can enjoy the sun set as well as the bio diversity. It should be noted that the Ella rock is known as the highest peak of the Ella area. At afternoons it will feel quite tired to the travelers and the entire area gets covered with abiding clouds..

Ceylon Tea History

It was as far back as the year 1824 in which the British brought a tea plant from China toCeylon (as Sri Lanka was known at the time). It was planted in the Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya and is considered to have been the first non-commercial tea plant in Sri Lanka.

After nearly two decades in 1867, James Taylor, Scottish by origin, planted 19 acres of tea in the city of Kandy in Ceylon, at the Loolecondra Estate as the first commercial tea plantation. The eventual sale of Loolecondra teas resulted in 1872, in Kandy and the first tea consignment to London in 1873. These pioneering efforts were done by trial and error and improved over the years via the introduction and improvement of tea processing machines and methods, by different individuals and companies.

The first broking firm John Brothers & Co. was established in 1876 and the first public Colombo auction took place in 1883 under the guidance of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (which was established in 1839). The Colombo Tea Traders' Association was formed in 1894 and in 1925 the Tea Research Institute was established. These organizations helped boost the production and export of Ceylon Teas in its early stages

Milestones

• One million tea packets sold at Chicago World's Fair - 1893
• The prohibition of export of poor quality teas - 1932,
• Ceylon as world's largest tea exporter for first time - 1965
• Establishment of the Sri Lanka Tea Board - 1976)
• Export of Tea Bags – 1976
• Export of Green Tea – 1982
• Abolition of Tea Export Duty and Ad Valorem Tax- 1992
• Establishment of Tea Research Board - 1992)
• Ceylon tea production exceeds 300,000 metric tons – 2000

Quick Facts

• Chinese Emperor Shen Nung accidentally discovered tea in 2737 BC
• Tea is the most popular beverage, next to water, in the world.
• In the U.S. approx. 1.42 million pounds of tea are consumed a day
• Approx. 3 billion cups of tea are consumed daily worldwide.
• Four pounds of fresh tea leaves produce one pound of dried tea.

Sri Pada Mountain - Adams Peak

Adam’s peak is Ceylon’s most famous mountain (224.19m) although it is not as high as “Piduruthalagala, Kirigalpotta or thotapalakandha”. It is a sacred mountain to Buddhist.

All the early travelers refer to it in connection with Ceylon. “Marco Polo”, who visited the island about the year A.D 1293, says “In this island there is a very high mountain, so rocky & precipitous that the ascent to the top is impractible, as it is said, expect by the assistance of iron chains employed for that purpose. By means of these some persons attained the summit, where the tomb of Adam, our first parent, is supposed to be found. Such is the account given by the Saracens.

About fifty years later, “Iban Batuta”, the Moroccan who ascended the mountain speaks of the chains, of the trees of the “leaves which never falls” & of the “flowers of various colors with the red roses” there were no doubt the rhododendrons. Another fourteenth century  travelers; the floren tine friar marignolli,writes, “On the high mountain of which we have spoken, perhaps after paradise the highest mountain on the face of the earth, some think is paradise itself. But this is mistaken ; for the name shows the contrary.. & from seyllan to paradise (he adds) according to what the natives say after the tradition of their fathers, is a distance of forty Italian miles.

The peak is seen far more readily from the sea than from the land when it is not shrouded by mists & fogs. Arab traders who came to Ceylon from the beginning of the Christian era, or even before saw the peak in the distance in changing colors according to the time of day. They came to accept the tradition that Adam & Eve found a home in the sacred mountain after they were expelled from paradise. They called it “Father Adam’s Mountain” Baba-Adam-mail & later, pico de Adam.

After the steep climb through mountain paths & forest one arrive at the peak. The summit is of elliptic form & is surrounded by a parapet about five feet high. Within the enclosure, which is called the “Maluwa” a level space of irregular breadth runs all the ways round. In the middle is a rock nine feet at the highest point. In the centre of it is a hollow exhibiting the outline of a foot print.

