Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Sri Lanka

This elephant  Orphanage can be reached by travelling 7 kms on the Rambukkana road taking  the turn at karandupana junction beyond kegalle town on the Colombo -Kandy highway. Pinnawala elephant  Orphanage  which commenced  in 1974 is the  first such Orphanage  in srilanka. Bue to the arrival  of tourists  local  and foreign  in large numbers . This area has now turned out to be a tourist  destination. The Orphanage provides  protection  to elephant  rendered  Orphans  in various  jungles  and those who had sustained injuries  in the hands  of poachers.

Over 60 Elephants

At present  the Orphanage accommodates over 60 elephants. Of them rajah blind in one eye due to an injury caused  by a coach to extract his tusk is very prominent . These elephants are taken to the close by Maha Oya for bathing.It is a touching scene  to see rajah being assisted  by another young elephant  in his daily routine walk  from the Orphanage to the maha oya for his bath. The scene  of elephants bathing is beautiful to observe. More than  twenty  baby elephants have been born in the Orphanage. It is a wonderful scene to observe grandmother  on the newborn elephants feeding and finding the babies.  Several  hotels and guest houses  at the location provide amenities to tourists  and it is a very pleasant experience to spend a weekend close to the orphanage.

Bathalegala Mountain Camping Site Sri Lanka

Bathalegala

Bathalegala can be reached by driving 3kms from hat Gampola bazaar situated  4kms from Gavilipitiya junction on the Debathgama road which is located 8 km beyond  Mawanella.  This is an usually  beautiful rock in hat Gampola in the Aranayaka division. A beautiful  view  of the rock can be had from Balana near the  kadugannawa tunnel on the main road. The elevation of the rock is 2618  feet above sea level. When the rock is viewed  from Aranayaka , it appears to be triangular  in shape. However, from the balana pass it appears to be square  in shape . It also resembles  the Sigiriya rock from one angle. 

Camping Site

During British  period  it has been named bible rock as its appearance is similar  to a bible when viewed  from the central hills. A picturesque view  of Sri Lanka can be had by a person from  the summit of this rock. The tourist ministry of the Sabaragamuwa province  has taken  steps to commence a cable car service linking  Kadugannawa pass at the tunnel with Bathalegala and Devanagala . There are several folk nterpretations of the word, Bathalegala, cherished  in the memories  of the people  in the area linking its resemblance  to that of a sweet potato and episode of a pot of rice turning blood  red at this spot.

Dewanagala Rajamaha Wiharaya Sri Lanka

    This ancient  historic   vihara is situated  5Kms along the Mawanella Hemmathagama road in the Aranayaka division. The history of the vihara dates back toda period  of King parakramabahu 1 of Polonnaruwa. According to an inscription  found there , General Kitnagaragiri who invaded Burma was given a land grant in Devanagala by the king. The  original shrine room belonged to the Polonnaruwa period.

Dewanagala Rajamaha Wiharaya

The Tam Pita Vihara

    The tam pita vihara at the premises had been constructed by King Wimaladharmasuriya 1 of Kandy. The temple premises is located on a rock surface 72 acres in extent and in an appealing environment. Improvement to the vihara had been affected by king Wimaladharmasuriya 1 in recognition of the assistance given to him by a monk named Rathnalankara .The shrine accommodating the footprint  of the buddha and inscription are some of the important  remains at the temple.

    It is believed that the sword of king Wimaladharmasuriya  I  kept in this temple was discovered later and removed to the national museum. Dewanagala temple is also known  as the  place where the tooth relic was kept secretly  for a period  of three month.

Dewanagala Rajamaha Wiharaya

Bogala Graphite Mines Sri Lanka

    The bogala graphite mines are located in arukgammana village , 5Kms on the  avissavella kotiyakumbura road via arukgammana in galigamuwa.

Bogala Graphite Mine

    The availability of graphite as a mining  deposit  in our country had been first discovered  during  the Dutch period  and has been referred to as (black lead) in the writing  of the 17 th century. As a mining industry  it was developed  during  the British  period. The areas  where the graphite  deposits were located  have been named as maha bogala, punchi bogala and karandawatte mines .The mining complex which was started as a private enterprise  in 1920, came to be known as the bogala mines in 1947. In the same year the bogala graphite company  was formed. This company  was nationalized  in 1971 and was  named the state graphite corporation  and functioned  under a competent  authority  from that year on  wards.In 1979 the  state mining and minerals development  authority was vested with the power to conduct the mining of graphite . This concern was renamed bogala graphite (lanka) limited 1991. 

Graphite Mining

High Percentage of Carbon Ranging

    The deposit of graphite  contains  a high percentage of carbon ranging between 90- 99 per cent.The graphite found in sri lanka sur passes the deposits found  in Madagascar  with regard to its  purity. The deposit  found is  set to cover a distance of 1000 feet to a width of 500 feet and to a depth of 2500 feet.At present over 400 employees  are engaged  6 days of the week working in 6 hour shifts . A visit to the underground  graphite mine is most interesting  and provides  an insight into this hazardous  activity  of the mining  of graphite . About 5000 tons are mined annually. Different  varieties  such as plate,chip dust ,bold chip,fine chip,micron , etc are found in these mines. Graphite is exported to countries  such as UK , japan ,France  and Germany.

Graphite useful in electronic products such as batteries, and solar panels

Sceneric Bopath Ella Waterfall Sri Lanka

    This beautiful waterfall can be reached by taking the turn at higgashena junction close to kuruwita town on the colombo Rathnapura main road and travelling 1.5 kms from the junction.  this waterfall associated with kuru ganga,is 115 ft in height and is shaped like a" Bo path " Bo leaf hence the name . It had been a theme for poetic imagination of several poets of sabaragamuwa. 

Bopath Ella

Bopath Ella As a Tourist Destination

    In close proximity to the waterfall is a tourist resort and a shopping complex with about 40 itinerant boutiques . It is a common sight to see large numbers of tourists bathing and relaxing at this waterfall.

Bopath Ella

World Heritage Sinharaja Rain Forest Sri Lanka

     The Sinharaja forest which is 11000 hectares in extent has been declared a world heritage project and falls within the districts of Ratnapura , Galle ,Matara and Kalutara. This forest can be reached  from  the Ratnapura district by travelling  along the  ratnapura - kalawana road taking the turn to the  left at Kalawana and proceeding 13 Km on the Weddagala road and travelling  further distance  of 4.5 Km from the Weddagala junction. This forest is famous  for  the endemic Sri Lankan plants and trees, flowers ,birds and fish which abound here. 

Sinharaja rain forest

World Heritage Project

    The Sinharaja forest which is 11000 hectares in extent has been declared a world heritage project and falls within the districts of Ratnapura , Galle ,Matara and Kalutara. This forest can be reached  from  the Ratnapura district by travelling  along the  ratnapura - kalawana road taking the turn to the  left at Kalawana and proceeding 13 Km on the Weddagala road and travelling  further distance  of 4.5 Km from the Weddagala junction. This forest is famous  for  the endemic Sri Lankan plants and trees, flowers ,birds and fish which abound here.

Sinharaja rain forest

    This forest attracts tourists and scholars from all over the world as it is a virgin forest several thousands years old accommodating rare varieties of flora, among which are found various  species of  jungle trees such as Hora ,Na and dun not found in other parts ,orchids and  several thousands of plants and creepers .A tourist bungalow and office maintain  by the department of forest conservation provide  accommodation and guides to tourists.