King “Walagambahu” (First century B.C) is said to have discovered the foot print. Driven into  exile by the Tamil invaders he wandered in the jungles around the peak. One day he saw a deer in the distance which lured him to the top of the mountain & vanished. The foot print according to the Buddhist tradition is that the “Gauthama Buddha” . the “Mahawanshaya” states “when the teacher, compassionate to the world, had preached the doctrine there (At Kelaniya) he rose, left the trace of his foot step, plain to sight on samanthakuta & after he had spend the day as it pleased him, on the side of the mountain with the brotherhood, he set forth to” Dighavapi”.

Some have claimed that the ture impression of the foot was left on a precious stone produced for the purpose by the “God Saman” which lies buried beneath the large rock & that the foot print on the exposed hollow is an artificial print cut to the order of a Sinhalese king. Vishnuite Hindus associate the peak with saman, worshipped in India as Lakshman. The saivities claim that the foot print is that of “Siva”. The Sinhalese call the mountain sripada & sometimes “Samanalakandha or Samanthakuta Paruwatha” . the Portuguese writer De COuto refers to a tradition that the impression on the rock is a mark left by Saint Thomas

The majority of pilgrims climb the peak during the north-east monsoon when it is not covered by the mist, fog & rain. There are several routes, of which the most popular is that via maskeliya after detraining at Hatton. Vehicles halt near the Dalhousie tea factory & the climb of begins about a mile from there. Many pilgrims stop at the “Sitha Gangula” , bathe & wear clean clothes before resuming the climb. There are flights of steps in the steeper parts & the ascent. Lies through forest tracks. A rock which marks the base of the cone of the peak is called “ Indi-Katu-Pana where there are resting places or “Ambalama”. The last lap from Indi-Katu-Pana to the summit is over a precipitous surface, but the pilgrim is helped by ladders, iron railings & chains. Three hours is about the shortest time that even the most athletic climber will take to reach the top.

The Rathnapura route is more strenuous. A motor road takes one as far as carney estate at Gilimale. Between the gilimale & the summit,  the ascent upward of 2128.6m is made in less that 14.48km. there are other routes from Dehiowita & Kuruwita, respectively, which meet the Rathnapura route at Heramitipana. Most pilgrims reach the peak in the early hours of the morning to see the sun rise & the wonderful phenomenon called “the shadow of the peak “

This is how the Bella Sidney Woolfs describes it : to those waiting for the dawn on the summit of the peak, the sun takes a long while to rise. It is bitterly cold. Below lies a drift of snowy cloud pierced by dark peaks, a mysterious no Man’s land. Slowly the clouds turned to gold & rose pink- roll away, the sun comes up like a golden ball & mile upon mile of mountain & plains is revealed. As soon as the sun is up the famous shadow of the peak appears to westward. It lies like a huge dark cone across the country- some times of a blue so vivid that no word describes the intensity of the color. As the sun rise higher it fades away. It is an extra-ordinary apparition-a fitting climax to a night spent on  the peak.    

#5 Most Popular Location | Nuwara Eliya Overview

Situated at around 2000m above sea level and surrounded by lush tea plantations Nuwara Eliya is the main hill resort of Sri Lanka and the heart of the tea industry. Once a pleasure retreat of the European planters the town is still very much an English town with many English style bungalows and buildings. Nuwara Eliya is a good escape for those who miss cool breeze in tropical Sri Lanka at any time of the year. Local tourists flock to this town in their 'season' from March to May when it is the hottest duration for the town, April being the busiest. 

Nuwara Eliya offers many activities for tourists including visits to tea plantations golfing, horse riding, boating, hiking and of course exploring the beauty of the landscaped gardens, waterfalls and plateaus. 
Sri Lanka is one of the world's largest exporters of tea. Since the introduction of tea to Sri Lanka in mid 19the century Nuwara Eliya has been the capital of the tea industry. For many miles prior to reaching Nuwara Eliya from either direction you will find acres and acres of tea plantations, infact nothing but tea estates. There are many factories open for visitor's which also have tea sales outlets.